Inside A Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired Log Home

I first discovered Hometrea when browsing the award winners of a design competition, and I noticed that it beat out many other log homes more than double its square footage. So I wanted to understand what was so special about its design. You can immediately see from the exterior that Hometrea is an impressive, elegant log home, but the real ingenuity of this home is in a handful of flashy features, and the typical rustic accents that you'd expect to find in a log home are actually purposefully absent in Hometrea. In this tour, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the methodical design that they incorporated to create a functional and artistic masterpiece, as well as why it's one of the most environmentally advanced homes in the South, and why they named it Hometrea. Wow. So this log home was not what I was expecting, and I'm going to tell you in a second, but first, let me introduce Lorraine Barclay Nordlinger, who has very kindly allowed us to tour this and see this beautiful property. So thank you. Thank you so much for coming. So when you think of a typical log home, you often think of the cliche antler chandeliers and rustic wooden furniture, but none of that is apparent in this home, and that was intentional. The homeowner liked the idea of a log home and the lifestyle that they embody, but their vision for the design was more of an elegant Manhattan penthouse situated in the Shenandoah Valley. So how do you design elegance into a log home? Some homes try to accomplish elegance through artwork and furniture, and when you step into Hometrea, the carefully selected artwork certainly help create a modern, elegant aesthetic that contrasts what you typically expect from a log home. Yet designer Andrea Gibson worked closely with the owners to engineer elegance into the design. The first element that immediately struck me is the height of the soaring ceilings, which makes the living area feel much more spacious and grand than its footprint. You'll notice that even the height of the doors are raised to match this aesthetic. These massive posts, which were actually milled in Alberta, Canada, are also a statement that really accent Hometrea's impressive demeanor, and you can see a comparison to me the sheer diameter of these posts. Now another one of the judges' comments was that this home really uses curvilinear elements very well, and you'll actually see this for the first time in the dining room here. As we tour the rest of the home, you'll start to notice it everywhere, but it's most easily recognized here in the dining room. So there's this design that I've noticed throughout the home, and I'm hoping that you can tell me a little bit about it. Yes, so this is the Hometrea property logo that the owners designed and have placed throughout the property. So you can see that it was made into the cabinetry here on the kitchen island. So this is sheduwa wood that was imported from Africa, and then the cabinetry was made by an artisan in Charlottesville, and some places it was actually made into the actual piece, and then some items were selected that were inspired by the logo. You'll see it on the bookcases in both the primary bedroom and in the office. You'll see a design that was inspired by it on the copper fireplace. They actually had pottery created with the logo. So this was actually trademarked, and there's a full set. Oh, no kidding! No kidding. But Hometrea isn't just a trophy property. It was also very important to the homeowners to build a log home that could serve as a functional gathering place for friends and family that encourages connection. And the homeowner enjoys using Hometrea as a gathering place to host friends and enjoy deep intellectual conversations. So when designing Hometrea, they purposefully left the kitchen, dining, and great rooms open to ensure that everyone is really connected and involved in the conversation. And the columns exist to create definition between each of the rooms rather than separation. Yet the judges of the design competition also commented that Hometrea perfectly balances both public and private living areas. And one way that they achieve this balance is in the layout of the bedrooms. You'll notice that each bedroom exists as its own private log cabin, complete with an en-suite bathroom, a seating area, and even a peaked roof. The elegant curvilinear theme also continues in each of the bedrooms as each shower is designed with a bump-out that's topped with a wood-framed and glass canopy that creates this soft natural lighting. And these stone bump-outs are not only an architecturally interesting accent, but they also serve a practical purpose by making the bathrooms feel more spacious as the showers don't actually take up any of the space in the bathroom. So the bedrooms provide ideal privacy, yet you're immediately immersed into the conversation as soon as you step outside, making the design of Hometrea an idyllic gathering space. Another thing to think about when you're designing your home is you want to make sure that it's really accessible for anybody. So that could be elderly family that are visiting, or if you want to use it for retreats, then you want to make sure that everybody feels comfortable. And one way to do that is by using this aging-in-place design. So this home actually has everything on one level. There aren't major steps, with the exception of the guest house, which I can't wait to show you guys in a minute. And you'll even notice that the doors are really wide, and even the light switches are nice and low, so that everybody can navigate this home really easily. And as you head out onto the terrace, you might remember that the homeowner's goal was to create a Manhattan penthouse in the Shenandoah Valley. Yet capturing these vistas was no easy task. For one thing, the homeowner actually spent four years searching for the perfect property before selecting this plot. And even when they first walked this property in muddy boots, there was just one problem. There was no ideal setting for the home, as it's based on a slope. So they actually added a 90-degree outcropping of shale and clay to build up the foundation of the house. If you look at the north side of the property and see the natural line of the mountain, you'll see that the property was built up above the tree line. And this is why the homeowner often refers to Hamatreya as an elegant tree house. Wow, so the views here are absolutely incredible. But I wanted to talk about a few really smart design elements that they incorporated into this terrace that actually reduced maintenance costs. So with a lot of log homes, you have really high maintenance costs because you're constantly replacing the wood railings. But because these railings aren't wood, then you never have to worry about that. Another thing they did that was really smart is you'll notice throughout the house they have really long overhangs. And ideally they say you want to have like three to four foot overhangs, and that way the wood's going to be protected from the elements. So I love that this home is really well designed for entertaining. And you'll see this out here as well. So they incorporated this outdoor kitchen, and then the real centerpiece of this terrace is this fireplace. But the design and layout of the home are only half of the brilliance of Hamatreya. The owners wanted to create a space that organically blends with nature. So they selected architect Alex Walker to lead the project because he is a pioneer in building what is known as a natural element home. So this is an architectural concept that uses the natural elements of the earth, such as stone, wood, light, and fire, to construct a home that organically blends with nature. At Hamatreya, the wood is present throughout the log structure and the interior columns. The stone is most notably present in the flagstone that begins in the porch, runs through the main living areas, and carries out onto the terrace. Though there are also plenty of stone accents, including the fireplace, the shower bump outs, and even the structure of the covered walkway that connects to the carriage house. The skylights, the glass doors, and the picture frame windows, and even the glass canopies in the shower, fill the home with natural light. When drawn together, these elements create a space that is not only notably brighter than most log homes, but it also allows it to organically blend the architecture with nature. And while some may attribute the mountain vistas and the seclusion of the property to this sense of tranquility that's ever-present at Hamatreya, I believe that the emotion can also be credited to the use of the natural elements. So as we walk over here to the guest house, one thing that I saw in the judges' comments was about how they use this structure to connect not only the houses, but even just kind of connects it with nature. Yes, this is one of my favorite parts of this, in part because it just looks so interesting and grand, and the other part because I really don't want to get wet when I'm going from the main house to the guest house. So this loft is on a whole nother level. So not only down here do you have your own living space, you have your own bedroom over here, even a little kitchenette, but if you have kids or teenagers, then they even have this loft that they can play in. And even here in this guest house, they incorporate these balconies, which is just another great way to enjoy these incredible views. Given the emphasis on the connection to nature that's apparent throughout the design, I wasn't surprised that the homeowners have a deep respect for the land. In fact, the name Hamatreya originates from Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem, which explores the idea that the land ultimately owns you and not the other way around. But I was surprised by the lengths to which the homeowners went to create a sustainable home. You'll find that it incorporates some of the most advanced environmental technology that was available when it was being built. So this is the mechanical room. This is where all the systems are housed, and you can see just how meticulously cared for it is. And everything is labeled, so you have the geothermal system with, I believe, five or six different zones. You have the radiant floors and the sides of the showers. And what are kind of the benefits to that? Well, you are drawing on the sunlight, so there's solar panels on the roof, and they are purely to warm the flooring and the walls of the shower. So you're not paying for the HVAC, like a heat pump, to pump heat into those really tall ceilings. So a lot of people will look at that, and they'll say, oh, what's the electric bill for that? It's really not much at all, because the heat's coming from the floor, and then the heat's rising. Everything was so well thought out, because the owners really wanted to have a green and sustainable home. Even the roofing, which is Echo Star Shingling, is actually made from recycled material and warrantied to be a 100-year roof. Today, Hamatreya is still one of the most sustainable homes in the South. So while the majestic log structure and grand style initially drew me to Hamatreya, I found myself most impressed by the methodical design and artistic flourishes that makes the space equally elegant and functional. Even after spending eight hours filming in this home, I continued discovering new details in each room. So when I asked the homeowners what they were most proud of, I wasn't surprised that the answer was threefold. Its uniqueness, its elegance, and how it's architecturally spectacular. I'm grateful to Lorraine Barclay Nordlinger for the opportunity to delve into the mystique of Hamatreya. And if you want to experience this remarkable escape yourself, you can reach out to her today to tour this property and make it yours. So I hope you enjoyed this video and got some fantastic design ideas for your own log home. 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