Rustic charm, rural luxury

The open floor plan was designed to keep the family together; three bedrooms provide everybody with private space.

Low maintenance and modern livability were priorities (the house is "wired to the hilt," Navaroli says). The towering fireplace is built of cultured stone, resembling river rock. The downstairs floor is an easily maintained tile. The contoured logs, milled to be flatter, collect less dust.

The thick wood provides its own insulation. But because channels and cavities must be bored into the logs for wiring and other systems, "You have to know exactly where an outlet's going, or guess what, you're not getting it," she says.

Navaroli adds that she and her husband eliminated all the cabinets planned under the roof line because they couldn't bear to cover any of the yellow pine structural beam.

"There's a certain allure of log homes," she says, "and you either love 'em or you hate 'em." Clearly the Navarolis love theirs, and realize that while it's not maintenance-free (preservatives and stain must be applied every three to five years), they don't need to think about replacing shingles or clapboards. And the upkeep's hardly a burden, given what the house offers them: peace and quiet, family togetherness, and proximity to wildlife.

"This is our retirement home, this is our vacation home, this is our investment," says Navaroli. The family has lost interest in travel, she adds. Their home beckons like a big easy chair.

"My husband can't wait to get home, to go fishing, to be in the yard with the dogs - for him that's relaxing," she says.

For her, contentment is sitting on the second floor during a snowstorm, firing up the woodburning stove, and watching nature's show outside. "You're home and you're safe," she says, "so why not enjoy it?"

There are two basic types of log homes, manufactured and handcrafted. The latter may appeal to purists, but factory-milled log home packages, which can easily be customized, are far and away the most popular.

Precut kits are assembled somewhat like a child's Lincoln Logs. The average materials package is $55,000, but that price is usually just for the shell. Add in electrical and plumbing equipment, cabinetry, and flooring, and the final cost can triple.

One of the first choices the prospective owner of a log home must make is to choose the shape of log he or she prefers, whether fully rounded, partly rounded, or square.

Other important decisions are the size of the logs, which generally range between six and 24 inches, the type of wood (pine, cedar, and fir are popular), the stain color, the type of finishes and preservatives, and the chinking (the mortar between logs in some homes. Others use tongue-and-groove joinery and rubber gaskets within the joint to prevent air infiltration.)

The way the logs are secured varies. Some homes use spikes, others screw fasteners, and still others a "thru-bolt" system, in which the logs that make up a wall are stacked over a threaded rod and bolted together.

Owners also choose among different architectural styles, from early American to ranch.

There are more than 400 manufacturers of log homes in the United States. Fifty-five of these belong to the Log Homes Council, whose members subscribe to a log-grading program.

Abe Lincoln, it's safe to say, would be amazed at the transformation of the ol' log cabin, which has morphed into a tight, modern structure.

So log houses have closed the gaps and, because of their thermal mass, are now known for their energy-efficiency, unlike in pioneer days when draftiness was one of their main features.

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