Cabinology

If you’re not looking closely, you’ll stream right past Jerry and Gina Tenbrink’s home, not all that difficult considering it’s tucked off the beaten path into a lushly secluded parcel. “That was intentional,” says Jerry, who along with his wife, fell hard for the 12 wooded acres in southern Johnson County.

The property was already the site of a gift shop called The Yellow Barn, so the couple decided to buy the shop, remodel the third floor into a loft and live happily ever after. Only it didn’t work out quite that way.

Photographer Shea Swinford happened to find the space and wanted to rent it, so the Tenbrinks switched to Plan B: new construction. “This beautiful property was large enough to accommodate more than one building, undoubtedly an ideal setting for a home. Gina and I figured we weren’t getting any younger and now was the time to build,” Jerry says.

Although the Tenbrinks had been living in a Victorian-style home, deep down they harbored the notion of living in a log home. The timing couldn’t have been better when they saw an ad placed by Jim and Gail Morrison, dealers for Kuhns Bros. Log Homes in La Cygne, Kan. “The next thing we knew we were headed south, meeting with the Morrisons and signing on the dotted line,” Jerry recalls.

Throughout their research, the Tenbrinks looked at a number of log homes, including the Morrisons' and one that belonged to the Tenbrinks' future builder, Brian Harris. They made concentrated searches to find the just-right elements to fit the home, such as the double door at the entrance. “We worked diligently to design a home with features that are both distinctive and comfortable,” says Jerry, who did much of the space planning.    

“The reality is that both Jerry and I are 6 feet tall so scale is very important to us. As a result, we both wanted a log home that included high ceilings and big, open spaces,” Gina adds.

They also knew they wanted the home situated fairly far from the road, facing south and framed by hickory, oak and walnut trees.

After a stint trying to get the city of Olathe to approve a zoning permit for the house, then additional time spent finalizing drawings, the plans were in motion.

Wasting little time, Brian and crew poured a traditional concrete foundation for the 5,550 square feet and earnestly began constructing the milled log home in 2007. As the months went by, Jerry and Gina watched their home materialize from a random stack of numbered logs into a sturdy, custom-built home.

But even during construction, Jerry did his fair share of altering structural elements, noting that it's not that unusual to be able to make those kinds of changes in a log home.

“Originally, the shower in the master bedroom was drawn in a serpentine design, but I changed that into a rectangle. And, instead of using unimaginative rails and balusters on the staircase, we had Jim Morrison construct iron rails for an unobstructed view from the loft,” he says. 

One thing that never changed was the openness. From the kitchen and dining room to the living room, essentially all rooms converge into one big space. “It's clean and simple. I work in a shop every day that has a lot of stuff in it, and I respond better to an uncluttered space,” Gina says.

Jerry made sure the floor plan was logical. “There are two bedrooms on the lower level; our master bedroom is on the main level and a bonus room over the garage. The house literally stretches from the garage into the mudroom/laundry room then continues into the main public spaces. Our master suite is private but adjacent to the main floor activity. When people need some time alone, they can go to the screened porch, out on the deck or take a walk in the woods. Everything is easily accessible,” he says.

There's little doubt that the couple likes to entertain, and often there are a lot of people to accommodate (like the 20 family members who recently visited and made the home their hotel). “That's reason enough to have built a house this size,” Jerry says.

The Tenbrinks' attention to detail ensured that the look of southern white pine logs permeated the entire home. But in the kitchen, Gina thought stained-wood cabinets wouldn't have enough contrast, so she opted for black appliances and black-painted cabinets for a strikingly handsome effect. Instead of artwork as a logical accent in the kitchen area, unusual clockwork parts provide a charming focal point.  “I love Western style with dashes of traditional,” she explains.

Throughout the home, bold-printed phrases highlight posts and beams, distinguishing certain logs and emphasizing various walls, particularly ones that are colorfully faux-textured. Cowhide skins on the floor mix with deer and caribou mounts strategically placed. The home's lower-level family room features a pressed faux-tin ceiling that Jerry installed himself. Accessories and decor notwithstanding, Gina has made sure there are comfortable furnishings at every turn for her family and friends.

“All in all, I'd have to say we took our time building this home. We wanted to make sure everything from the concrete front porch to my handcrafted water garden makes total sense for our lifestyle,” Jerry says.

RESOURCES
Log Home Dealer: Kuhns Bros.
Builder: Harris General Contracting
Front Doors: Silverado Custom Door & Window (Graham, Texas)
Other Doors and Windows: Andersen Windows
Faux Painting, Cabinet and Door Staining: Kerry Phillips
Fireplaces: Town and Country (great room); Liberty/Midwest Fireplace (basement)
Stone and Masonry: Dave Daschke Masonry
Flooring: Designers Choice
Metal Panels: J. Dub's
Pond: Clearwater Pond Systems
Log Railing and Stairs: Jim Morrison
Garage Doors: Overhead Doors of KC
Appliances: Alexander and Ray's TV and Appliances
Landscaping: DMA Custom Curbing and Landscaping
Kitchen & Bath Countertops: Marble Creations
Faucets: Gerber
Furnishings: Shadow Mountain (master bedroom and basement barstools);
Marshfield Furniture (great room/loft)
Master Bathroom Tub: Kohler