Payton
Planning From Experience

A California couple captures the best elements from five previous log homes in a stunning work of art

Story By: Ronda Mollica
Photos By: James Ray Spahn
Styling By: Colleen Macomber

How do you create the ultimate log home? Well, one way is to gain experience living in them and expanding the best facets. Ken and Jaye Payton, for example, built a masterpiece overlooking the Pacific Coast Range in Northern California. It's their sixth log home.

"We've always loved log homes," says Ken, and they can certainly prove it. After building their first home in 1980, the couple decided to become dealers for Real Log Homes. As they continued to build new log homes and technological advances allowed for more energy efficiency and better design, the Paytons honed their dream home designs.

"Building for others for 27 years has also provided us with lots of ideas," Ken says. "The elements we decided to incorporate were some of the best from each."

One of the first items on their list was a great location. The Paytons eventually found 20 acres overlooking a valley with the Coastal Range as the backdrop.

"We arranged the floor plan to take advantage of the view and to have as much glass on that side as possible," Ken says. "We see the best sunsets imaginable; however facing west can present problems. We installed reflective, argon-filled glass to provide the most thermal resistance available."
A massive 14-foot-wide, 27-foot-tall stone fireplace provides an anchor to the 30-by-30-foot great room. The fireplace creates planned separation from the foyer. "I felt it was important to separate the public front door from the private great room," says Jaye. "This gives us a transition place from outside to inside."
The foyer and front porch were built with a great deal of stone. "I love stone," Jaye says. "It looks great, is durable, and easy to maintain."

The architectural stone from Eldorado Stone has many building advantages: light weight, easy to install, strong, consistent, and affordable. Most importantly for the Paytons, it meets California codes for seismic requirements. "Using real stone would have been too heavy and could possibly become unstable during a earthquake," Jaye says.

The guest bathroom includes a large quartzite stone shower, a copper sink bowl with an oil-rubbed bronze faucet, and a custom vanity made from a log hollowed out for the plumbing and an electrical outlet. "Our son, who helped build the home, had the idea and handmade the piece himself," says Ken. "He even carved out a toe kick so you could stand close while washing your hands."

The use of natural materials continues into the kitchen with neutral travertine and copper tiles used for the backsplash and Cream Boudreaux granite for the countertops. "Our kitchen designer used a butterfly technique with the granite," says Jaye "The thick slab of granite is sliced into two thinner pieces and opened up to reveal a mirror image of the grain. This creates a nice flow compared to just butting two pieces of granite together."

A 9-foot square island houses a separate ice machine, prep sink, warming drawer, and lots of storage for specialty cooking equipment.

The master suite was situated on the first floor for easy access. The Paytons incorporated several features into this space to make it as comfortable as possible. The bedroom has a gas fireplace, four-panel sliding door that opens to the patio, and enough space for a pair of chairs. "We don't have anything in this room that stores clothing - all clothing is in the large walk-in closet," says Jaye. "We even have a washer and dryer in the closet, just like the one we had designed into one of our client's homes."

The spa-like master bath has custom tile work, an open shower stall with four showerheads, in-floor heating, and built-in cabinets for towels. The louvered windows allow natural light into the room, but still provide privacy.
On the second floor are two guest bedrooms with private baths, a quaint sewing room, and a full size office. The open loft area at the top of the stairs serves as a family room with large windows that overlook the front porch. The entire second floor is carpeted for warmth and noise reduction.

The 5,000-square-foot home also serves as a model home, implements all of the ideas they have accrued over their years of building for themselves as well as others. "I think we have succeeded in creating a lodge feel for our home where we can host large get-togethers and still feel cozy and comfortable," says Jaye. "I was worried that it would be too big, but it is perfect for our family and fits well with the mountain location."

Tips from the pros
When you've owned and built six log homes over the course of 27 years, you learn quite a bit about the process. Here's the critical advice the Paytons suggest for folks planning to build a log home.
1. The number one thing you need before you start your design is to develop a budget.
2. Stick with your original plan to stay within your budget.
3. Decide on general size and style for your log home.
4. Outline your needs versus wants:
   a.   Needs - absolutely must have
   b.   Wants - would like to have
   c.   Wishes - always dreamed of having
   d.   Add-ons - can it be added at a later date
5. Design your log home for the lot, including views and drive approach to garage.
6. What are your family considerations for now and in the future? Will someone be moving out or moving in?
7. Use your current home as a guide. Measure the current dimensions of the rooms in your home.
8. What do you like and dislike about the home you currently live in?
9. Determine the location of master bedroom in respect to other bedrooms based on your preference.
10. Utilize closets between bedrooms for sound barriers.
11. The greater the complexity of the design, the higher the cost will be.
12. Consider outside features such as porches, decks, and screened-in porches to create more livable space.