Two paint horses, young fruit trees and a barn surround the log home on Andre and Yvonne Kedrowitsch's burgeoningv10-acre farm.
The barn is under renovation and parts of the fence are new, but animals, land and family seem so endeared to one another that you wouldn't know the couple moved to the Ringgold, Georgia home only seven months ago.
At the time, the couple was looking for a tract of at least 5 acres, but Yvonne was unsure if living in a log home would suit her. "My choice never would have been a formal home, but I was probably thinking more of a farmhouse," she says.
The couple views the move to the farm as more than buying a new home. For Yvonne, who has survived non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Andre, recently retired from law enforcement to spend more time with her, it is an open door to a more carefree lifestyle.
Prior to the move, the couple lived in New Jersey, but Yvonne, a Ringgold native, wanted to be near her family, and Andre wholeheartedly supported the move southward. "This was the last house we looked at," says Andre, "and when we rounded the corner, I said, 'I think we've found the house we're looking for.'"
While the home is modestly sized, it's perfect for the empty nesters, and the dramatic vault of the roofline opens up the interior with high ceilings on both floors.
The downstairs living room, dining room and kitchen are adjoined. Under a two-story ceiling that reaches 25 feet at its apex, the living room is casual with a river stone fireplace and chimney. Plenty of windows keep the area from being too darkened by the wood walls and trim.
Instead of buying all new décor to suit their home, the couple decorates with meaningful objects they have owned for some time, and the arrangement works. Near the dining table is an antique sewing machine handed down from Yvonne's family, and her grandmother's old butter churn stands near the entrance.
Andre collects firearms, so two replicas, an 1860 Colt Navy and an 1858 New Army Remington, fill a holster that hangs from the stair banister near a carved wooden black bear bought in Pigeon Forge for the couple's second anniversary.
With an eye for coordinating interiors and an uncommon knack for handcrafting, Yvonne has custom made much of the home's interior décor from quilts to pillows to curtains. These homespun arts pair with houseplants and family heirlooms like her father's fly rod and mounted deer antlers for authentic, down-home charm.
In the kitchen, Yvonne's handmade window valance in a red cowboy print spices up the room's color scheme. The house was built in 2004, so the kitchen needs little updating, but the couple does plan to replace the green, solid surface countertops with a colorful granite.
A rustic wood staircase descends into the middle of the living area, creating some division and the feeling of a hall that leads to a powder room and guest suite. A collection of baskets hangs from the back of the stairs on the way to the suite. In the ample-sized bedroom, Yvonne's mix of floral, handmade throw pillows on the bed gives the room a romantic, almost country ambiance along with mink coats and a wreath made of flowers from her son's wedding.
An ironwork baluster sets off the second floor with a silhouetted scene of woodland deer. Nearby is a combination sewing room and office, and down the hall, the oversized master suite follows the couple's style with an arrangement of red and black handmade pillows on the bed and Yvonne's wedding dress on an ornate stand in the corner. The large bath is modern with a nice tiled shower, walk-in closet and separate water closet.
Now that the two have settled in, they're both at home with the style of the house and especially the secluded location. "The walls are easy to keep clean, and I don't have to think about color so much. The wood goes with everything," says Yvonne.
Usually, the couple and their two Bengal cats are the home's only residents, but for winter, they've brought in their dog Daisy and barn cat Millie. Animal husbandry is a beloved pastime for the couple, and they plan to expand into a mini farm, raising enough food for their household.
Chickens, quail, rabbits and a miniature donkey are all on their list along with an organic vegetable garden.