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Linda and Ron Silber were living the city life with condos in Buckhead and New York, but they wanted a lake house. So they found a neglected log cabin on Lake Lanier 10 years ago. The house had a dock and beautiful lake views, but it was in sore need of updating and expansion.

Alison Church / Special (ENLARGE)

The kitchen of in Linda and Ron Silber's cabin includes a beautiful stone archway over the stove.

Alison Church / Special (ENLARGE)

Linda Silber and her husband, Ron, say they love the lake lifestyle. The expanded a log cabin on Lake Lanier.

Ron Silber wasn't sure they wanted something that looked like "The Clampetts," but his wife had plans.

They did some basic updating, taking it slow to see how they liked log cabin/lake living.

As their relationship with the home grew, the Silbers decided to invest more money by fixing the roof, changing the dormers and adding stacked stone to the bottom floor. Eventually, they decided to make the home their primary residence. Part of that commitment was a new addition and renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms.

"We had it where we wanted it seven years later," Linda Silber said.

The late W.J. Dodd, a former Gwinnett County sheriff and commissioner, built the modest log home in 1986. The Silbers are the third owners. Their neighborhood includes small lake cabins and million-dollar mansions. It was all rural 10 years ago when they moved in. Linda Silber's neighbor, a friendly older woman, had a shotgun ... and she used it.

However growth hasn't changed the atmosphere. Linda Silber said the neighbors, new and old, still know each other and watch out for each other.

Linda Silber, a home planning consultant, and her husband Ron, who is in packaging sales, grew the home from 2,500 to 5,500 square feet with the renovation. To make the addition seamless, Linda Silber searched for logs that would match the color of the original structure. It now has four bedrooms and four baths as well as a back porch that winds around the back of the home.

Log homes pose challenges — such as finding electricians and other contractors familiar with working in wood, not dry wall — but the results are worth it, Linda Silber said.

"You have to find guys who think outside the box," she added.

The couple also changed the original master bedroom into a guest bedroom and removed one angled wall that faced the lake to reveal a fantastic view. The room still has the support beams which adds a nice architectural element to the room.

Even though the drought has stripped the lake of its glory, the Silbers' home sits across the water from Lake Lanier Islands. Because they are on a deeper part of the lake, their views are largely unaffected. Their backyard includes a private double deck dock and a sandy beach.

The porch is where the Silbers and their guests spend most of their time — when they're not on the lake.

"We had a very modern condo in Buckhead. This is really different," she said, laughing.

Ron and Linda Silber plan to stay put in their wooden wonder. They say the log home cools and heats better than traditional homes, and they enjoy their lake lifestyle. Linda Silber, who was a champion water skier in her younger days, still enjoys jumping on skies once in a while despite back problems.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS

• Four bedrooms, four baths, three fireplaces and 5,500 square feet of space. Private double-deck dock and beach.

• Master bedroom includes 20-foot ceilings, a stone fireplace and doors that open up to a back deck that overlooks Lake Lanier.

• The Log Home & Timber Frame Expo is Jan. 18-20 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. For details, visit www.logexpo.com. Tickets are $15 for a three-day pass. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Do you have a tip or a nomination for Private Quarters? Email writer Chris Reinolds (creinolds@ajc.com) or call her at 770-326-8958.

RELATED LINKS
• Photos: See more of the Silber home
• Previous Private Quarters
• Home & Garden
• ajchomefinder.com
• 2007 Home Sales Report