and bright living space,
the home also includes fun
features like a state-of-theart
golf simulator and a
custom-made sauna. Combs
says he has installed plenty
of sauna kits before but
this was built from scratch
to meet the traditional
requests of the homeowner.
He wanted a large space
with a glass front and a natural
rock heating element
instead of infared heat.
“This is probably twice the
size of a normal sauna and
we had to find a non-aromatic
wood in a light tone
that we could get in 14-foot
lengths since we didn’t want
any joints to show,” says
Combs. “We ended up using
Bass wood and adding salt
lamps for lighting. It was
definitely a challenge but
that’s one of the things I
love about custom building.”
Combs says they tried not
to have any wasted space
in the floor plan, which is
perhaps most obvious with
the “practical” mudroom
leading from the garage
that incorporates a small
“deskolet” off the hall. “Everybody
is doing these small
offices in a closet, or just
creating a space where you
can throw your laptop or do
a Zoom call,” says Combs.
“The homeowner coined the
term ‘deskolet,’ or desk in a
closet, and it just stuck.”
He also jokes, Combs
says, about the fact that his
‘deskolet’ is smaller than
the kitchen island, one of
his wife’s favorite features.
The oversized 9’x9’ granite
island grounds the kitchen
and anchors the overall
open layout.
When they’re not gathered
in the kitchen around
the island, you can most
likely find the homeowners
in their favorite spot,
the screened porch off the
kitchen, where they enjoy
sitting and looking out over
the lake, surrounded by
organic beauty both inside
and out.