The Joys of Building a Home Together

1 / 11
Guy and Kay Baker, together with their three sons, built this beautiful Alabama home almost entirely from reclaimed materials.
Guy and Kay Baker, together with their three sons, built this beautiful Alabama home almost entirely from reclaimed materials.
2 / 11
The Baker Family from left to right: Jeffery, Adam, Kay, Guy and Kyle.
The Baker Family from left to right: Jeffery, Adam, Kay, Guy and Kyle.
3 / 11
The kitchen countertops were hand-built using wood blocks.
The kitchen countertops were hand-built using wood blocks.
4 / 11
The Bakers designed their home with plenty of porch and patio space for comfortable, year-round outdoor living. 
The Bakers designed their home with plenty of porch and patio space for comfortable, year-round outdoor living. 
5 / 11
It took the Bakers about five years to build this home.
It took the Bakers about five years to build this home.
6 / 11
Old tools and other found items serve as rustic decorations throughout the house.
Old tools and other found items serve as rustic decorations throughout the house.
7 / 11
This bathtub was a DIY project. Guy Baker started with a cattle trough and lined it with fiberglass. 
This bathtub was a DIY project. Guy Baker started with a cattle trough and lined it with fiberglass. 
8 / 11
Guy built this bed from reclaimed timber after being inspired by a design Kay saw in a magazine.
Guy built this bed from reclaimed timber after being inspired by a design Kay saw in a magazine.
9 / 11
The Baker cabin attracts many visitors who come to see this comfortable cabin created with one-of-a-kind materials.
The Baker cabin attracts many visitors who come to see this comfortable cabin created with one-of-a-kind materials.
10 / 11
Building their own home required time and patience, the Bakers say, but they couldn't be happier with the results.
Building their own home required time and patience, the Bakers say, but they couldn't be happier with the results.
11 / 11
Collecting stones from all over the property and laying the outdoor fireplace with them were some of the Baker sons' tasks.
Collecting stones from all over the property and laying the outdoor fireplace with them were some of the Baker sons' tasks.

In Wedowee, Ala., Guy and Kay Baker live in a cozy cabin they built with their three sons using almost entirely reclaimed materials. Under the guidance of Guy, a professional builder, the family spent about five years on the project, lovingly and painstakingly building a sustainable home using centuries-old materials. The family so loves their hand-built home — initially planned as a vacation cottage — that they ended up moving in full time. Every day, Kay and Guy enjoy the personal connection they have with every detail of the 1,100-square-foot space.

In 2001, Guy was feeling overwhelmed at work, and Kay was working on her bachelor’s degree in psychology. The couple’s three young sons were becoming increasingly busy with school and their personal lives. When Guy’s mother unexpectedly fell ill and passed away, Guy became acutely aware of the sensation that life was passing him by. For years, Kay and Guy had owned land on which they planned to build — a piece of property formerly owned by Guy’s grandfather — but they’d never gotten around to starting the project. After his mother’s death, Guy felt driven to make good on a longtime dream of building a getaway in the woods for himself and his family. “We just needed some peace and serenity,” he says.

Building With Reclaimed Materials

Guy had long had a fascination with the antique building materials he saw while working on tear-down buildings in the area. He was impressed with the materials’ quality and durability. He saw the antiques he’d collected as heirlooms of a bygone era that valued craftsmanship over speed.

“It amazed me that I could work on houses that were 150 years old, and the damages to these homes were minute be­cause of the materials and the quality of the studs and the lumber,” he says. “A year later, you work on a home that’s only 20 years old, and you see all this termite and water damage.”

  • Published on Oct 19, 2011
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368