“Quiet and peaceful” are words that Logan and Karen Baker use when talking about their Crestwood farm. With six children ages 6 and under, the couple cherish any time they can add a little calmness in their lives.
“Living in the country has its advantages,” Karen said. “It’s very quiet, but it’s quick to get anywhere you want to go. And it’s great for the kids.”
The 72-acre farm sits on Ky. 22 in Oldham County, just minutes from the grocery, schools and the interstate. The driveway winds alongside a small stream before ending at the farmhouse and red barns.
A sign welcomes visitors to Heritage Farm.
Logan, who owns Golden Rule Sign Co. in Middletown, said the family likes to relax in the evenings by sitting on the front porch.
“The sunsets out here are amazing. Especially when the sky is pink and on fire,” he said. “Once the children are put to bed, we take a deep breath and sometimes head to the front porch with a glass of wine or bourbon.”
Though both grew up in suburban Louisville, Logan and Karen have embraced country life.
“The front of the farm is for hay. We lease it to a farmer. Behind the house, that land has organic beef cattle on it. We slaughter a couple for ourselves and sell the rest,” Logan said.
The family often spots redtailed hawks, a crane and other wildlife on their land.
“If we want to go for a walk, we just head out — there’s room to spare. We have neighbors, but they’re just far enough away,” Logan said.
“The kids love to get out on the farm and explore,” Karen added.
Making old new again
Logan’s grandparents bought the farm in the early 1960s because they wanted to live “way, way, way out,” he said, and when they relocated from their Glenview neighborhood in Louisville to the farm, their neighbors had a going-away party for them because they all thought it was so far. They moved into the farmhouse and raised their three children, including Logan’s father.
Logan and Karen acquired the home and acreage in 2013 when they had only two children. At that time, the old farmhouse needed a few updates.
“We originally thought we would just renovate the original home, but the estimates were as much as it would cost to build new,” Logan said.
With Logan’s grandmother’s blessing, the couple turned the house over to eight area fire departments to run drills and, in the process, demolished the original home by fire.
They built their three-level, six-bedroom home on the same site.
“We wanted to do things in keeping with the same theme of the old farmhouse built in 1894. It was a similar type of house with a metal roof, big tall ceilings and fireplaces in every room,” Logan said.
While most everything in the house is new, there are a few architectural pieces recycled from the original home, such as the handcrafted corner block rosettes, red barn wood, fence planks, several doors that have been refashioned as art pieces and the staircase banister and spindles.
The couple transferred a 1974 painting of the original house done by Logan’s grandmother onto tiles that accent the wall behind the kitchen stove.
The ball sitting atop the banister post shows signs of wear.
“We love this and would never refinish it. We like it just the way it is,” Karen said.
“It’s worn from years and years of my dad and granddad rubbing their hand over it on the way up and down the stairs,” Logan added, with his hand on the post.
No longer room to spare
The 6,000-square-foot home seemed plenty big enough, according to the couple when they moved in with their two children, Lucy and Everett.
“We thought we would have elbow room to spare,” Logan said laughing. “Now it seems incredibly undersized. We’re already considering an addition.”
Quadruplets Ruby, Annie, Eloise and Luke weren’t in the picture when the family moved into the house in the summer of 2015.
“We moved in June and it was a few months before we were pregnant with the quads,” Karen said. They turned 2 in April.
The couple admits that sometimes their house is a bit of a “circus,” so they feel fortunate to have their parents, baby-sitters and their full-time helper, Amanda Sirca.
“We’re lucky to have people in our lives who love our children,” Karen said. “Amanda has been invaluable to us, helping Monday through Friday until Logan gets home. Sometimes she’ll keep them while I go to the store or we’ll go out together with all of them. It’s always interesting.”
The first-floor master suite has views of the pool and their farmland beyond. Upstairs, the children share four bedrooms connected by Jack-and-Jill bathrooms. Another bedroom and bath in the lower level serves as an extra guest bedroom.
The contemporary country-living decor — planned and chosen by Karen and filled with timeless, comfortable furniture — creates an inviting atmosphere. Sliding doors from the living area open to a family-friendly screened-in porch.
“We spend a ton of time on the porch,” Logan said.
The porch leads to an outdoor play area and built-in pool with cows and pasture beyond.
By choosing new construction, the Bakers were able to tap into conveniences such as geothermal heating and cooling, LED lighting throughout the house, a security system and whole-house audio.
Logan and Karen agree that living near Louisville, but in Crestwood on their farm, is the best of both worlds.
“Everyone knows us around here now. Everything I need is close and our parents are nearby, too,” Karen said.
Logan adds, “It seems like our life happens up and down Highway 22. And driving home from the office is a great time to decompress. It’s a very peaceful ride home.”
“Karen makes sure the house is decorated and in order, that we have family photos taken — all the things that make this a home.
“If it weren’t for her,” Logan said, “I’d probably be living in an apartment somewhere and everything would be brown.”
