Natural Habitat
Steve and Kathy Capucini didn't even discuss what type of home they would build on their newly purchased Kelleys Island property. As they stood on the wooded, beachfront lot, they instantly knew it had to be a log cabin.
"It was the perfect fit with the property," explains Kathy. "We wanted the new home to look as if it had always been here."
What's more, they knew that they would construct it using natural materials—many native to the lake region. There would be no carpeting, drywall, or paint—just wood—and two-story windows would allow for a seamless connection to the outdoors.
The Capucinis' love for nature, Lake Erie, and Kelleys Island goes back to their childhood. Both were raised in Sandusky, Ohio, and enjoyed all seasons on the lake. Kathy remembers ice skating from Sandusky Bay to Cedar Point in the winter. Steve has been boating, fishing, and swimming since he could talk. They met on Kelleys Island when Kathy was working as a waitress at The Island House right out of college.
She believes their shared affection for the outdoors played a big part in their compatibility. "We owned a boat before we owned a house," she laughs. Their love affair with the lake has continued throughout their 25-year marriage, with Kathy's job as a school guidance counselor allowing her to make the most of the summer months.
"We love swimming, water skiing, fishing, boating, anything water related," says Kathy, who credits her father for many of her interests. He grew up in upstate New York, fishing and hunting in the Adirondacks. "He could out hunt or fish anyone," she describes, adding that he taught her how to bait a hook as soon as she was able to tag along.
Her spirit for the outdoors continues in the cabin interior, which resembles an old hunting lodge. A massive stone fireplace is the centerpiece of the living room. Stones were handpicked from farm fields on the mainland and brought over by a man and his son who built it layer by layer on weekends. Just as dramatic is the staircase railing, created from whole tree trunks and sumac twigs by a Michigan artist.
Kathy's eye for unique items extends to decorative accessories. She searches flea markets, antique shops, garage sales, and the Internet for unusual pieces, and every few years she travels to a huge autumn antique show in the Adirondacks, admitting, "I love the thrill of the hunt." Some of her favorite items are the vintage stick wicker furniture pieces she's been collecting since she was first married.
Also charmingly incorporated are personal family items, as well as bits and pieces of the region's history. Her father's first fishing pole hangs on the wall of the sitting porch. Family photographs and archival images of early life on Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay are interspersed throughout the cabin. One is a newspaper photo showing her father ice fishing on the lake.
Like her dad, Kathy and Steve are enthusiastic about Lake Erie during all seasons. They use the cabin from March through December—and they're never without their three dogs. Kathy, who's on the board of the Erie County Humane Society, first brought Bella, a rescued Yorkshire terrier, home to nurse her back to health after an animal attack. Bella is now a permanent family member along with Vito, another Yorkie rescue, and Vinnie, a wirehaired fox terrier.
"They love going on the boat to the island," says Kathy, referring to Steve's 1967 Lyman. It's their main transportation to Kelleys from their home on the mainland in Huron. In the winter they use the local airline service. One cold weekend, they were all stranded without a flight back. The true outdoorsmen hiked into town for water and supplies and viewed it as just another outdoor adventure at their private island retreat.
Click here for a tour of the Capucini log cabin.