Party Central in the Poconos: Lakeville Log Home Feature

Party Central in the Poconos

Story By Suzanna Logan  |  Photography by Brett Hosterman  |  Reprinted with permission from Log & Timber Home Living Magazine

As seen in their 2026 Annual Buyer’s Guide, this lakefront log home has everything you need for a good time — and a few extras you didn’t know you needed.

Step inside Tom and Christine Nikles’ grand log home on the edge of Pennsylvania’s Lake Wallenpaupack and one thing becomes immediately clear—this house was made for partying.

The well-stocked, backlit bar that stretches across the great room is your first clue. Then comes the full-size stage set with instruments ready and waiting for an impromptu jam session to break out.

Next, the game room, outfitted with billiards, darts and Skee-Ball, continues the fun.

The spaces outside the walls deliver the final flourish, where a timber-covered deck (with a fireplace) leading to a terraced outdoor living area, ringed by a fire pit, waterfall and hot tub, promise to keep the good times going all night long.

For the couple, happy vibes have always been a part of their Poconos experience. Both Tom and Christine have fond childhood memories of vacationing with their families in the area. “We would have family reunions, and the grandparents would be playing polka on the accordions,” recalls Tom. Hoping to continue the memory-making traditions with their own grandchildren, friends and family, the couple purchased an A-frame cabin about five minutes from the lake in 2014.

But like a siren’s song, the water continued to call them closer. The couple began a search for lakefront properties but found, as with most waterside settings, the lots were “right on top of each other,” according to Christine. They knew their vision needed space—and lots of it. So, when a sprawling 8.8-acre lot with 300 feet of waterfrontage came on the market (“unheard of in this area,” declares Tom) they couldn’t resist.

They sold the A-frame and moved into the existing 700-square-foot hunter’s cabin on the property. “We always knew we wanted a log and timber home,” says Tom. Christine adds: “Once the property fell into place, we began searching for the right team and materials for our dream home.”

They linked up with Timberhaven Log & Timber Homes through local representative Bob Romano, who visited the Nikles’ site with builder Gille Roy for their initial meeting. “I had no idea the scope of the project when we showed up,” Bob admits.

“We were sitting in a little log cabin, and Tom pulls out a drawing of this grand log home. It was like going from one extreme to the other.”

Ready to take the next step—choosing their materials—the Nikles met with Timberhaven’s owner Lynda Tompkins. “They wanted a heavier look, so we went with large pine logs, aggressive beam work and a hand-hewn style,” she says of the log structure with a beam-and-purlin roof system. The scale of the materials matches the sheer size of the home, which includes an impressive 8,800 square feet of living space. The design goals for the sprawling spaces were twofold. Knowing this would be their forever place, the Nikles were intentional about one-level living. In addition to placing the primary suite on the main floor, they also included an adjacent laundry room and office. “This is where we see ourselves growing old together, so we have everything we need on the main floor, with no steps at all from the garage,” Christine says.

Once their personal plans were set, they shifted their sights to the second part of their goal: creating a welcoming place for friends and family. “We had this dream of having a place where everyone wanted to be, a gathering place where we could entertain,” says Christine. “Every inch of this home is custom-designed with that in mind.”

In addition to the made-for-fun features, a number of over-the-top custom details add to the home’s undeniable appeal. From the soaring, timber-covered entry and hidden doorways disguised as bookcases to the themed bedroom suites, the home’s “wow” factor is palpable. And, according to Tom, the reactions never get old. “Everyone that stops by is blown away,” he says.

And they aren’t the only ones. “When I wake up every day, I have to pinch myself,” Christine says. “It’s everything we hoped for and so much more.”