Siblings Jay and Laura DeVore grew up in a household where reinvention was almost a family sport. Their parents moved the family around the world, traded careers and modeled a belief that curiosity could shape one’s life. That ethos followed them into adulthood.
Jay met his wife, Kelly, in architecture school. The two built parallel careers in design, development and sustainability, both earning LEED AP accreditations. Meanwhile Laura carved her path in hospitality, operations and culinary environments in New York before settling in Switzerland, where sustainable design is an expectation.
Coming together to create Idyll Reserve, a relaxing retreat in the Ohio foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, their different disciplines interlock: Jay builds, Kelly shapes and Laura orchestrates the rhythm that makes it all function.
The Inspiration
Family getaways to Hocking Hills, Ohio—an area known for sandstone gorges, deep forests and stunning waterfalls—provided the inspiration for what would become Idyll Reserve.
“We would go to Hocking Hills about once a year, and we found the accommodations for the price were not up to par—this was about 10 years ago. It felt like we were staying in grandma’s cabin,” Jay recalls. “That had us wondering: Is there a business opportunity here?”
In 2019, a realtor located a property in Hocking Hills. A house already stood on the property, giving the DeVores an opportunity to renovate while building four additional houses for Idyll Reserve. The DeVores were interested in making the five buildings cohesive in their look—modern yet cozy with no resemblance to grandma’s cabin. With Laura’s understanding of guest expectations and operational flow, the team emphasized the kind of comfort, durability and experience that makes a place truly memorable.
They sought materials that could withstand the heavy use of short-term rental properties, and they strived to be good stewards of the beautiful land upon which they were building.
Real Wood in a Kit
While considering how they wanted the new cabins to look, the DeVores recalled a modern cabin they had rented in Michigan and started researching other properties owned by the same person. “We discovered the houses were kits, almost like a drop-ship process: As soon as you’re done building the frame, which is steel, they send the roof kit,” Kelly says.
The DeVores chose Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) Supply, a national provider of home kits with plan sets, modular components and wellness elements all in one. The word “hygge” is a Danish term, meaning a cozy, intimate atmosphere that achieves contentment and wellness—just the type of cabins the DeVores sought for Idyll Reserve. Hygge Supply offers several layouts from which to choose; the DeVores opted for the one-bedroom, one-bathroom kits for three of the cabins, as well as a larger two-and-a-half-bedroom cabin featuring a covered porch.
Part of what appealed to them was the interior wood flooring that came standard with the kit and flows outside to the cladding. Not only is the wood beautiful and sustainably harvested, but it is also low-maintenance and devoid of chemicals. Through a heat and steam process, the wood is modified for rot-resistance, stability and lasting beauty. It will age—as all wood does—and turn a silvery gray, but a penetrating oil offered by the modified-wood manufacturer will deflect UV rays, ensuring the brown tones remain for a longer period.
“We were trying to create a place that was as sustainable as possible, and we loved the idea that we could have this product that wasn’t pumped full of toxic chemicals. It’s something you can walk around barefoot on and not worry about,” Jay says.
Outdoor Connections
About four years after the kit houses were built, the team considered outdoor-living components. They wanted to connect the five houses to each other, as well as continue the consistency in appearance. They already were impressed by the durability of the thermally modified wood cladding and interior floors in the kit houses and elected to use the same wood for the outdoor amenities.
“It’s real wood, so it looks the same all the way through,” Jay remarks. “If the top gets nicked and exposes a little bit below the surface, it’s completely camouflaged. We already knew how this wood worked and we liked it, so it made sense to continue that consistent look.”
Although there was a struggle to find contractors in the area who were willing to build the kit houses, it was not difficult to find someone to build the decks and walkways. The DeVores enlisted the property’s handyman to complete these installations. According to Jay, the thermally modified wood cuts like wood should.
“If you can install pressure-treated wooden decking, you can install this, plus it’s non-toxic, which is an added benefit,” he says.
The thermally modified wood appears every place on the property where there is exterior wood, including decks and detailing, rail posts and caps, steps, trim pieces and walkways.
“This wood is literally the first thing you see on our property, so it was important that it look good,” Jay notes. “It’s the decking. It’s the cladding. It’s the hardwood flooring. It’s extremely aesthetically elegant. If you were here, it looks like a computer-generated rendering; it’s that beautiful.”
Sensible Saunas
As Idyll Reserve began attracting visitors, Laura identified two of the cabins were not being rented as often as the other homes on the property.
“One of the lesser-rented units is tucked up in the hillside, so it’s far from the others,” Kelly explains. “The other one is the first cabin that has the most visibility from the road. We added screening and trees but knew we needed another amenity to increase these cabins’ rentability.”
Saunas were the solution. Like the kit houses from Hygge Supply, freestanding barrel sauna kits were purchased from the thermally modified wood manufacturer to install outside the two lesser-performing cabins. The saunas, which are composed of Nordic spruce sustainably harvested from northern Europe, can be erected in four to six hours. They can be fitted with an electric or wood-burning heater, and the DeVores chose a Wi-Fi-enabled electric model that would allow off-site control. Both saunas were built and heaters were installed by Idyll Reserve’s handyman.
“The two cabins where we added the saunas now are the highest-occupancy, short-term rental cabins in the state of Ohio,” Jay says. “Last year, they both were rented 360 nights out of the year.”
To protect the thermally modified wood around Idyll Reserve during Ohio’s four distinct seasons, Jay says nothing special or intensive needs to be done. “We clean the wood annually and oil it to maintain the original color, but that’s it,” he says. “Six years after the houses were built and two years after the outdoor components were added, the wood still looks like new.”
All in the Family
It’s not often you can be your own client, and Kelly found it particularly rewarding to be able to make the sustainability choices in which she believes. “So often sustainability is sidetracked because people can’t see the longevity of it,” she says. “Being able to say, ‘We know this product’s going to last longer; it’s worth it,’ was truly wonderful. We haven’t had to redo anything we have built at Idyll Reserve; we’ve just been adding to it.”
Jay is gratified that he was able to make a big dream he had with his sister and wife come to fruition. “Because my sister lives in Europe, we don’t have the opportunity to see her all the time,” he says. “It would’ve been easy to drift apart, but Idyll Reserve has brought us all closer together.”
Plan Your Getaway to Idyll Reserve
Book your next escape to Idyll Reserve in the beautiful, natural environment of Hocking Hills, Ohio, at www.idyllreserve.com. The pet-friendly retreat offers sustainable luxury accommodations, including EV chargers and freestanding saunas and hot tubs. The location includes easy access to hiking trails and an adjacent cave.
Materials
Hardwood Floors: Salsa and Tango from Thermory
Decks: Pine 5/4 by 6 from Thermory
Black-stained Exterior Cladding: Thermory
Saunas: No. 62 in the Ignite Finish from Thermory
Sauna Heaters: HUUM
