Dream kitchen, dream home on Logan Martin Lake
Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
and David Smith
When Rod and Robin McSweeney decided to build their dream home on Logan Martin Lake, Robin knew she wanted it to look like something out of a fairy tale. Her wish came true, and for the past five years, the McSweeneys have been enjoying their “happily ever after” at their house, which with its towers, cobbled stone, cypress shake roof and cupola, truly resembles a castle at the water’s edge.
It’s where the couple, who will celebrate their 49th anniversary in January, spend as much time as possible creating magical moments with their children and grandchildren while enjoying everything that living on the lake has to offer. “We wanted this to be a fun place so they would want to come here,” Robin said of their family. “We both grew up loving lake life, and now our grandkids are river rats. We just love that.”
Nearly every detail of the house – from the bedrooms to the pool to the landscaping – was planned with their two sons, daughters-in-law and five grandchildren, who range in ages 5 to 18, in mind. “Our whole life centers around family,” Robin said.
Their family got its start not long after Rod and Robin graduated from high school. “We both went to Erwin (in Birmingham) but we never dated in high school,” Robin said. “We got together about a year later.”
Even then, they shared a love for the water. “Both of our parents had trailers on Smith Lake,” said Rod, who has long been an avid fisherman – perhaps a little too avid. “This is where I grew up fishing,” he said. “I had to repeat the seventh grade for fishing. I missed 30 days of school because I was fishing here.”
The McSweeneys lived in Trussville for most of their married life and raised their boys, Matt and Michael, there. Through the years, they owned two different houses on Logan Martin – one in Mays Bend and the other on the Talladega side of the lake – but they didn’t get to enjoy the lake as often as they wanted.
About seven years ago, Rod decided it was time to live at the lake full-time. After taking a year to design the house and another year to build it, the McSweeneys have enjoyed hosting friends and family and sharing meals on the patio, which is home to a full outdoor kitchen.
“This is where Rod lives when we have company,” Robin said, adding that both boys and their families live in Indian Springs near Birmingham. Chances are, he’ll throw something on the grill or the griddle while she handles the side dishes. “We cook easy here,” she said. “We work well together. He’s my right hand, and I’m his left.”
Homemade ice cream is a favorite whenever there’s a crowd, and Robin has discovered that Cocoa Krispies make one of the best toppings. “If you’ve never tried it, you should. And if you ever try it, you’ll never eat it another way again. Everyone loves it, including the grown-ups,” she said.
The path home
The story behind their fairy tale home actually began about 30 years ago when Rod was fishing in a bass tournament with one of his sons. He pointed out a wooded, overgrown lot in a then-undeveloped part of the lake, saw its potential and made a promise. “I’m going to build a house on that lot one day,” he told his son.
Decades later, Rod remembered the lot that had caught his eye all those years before and managed to track down the owner. It took a while to convince her to sell, however, and even then, they weren’t exactly sure what they were getting. “It wasn’t until we started clearing the lot that we realized how fabulous it is,” Robin said. “We didn’t even know what kind of house would fit on it,” Rod added.
Although Robin and Rod and been collecting pictures of houses and features they liked for years, they credit Chris Reebals and Ria Neill of Christopher Architects and Interiors, Trey Goldstein of Cotton Construction, and interior designer Joanna Goodman with making their dream come true.
“You can see every side of the house from the water, so I wanted each side of the house to have its own character, and they did such a great job. They were fabulous, every single one of them,” Robin said. “It was the most fun thing we’ve ever done,” Rod added.
The attention to detail is amazing. Each stone, inside the house and out, was hand-chiseled by masons. “I wanted them to have a castle look,” Robin said. The enormous, curved beams in the two-story great room were built onsite. The interior walls are made from white oak and the kitchen cabinets and dining room ceiling are pecky cypress. Everything works together to create a comfortable, welcoming space. “We want it to be inviting,” Robin said. “We want people to feel like they can come up and put their feet up and relax.”
Although they both shared ideas and had input, Rod said he focused more on the pier and outdoor areas and left a lot of the interior decisions to Robin and the architects. “I wanted it to be what she wanted, honestly, and I just enjoyed watching her do it,” he said.
The house, which is more than 8,000 square feet, boasts six bedrooms, a bunkroom that sleeps eight, five full bathrooms and two half-baths. Matt and his wife, Susie, and Michael and his wife, Bradi, each have their own rooms, and the McSweeneys designed special rooms for the grandkids: Moriah, Miriam, Marek, Christian and John Reagan.
There’s a stage just off the bunkroom with a collection of instruments, including drums and a keyboard, and karaoke nights have become a family favorite. The pool, by Shoemaker Pools, was designed with the kids in mind, as well. There are two waterfalls, a slide, diving board and hot tub. “We tried to think of everything – anything the kids would have fun doing,” Robin said.
The kids, who call the McSweeneys Nana and DaDeet, weren’t all they took into consideration, however. There’s an elevator in the house in case someone needs it later. “All of our parents needed an elevator before they passed away, but there was nowhere to add one in the house we lived in at the time. When we started the plans for this house, we decided to go on and put one in now,” Robin explained.
There’s also a safe room they can retreat to during tornado warnings that doubles as a dog washing station for their two dogs, Remington Steele and Stevie Nicks. The dogs also have a “Doodle Door” that leads from the kitchen to the patio. “It’s cute, and it’s unique, but they are terrified of it,” Robin said. “We have to hold it open with a bungee cord to get them to use it. Otherwise, you couldn’t offer them a T-bone steak to go through there.”
The personal touch
The personal touches don’t stop there. The McSweeneys planted trees in honor of each grandchild. There are bald cypresses for the oldest two boys, a weeping willow for each of the two girls, and they planted a Lacey oak in honor of their youngest grandson.
“They all have deep roots, they love the water, and they’re strong. We wanted them to remember those traits,” Robin said.
The graceful branches of the weeping willow remind them of the girls’ hair, and the “curly, wispy leaves” of the Lacey oak makes them think of their youngest grandchild. “He has curly, curly blonde hair,” she said.
They also have four large pots in honor of each of their parents, and they change the flowers each season as a way to honor them. “Every day we can look out at those pots and have a happy thought about our parents,” Robin said. “I’m very sentimental.”
She and Rod, who attend the Church of the Highlands, also have strong faith. One of Robin’s favorite pieces of furniture in the house is a prayer bench from the 1600s that came from a church in France. It holds a place of honor in the dining room.
“God is very important in our lives,” Robin said. “We’re a family of faith, and we’ve been very blessed, but we try to instill in our kids and grandkids that it’s not what you have on the outside that’s important. That can be gone in a minute. It’s what you have on the inside that can’t be taken away, and that’s what really matters.”
Robin, a registered X-ray technician, has filled the shelves in the office area just off the great room with personal mementos. One shelf holds a statue of a father and son, a gift from Rod’s mother when their youngest son left for college, and a clock that has been in Robin’s family for generations. “This is to remind us of how quickly time flies,” she said.
There are also a number of photographs taken throughout Rod’s career. He founded Southern Comfort Conversions, which was in business for 43 years and focused on customizing specialty vans, cars and trucks by adding everything from audio systems to custom seats and massage chairs to off-road suspension. Both boys eventually joined the family business and were active partners with Southern Comfort.
They opened McSweeney Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Pell City about seven years ago and recently added a dealership in Clanton, as well. The bookshelves hold photos of Rod with a number of his clients, including Nick Saban, General Norman Schwarzkopf, and former President George W. Bush.
No regrets
Although their dream home was years in the making, both Robin and Rod said they wouldn’t change a thing. They enjoy their house and all of its unique touches, and they agree that family, friends, community and the beauty around them is what truly makes lake life special.
“The lake, and even Pell City in general, are a little slower paced and remind me of what life was like a long time ago,” Robin said. “People here care about you and bring you supper when you’re sick. They call and check on you, they bring you a bag of tomatoes if they have extra. They’re just good, kind people.”
Rod especially enjoys watching the wildlife, listening to the birds, and watching the fish jump. “It’s just so peaceful here,” he said. “I get up early, a lot of times before it’s even daylight, and I just enjoy being able to watch God’s creation working in harmony. It’s really pretty amazing.”
Favorite Summer Salad
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
- Strawberries, sliced
- Dried cranberries
- Feta cheese
- Candied pecans
- Poppyseed dressing
Toss everything but the dressing together in a large salad bowl. Add dressing to taste just before serving so the lettuce doesn’t wilt.
Crawfish Alfredo Steak
Ingredients:
- Filets
- Coarse pepper
- Salt
- Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Steak Magic Seasoning
- Tony Chachere’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning
- Salted butter
- 15 ounces of your favorite Alfredo sauce (he uses Bertolli Alfredo Sauce)
- 8 ounces of sliced white mushrooms
- Red or white cooking wine
- 16 ounces of thawed, peeled and washed crawfish tails
Directions:
Take filets out of the refrigerator and let them sit for two hours so they’ll come to room temperature. About an hour before cooking, sprinkle steaks with coarse black pepper and salt. Coat them with Blackened Magic seasoning.
Crawfish Alfredo Sauce
Wash the crawfish tails in a colander to reduce the fishy taste. Use a small skillet and add 2 tablespoons of salted butter, a generous sprinkle of the Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning and Alfredo sauce. Bring to a slow simmer and add white mushrooms and several tablespoons of red or white cooking wine and cover. Stir often.
About 10 minutes before serving, bring the heat up a bit and add crawfish tails.
Steaks
Melt ¼ stick of butter on the griddle (or a large iron skillet) and generously sprinkle the Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning and Blackened Steak Magic on top of the butter prior to laying the steaks on it. Cook until your desired temperature and plate them. After adding other sides to your plate, cover the steaks with the Crawfish Alfredo Sauce and enjoy!
*The Crawfish Alfredo Sauce is delicious served over a baked potato or a baguette, as well.
Nana’s Homemade Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ pint whipping cream
- 2 full tablespoons vanilla
- Whole milk
- Ice
- Rock Salt
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to ice cream freezer and stir well. Add whole milk and fill to the “fill line” of the canister. Put paddle in the center of the canister and close the top. Fill bucket with ice and rock salt. Refill ice and salt as needed. Motor will stop when ice cream is ready. Remove paddle. Leave cannister in ice and cover with a towel until ready to eat. Ice cream will get firmer if it sits in packed ice a little longer. Add Cocoa Krispies or other cereal to the top, if desired.
