Lovers of rich, polished dark wood, vaulted ceilings, spiral staircases, lofts and skylights will delight in this custom-built Wisconsin log cedar and stone home in North Huntingdon.

Dorothea and John Shirley started building their retirement dream home in 1997 and moved in two years later. Mr. Shirley died in 2005, and the 4,800-square-foot home -- which has three bedrooms, three full bathrooms and is set on three semi-private acres -- now is up for sale.

Priced at $450,000 by Karen Witman of Prudential Preferred Realty, the house is close to the top house price for North Huntingdon -- $590,798 -- but well above the median of $158,500 reported by RealSTATS.

On the main floor, beyond a solid cherry wood entry door with etched glass panels, the 30-by-18-foot living room is a gleaming, wooden showcase of a space with its cedar, 17-foot cathedral ceilings, skylights, ceiling fans and glossy Brazilian cherry hardwood floors with maple border and French knots.

"There's nothing fake in this house," says Mrs. Shirley.

Her late husband, a technician for ABC Sports, designed the house, its cabinetry, including the china cabinets and bookshelves, and some of its furnishings, including end tables and desks.

"He was very artistic and very inventive," she says.

The rich, warm and highly buffed Brazilian cherry floors extend to the dining room, master bedroom, part of the master bathroom, guest room and the main floor laundry room.

A wooden spiral staircase leads from the living room up to one of two lofts that overlook the living room. Other living room features include a remote-controlled Malm fireplace with mirrored corner mantel, arched, beveled-glass entry doors and a built-in cherry bookcase with fold-out desk.

Just off the living room, the 18-by-10-foot kitchen features lighted, built-in china cabinets, recessed lights, white appliances -- including a Maytag microwave, dishwasher and stove and an Amana side-by-side refrigerator -- and white ceramic tile floors.

Beveled-glass pocket doors separate the kitchen from the dining room, which features a bay window with a gorgeous view of the wooded back yard and another wooden spiral staircase leading up to a second loft. Skylights in both lofts open.

The 19-by-14-foot master bedroom has 17-foot cathedral ceilings and skylights, elevated cherry cupboards wired for television connections and lots of closet space.

Pocket doors separate the master bedroom from the master bathroom, which has his-and-her sinks, cherry cabinets and ceramic tile flooring. The guest bedroom has custom, Hunter Douglas Silhouette blinds, cathedral ceilings and two large clothes closets and TV-wired wall cupboards.

Pocket doors separate the guest bedroom from the guest bathroom, which has ceramic tile flooring, cherry enhancements, an invisible urinal, a three-way mirror and shampoo sink.

Another multipurpose room, just off the living room, currently serves as a laundry room but could be transformed into another bedroom or office.

The spacious 20-by-17-foot game/family room on the lower level, which was completed in 2005, easily could serve as a mother-in-law's suite or an artist's studio. The room features a wood-burning Malm fireplace with a solid cherry mantel fashioned from a tree that was in the yard, copper ceiling tiles, a ceiling fan and mini candelabras. The room has a full bathroom and also is plumbed for a wet bar. There also are two smaller rooms off the game room, one cedar lined, the other plumbed for laundry appliances.

A multipurpose room, also on the lower level, could serve as an office or exercise room. Lower-level windows have cherry shutters.

The house also was built to accommodate people with disabilities, with grab bars above the tubs, a wheelchair-accessible shower in the master bathroom and 36-inch-wide doorways. The home is even designed to accommodate the addition of an elevator, if necessary.

Two garages accommodate up to three cars and cantilevered decks wrap around three sides of the house, which also has whole-house vacuum and music/intercom systems.

Mrs. Shirley's brother-in-law, Jim Shirley, developed several log homes and log buildings in the Jennie Drive area, selling them to relatives and renting others to tenants.

He had a corner lot where the old family funeral home was and over the years he bought up additional land, piece by piece.

"I like those logs, so I got a franchise with Wisconsin Log Home," says Mr. Shirley, who is semi-retired from the family funeral home business.

There's a log cabin gift shop. His daughter lives in a log cabin home next to him and his son-in-law's chiropractor's office is a log building, too.

For more information on 260 Jennie Drive, North Huntington, call Karen Witman of Prudential Preferred Realty at 724-863-8330, ext. 52, or go to www.260jenniedrive.com.