Blog - Page 37 of 123 - Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley

A brick chimney coming down!

A chimney coming down!

This photo series was taken with my old Canon camera with a manual advice.

A chimney comes down no faster than a tree… but it’s a lot scarier… a tree doesn’t throw rocks (or bricks in this case) every where when it hits the ground. 🙂

It is always a sad, yet fascinating thing, to watch a chimney come down. Some chimneys can stand like monuments for centuries to come, but old brick chimneys are often a danger to leave standing… the inner bricks and those facing the house are often not cured, and thus are soft and will decompose quickly when exposed to the rain.

Originally posted 2015-02-12 12:47:02.

A brick chimney coming down!Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:33+00:00

Details, such as color, are so important

Here’s a view of the barn/home from the chimney side.

I’m really pleased with the colors that the client picked out. A homeowner with good tastes can really make a home “pop” (is that still a word people use?… lol). And a homeowner with poor tastes can ruin any home with the choices they make on the finish details (fortunately I’ve had very few who fit into this category).

Of all the features found on this profile of the house I think the stone arches are what really makes this home’s profile among my favorites.

Originally posted 2015-02-11 17:25:28.

Details, such as color, are so importantNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:32+00:00

Create both “awe inspiring” and “intimate” spaces

There is something majestic, awe inspiring, and jaw dropping, about standing in a barn/home frame. With huge beautiful beams and handcrafted joinery in every direction, and a view all the way to the peak of the roof… well… it can take your breath away.

I always try to incorporate some intimate spaces in a home like this, with lower ceilings to give them a more secure feeling… like the kitchen in the far corner, the combination dining/sitting room off to the left, and, in the bedroom area at the top of the stairs.

Originally posted 2015-02-11 17:03:15.

Create both “awe inspiring” and “intimate” spacesNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:31+00:00

Cabinetry in a timber frame barn

Here’s a photo of the almost completed kitchen (the upper cabinet doors are being installed) It’s a great space. open to the entire barn frame, but tucked under the loft area giving it a more secure feel.

I really like painted cabinets. I like natural wood ones too. But often wood cabinets in a log cabin or timber frame create an overabundance of wood… you eyes are overwhelmed.

Painted wood is not a crime… it is gorgeous.

Originally posted 2015-02-11 16:45:14.

Cabinetry in a timber frame barnNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:30+00:00

A completed heart pine, timber-frame barn

Here’s a photo of the completed heart pine barn/home frame. It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to design and build this beauty. In a fiction world where money doesn’t exist I would gladly keep on building homes like this one.

Notice the back addition. On most of the homes I build I incorporate a standard stick built addition, whether it’s a log or a timber frame home. It’s a money saving feature… the fact is that there are rooms in a house that don’t need the pizazz of glorious wood exposure…. such as the laundry room, a bathroom, the utility room, closets, etc.

And, another bonus is that we like to put these modern additions up first, they give us, and our tools, and our materials protection from the weather. When a quick shower shows up we just quickly retreat and wait it out.

Originally posted 2015-02-11 16:20:57.

A completed heart pine, timber-frame barnNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:29+00:00

Almost there!

Here’s a photo taken inside the barn-home just prior to closing up the roof. The final stress skin panels are being set. We are only hours from having the house in the dry, and never again will we be worried about this frame getting wet!

Originally posted 2015-02-10 23:29:10.

Almost there!Noah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:28+00:00

Jobsite safety

Men are invincible.

Or at least we think we are.
We can stand on the “do not step here” top rung of a ladder, while wearing no safety helmet, while operating a saw… yes, even a very large saw.

I still remember this moment years later, when I showed up on the jobsite to witness this feat. The young man was given a talk on safety and an inquiry into his desire to live a long life, free of injuries. My company has had an amazing record of job site safety, no major injuries at all, the insurance companies have made out like bandits from us… thank God. Our success has not come from following the government rule books, but from practicing caution and common sense, from looking out for each other, and from listening to that quiet voice saying “is this a smart thing to do?”

Originally posted 2015-02-10 13:04:26.

Jobsite safetyNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:27+00:00

Even sunny days can create harsh working conditions

Real men wear hats… no further comment needed.

Originally posted 2015-02-10 12:12:17.

Even sunny days can create harsh working conditionsNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:26+00:00

A barn that doesn’t look like a barn

I was challenged by potential clients to design and build them a home with an unusual requirement… they wanted the interior to be framed like an old barn, assembled with huge salvaged timbers… and… the tricky part… was they did not want the exterior to look a barn.

It’s tough to disguise a barn!

Originally posted 2015-02-10 11:58:26.

A barn that doesn’t look like a barnNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:25+00:00

Heart pine

Heart pine timbers… of all the species of wood in the world, it is my favorite. It was one of the main reasons that England settled this country, they needed this wood to build their ships. The only way to get heart pine lumber like this is to salvage it from old factories and once that source dries up, it’s gone for good.

Originally posted 2015-02-10 11:43:44.

Heart pineNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:24+00:00