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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Here’s another photo of the same mountaintop cabin, but this one is taken from the other end of the home, about a month before we finished it up. Even though you don’t see a lot of logs from this perspective, the view of the home screams “Porches!”… which is a good thing, don’t you think?

Originally posted 2015-02-08 15:07:58.

A peak into the attic. What was planned to be an unfinished attic, became a magical space for children, and for those who are young at heart.

All we did was add a couple of dormers and a painted paneling ceiling…

Originally posted 2015-02-06 17:24:37.

Here is the back of the Middle River house.. the far side… the neglected face… the one never to be seen by the public… here she is. Who cares what the back of a house looks like? Well I do, and I think you should to.

It is my opinion that the most important aspect of creating an attractive home is that it must be attractive from all sides. At least three of them… I admit… it’s hard to design a home with four great faces.

I urge everyone to start looking at houses and pay attention to the sides and backs of homes… are they as attractive from the side and back as they are from the front?

I have found that old houses always pass the test, but new homes, those built in the last thirty years, have dressed up the front to make an ugly box appear to be a glamor queen. The result is more like a drag queen… not quite what I would want.

Houses are three dimensional objects and are rarely viewed straight-on from the front, except when they are in plan books, or sales brochures, or listings to sell, (that should be a hint to the fact you are being sold something… “here’s what the home looks like, don’t look at the other sides”) .

I’m often told by people that they really like the way my homes look, but they don’t know why… this little secret is one of the twelve key factors. And it’s easy to do, if you just stick with time-tested designs of the older houses in your area.

Ok… back down off my soapbox. Thanks for listening.

Originally posted 2015-02-05 15:47:12.

One thing I stress to new clients, those who walk in the door for their first meeting, is to consider all you options. Some at first think they want a log cabin and that means to them that all of the home should be made out of log, or some want timber frame and think that it must all be timbered. Very few come to me, because I’m an alternative builder, considering using standard building techniques… but each method has it’s pros and cons and a blend should be seriously considered. I’ll get into all those in future articles.

Originally posted 2015-02-05 15:04:09.

Screen porches used to be standard on most homes in the south, but are often overlooked today… they are wonderful places to spend the evenings. Though certainly free of charge, they are obviously much cheaper to build than interior rooms and I found that they get just as much use and enjoyment as any living space… and if notice in this photo, they can actually improve the aesthetics of the exterior of a home.

Originally posted 2015-02-05 14:51:21.