The Living is Easy

On a crisp October day, homeowner Elliott Zide took a hands-on role in his dream home project. Elliott, a Massachusetts trial judge, joined the framing crew in lifting the timbers, lining them up, then pounding the wooden pegs into the holes. "I wanted to be part of the fun and excitement of timber framing," Elliott confides. "It was breathtakingly magnificent."

Elliott and his wife, Michele, a retired college administrator, were thrilled not only to witness the raising, but to have it happen within their construction time frame. The couple had been planning their second home for many months, but things weren"t going well. Their relationship with the timber company they first chose wasn't working, and they feared they would be unable to start construction before the bitter Vermont winter took hold.

Facing the deadline for breaking ground, in late August 2000, Elliott noticed a magazine ad for Davis Frame Company in Claremont, New Hampshire, and quickly gave them a call. Within days, he met with owner Jeff Davis. "I knew right away it was a good relationship," Elliott recalls. "Michele and I were absolutely convinced that we could put our faith and trust in Jeff and his company."

The Right Side

It didn't take long for Jeff to design the Zides' 3,300 square foot New England style home. The goals, says Jeff, "were to capture the gorgeous view; provide their space requirements while including a private area below the master bedroom suite; create a nice walk-out; and fit the site, the topography."

Jeff was especially careful in siting the home. "It's really important that people design their home to fit their site. The site really drives how the design works," he says. "The Zides' whole house was designed to maximize the beautiful south-facing view of Stratton Mountain."

The Zides were impressed. "Jeff heard everything we were saying," Michele says. Within six weeks of Elliott's first phone call, Davis delivered the timber frame package. Topper Morgansen, owner and president of MacDonald & Swan, Inc., the general contractor, had his crews do the raising, under Jeff's guidance. Michele says the result - a one-and-a-half-story timber hybrid on a 15-acre knoll with fabulous mountain views from virtually every room - gave the couple just the easy-living, "little piece of serenity" they were looking for.

The three-bedroom house has an 18-by-26 foot great room and adjoining 10-by-14 foot dining area that features a king post bent with common purlins. To the right is the master bedroom suite, which uses a rafter/collar tie system. On the left of the great room is the kitchen area, which combines timber framing and conventional framing. The kitchen connects to a conventionally framed, 3-story garage with a second-floor living area. "We used a cross gable plan," Jeff notes. "The great room area is taller and more prominent than the two smaller wings."

The house has a 14-by-26-foot loft office overlooking the great room area. Two guest bedrooms are located in the walkout lower level, which also has a family room. "We wanted a house that we could comfortably live in alone, but would still handle a lot of guests for the holidays," Elliott says. "Since privacy is important when we have guests, the business part of the house - the utility area, et cetera - instead of a guest bedroom, is under our bedroom. There is nothing over our bedroom."

A stairway to the loft and lower level is straight ahead when you enter the foyer, creating a barrier between the entry and the great room. Designing it to fit, yet not block the view of the great room and its south-facing window, was a challenge. "We knew we had to have a certain aesthetic because the staircase was a prominent feature of the first floor," Elliott points out. "We needed a scissor stair design to fit the space."

Elliott designed the staircase with Topper using "the trial and error method". When they couldn't find the right size balusters, Jeff had some made up of Douglas fir, the same wood used for the timbers. The risers are also fir; the treads are yellow pine and the banisters are hickory. Elliott and Topper experimented with different stains until they got the look they wanted. "It turned out great," Topper notes. "You can see through them right into the great room."

Simple Elegance

Another challenge was the reclaimed brick fireplace, which sits against the great room side of the staircase. "Since it was kitty-cornered in the great room, the shaft had to be twisted so that the chimney looks straight where it comes through the roof," Topper notes. Topper, with the help from a mason, designed the fireplace, which includes a flush hearth and a high mantel of soapstone. He also designed cabinets, bookcases and vanities, as well as the mantel and marble surround of the master bedroom fireplace.

Elliott says he would change one thing if he could: making the great room and dining room a few feet bigger in each direction. "We were working with a budget, but, at the end, in terms of cost, it wouldn't have been that much more for the extra square footage. The real costs are in the kitchen and baths." He laughs and adds, "But I would do it all over again with the same people."

"What we've got is simply elegant in every way," Elliott maintains. "It's straightforward, with straight lines, a clear geometry. The color and grain of the wood has its own elegance. There's a richness in the color and texture and feeling…this is what we wanted."

Back to Davis Frame Press Page.