According to Jeff and Lillian Amero, timber homes epitomize what a home should be-expansive yet inviting.
Wood, iron, and stone: The elements of Old World craftsmanship are preserved in a colonial setting.
Published by: Timber Home Living; Sept. 09' issue
Story by: William Fox
Photography: Rich Frutchey
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Old World craftsmanship is expressed in the inviting kitchen, which features granite counters and Douglas fir posts and beams. From this perspective we see the wing's unobstructed access into the great room. |
Jeff Amero has worked with his hands all his life, first as a welder in Gloucester, Massachusetts, shipyards and currently as owner of J&L Welding and Machine Company. With a father who is a retired machinist, it seems that Jeff was born to be an artisan.
When he and wife Lillian acquired a 30-acre wooded tract overlooking the Massachusetts Bay and village of Magnolia, they already knew that they would build a timber frame home. "Timber frames epitomize what a home should be-expansive, yet inviting enough to welcome guests," Jeff says.
The Ameros believe that wood, iron and stone are uniquely complementary materials, so each is a central element in their home. "We feel a powerful affinity to these materials, which, to us, define Old World quality." The most distinctive wood elements are the Douglas fir timbers, while stone is represented in the great room's massive fireplace and granite countertops in the kitchen. And since Jeff runs a machine shop, he was able to handcraft impressive iron details such as staircase banisters and the brackets supporting the hearth's loose stones.
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| The dining area is framed by structural posts and beams. One of the many distinctive examples of the home's craftsmanship is the iron banister lovingly made by Jeff in his machine shop. |
The game room is large enough to accomodate dancing without disturbing friendly billiard matches. |
Because the home is set on an elevation, it boasts sweeping views of the sea, and Cape Cod (more than 50 mile away) can be seen on clear days. Such vistas, along with the landscape, inspired the impressive scale of the home, which is 4,500 square feet, with a 28-foot ceiling in the great room. A 24-by-20-foot sunken game room offers enough space to simultaneously host billiards and dancing during festive gatherings, and a covered porch out back holds both a hot tub and fireplace.
The great room, with its gracefully arched hammerbeam truss, is the central space in the home. Numerous windows provide impressive views of the woods and water.
Despite its massive dimensions, the Ameros insist that their home is inviting rather than intimidating. "I'd describe our home as more country than McMansion," Jeff says. "While we built larger than we needed, our home reflects the scope demanded by the woods and ocean. The soaring spaces of our home are neither dwarfing nor isolating, because the timbers create such intimacy and warmth."
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| As with the great room, the master bedroom offers dramatic views of the Massachusetts Bay. |
The New England country aesthetic extends to guest bath. Here, a reproduction clawfoot tub and understated white fixtures serve as the perfect complement to the airy aesthetic of this classic home. |
Although they didn't want a cookie-cutter home, the couple began with a standard plan from New Hampshire's Davis Frame Co. The couple worked with the firm's architect, as well as on their own using 3-D rendering software to customize the design. The core element is the great room, with its elegant-yet-functional hammerbeam and queen-post trusses. Fanning out from this central space are wings that combine post-and-beam construction with conventional framing. Lillian chose interior elements to achieve a New England country look that complements the underlying theme of Old World craftsmanship.
The Ameros and Davis Frame's co-founder Jeff Davis agree that a unique builder/client relationship yielded exceptional results. The couple responded to Jeff's lifelong dedication to wood craftsmanship, and the timber framer acknowledges Jeff Amero's magic with metal. "His background as an artisan made him a pleasure to work with," says Jeff Davis. "Client satisfaction means the world to me, especially when it comes from a peer."
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