Timber Home Living – September 01, 2019

http://www.timberhomeliving.com 19

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great room has been

a fundamental piece

of the timber home

puzzle for nearly as long as

timber frame homes have been

in existence. Where it took

years — even decades — for

conventional construction to

catch up to the “open-concept”

mantra that has taken over resi-

dential design, timber-framed

homes almost always flow freely

between rooms — especially

the living, kitchen and dining

spaces.

So with such a storied

pedigree of open-floor-plan

living, you’d think laying out

a great room space would

be a no-brainer, but not so.

There are more design deci-

sions to make here than you’d

think. Everything from how to

conceal meal-prep mess in the

kitchen from guests lounging

in the living room to where to

plug in a side-table lamp when

your sofa is several feet from

the nearest wall outlet have to

be considered. So even though

a great room may be the largest

and most open room in your

timber home, it may also pose

the most challenges.

To get your design juices

flowing as freely as your floor

plan, we’ve collected a group-

ing of some of the most success-

ful great rooms we’ve featured

throughout the past three

years. From coastal comfort to

rustic bliss, each one showcases

the diversity and ingenuity that

lie at the heart of timber home

living. They impressed us —

we hope you, too, will find

inspiration here.

WHITE MAGIC
Reclaimed, antique timbers pop against this enchanting
coastal retreat. A combination of dormers, clerestory windows
and skylights accentuate the bright white interior, punctuated
by vivid bursts of marine blue. The great room’s kitchen and
dining space is a seamless extension of the living room, while
a golden hardwood floor ties the whole area together.