http://www.timberhomeliving.com 33Because the home’s entryway opens directly
into the living room, swing open the front door
and you’re instantly greeted with sweeping views
through the rear-facing windows.
Franklin, who designed their cus-
tom timber home. “John and Monica
weren’t looking for a massive statement
home. They wanted something differ-
ent,” he says. “They wanted a home
that was comfortable, buildable and
stayed within budget.”
The McArthurs’ modest approach
wasn’t without challenges. “It’s easy
to throw square footage at a problem
when you have a bigger budget, but
it’s much more challenging to have
constraints around the project and still
build the home that the client wants,”
says Matt. But staying within the param-
eters of a smaller footprint and budget
was all part of the fun for the designer.
“When you’re able to do it successfully,
it’s super rewarding,” he says.
The building plans Matt created for
the couple hinged on two key features:
open spaces and windows — lots ofthem, according to Monica. “We didn’t
need a big house, and we knew a small-
er footprint would work, as long as we
had a lot of glass,” she says. But just
seeing the gorgeous views wasn’t going
to cut it for this nature-loving couple.
They wanted to have easy access to be
in those views — and they wanted the
same for their guests, too. Exit points
abound on the main floor, including
from two sides of the great room, the