http://www.timberhomeliving.com 37Other cottage-like features include the
modest entryway and the exterior’s mix
of materials, including the same beetle-
killed pine used inside. “The stone
we used to enclose the foundation
anchors it to the ground,” he says.
As important as it was for the struc-
ture to maintain the right aesthetic,
keeping the practicalities of mountain
living in mind was just as essential.
“There’s always snow that comes along
with a mountain setting, so you have to
be able to mentally project through all
four seasons and come up with a strat-
egy that works,” says Matt. “The biggest
thing we had to keep in the forefront
of our thought process was how is this
thing going to work when it has four
feet of snow sitting on top of it?”
Choosing architectural composi-
tion shingles for the roof was the fi rst
step. “Twenty years ago you would try
to get the snow off of the roof, but
now, structurally, we try to keep the
snow on it, so it isn’t sitting up against
the exterior walls.” The home’s other
mountain-living must-haves included
an attached garage, plenty of spacearound the home to allow for snow
accumulation after plowing and a cov-
ered entry “so you don’t have snow
dumping in front of the door when
people come in,” says Matt.
And, with the couple’s focus on cre-
ating a welcoming mountain retreat,
the entryway sees lots of action, snow
or shine. “It’s so pretty and peaceful up
here. People want to enjoy that, and we
want to give them that opportunity,” says
Monica. “We want them to be able to
come in, put their feet up on the coffee
table and make themselves at home.”