http://www.timberhomeliving.com 47old company’s mill began production of
the heavy-timber system.
“Our standard timbers are 4-by-8-
inch,” says Greg Watson, the sales rep-
resentative who, along with wife Melissa,
worked with the Teslias. “They wanted
timbers milled to 8-by-12-inches to fi t
the scale of the home, and they were
right. When you walk into the central
room, it is just spectacular.”
The house is more than just awe-
inspiring. It’s practical, too. The smart
house is equipped with everything from
a security system and lighting to a ther-
mostat that can be controlled remotely
through an app. The Teslias installed
a generator with suffi cient capacity to
serve the entire house, and with retire-
ment in mind, made exterior mate-
rial selections that would ensure ease of
maintenance.
“The exterior is mostly stone with
Hardie Board,” Sandra says. “The roof
is metal shingle and metal standing
seam. The pre-cast foundation walls and
the decks and porches on all levels are
concrete. Outside staircases are Tim-
berTech, aluminum and stainless steel.”
Of course, not all of the building de-
cisions were purely practical. There are
plenty of allowances for fun, too. The
1,344-square-foot garage houses the
couple’s ATVs, while the timber-framed
“man cave” above the garage provides
Greg and his guests with nearly a thou-
sand square feet of room to relax. In
the 2,730-square-foot basement, there’s
a movie theater and fi tness room with
The master bathroom features Italian
marble fl oors and aluminum, prairie-style
windows painted black to contrast with
the white cast iron tub. Crystal chande-
liers top it all off. Throughout the house,
lighting fi xtures proved to be a challenge
considering the number of rooms, varying
ceiling heights and available options near
the secluded site. Ultimately, fi xtures
were shipped from Florida-based Capitol
Lighting and online sources, such as
Restoration Hardware.