Timber framing—using large posts and beams to form the structural support—has been used to build homes and other structures for centuries. Requiring no interior load-bearing walls, timbers are joined by connecting a mortise (hole) on the end of one timber with a corresponding tenon (tongue) for a precise fit. In modern timber frame construction, walls are often structural insulated panels (SIPs) erected on the outside while leaving the timber framing exposed on the interior. SIPs can then be finished us…

Southwestern Montana’s Big Sky region is home to some of the most spectacular, unspoiled mountain terrain in the country, showcasing the Rocky Mountains, access to Yellowstone National Park, blue ribbon rivers, and expansive blue skies. Recreational opportunities abound all year long, from summer golf outings to skiing in the winter. It’s no surprise many people choose Big Sky for their vacation retreat, and this home in particular was designed with family and fun in mind. Construction was completed in …

David Cobb and Karen Sommerlad knew they wanted to stay busy when they retired from their jobs at Harvard University; they just never knew how busy.  “We gave up 35-hour-a-week jobs to work 70 hours a week,” says David, former curator of maps at the Harvard University Library.   He and Karen, a senior campus planner, purchased a 15-acre lot in Sudbury, Vermont, five years ago with the hopes of starting a small organic farm upon their retirement. Today, they cultivate about a quarter-acre of wh…

Michelle Hedges has known the land that she calls home for many years. Family ties make the picturesque scenery of the Cumberland Mountains in Middle Tennessee even more spectacular, and its history is a strong tie to earlier generations. “My home is on property that has been in the family for a long time,” explains Michelle. “Research indicates the property was originally part of a Revolutionary War land grant. The house sits on the exact spot of an original older home in which my great great grandfath…

The eager homeowners already owned a 31/2-acre home site at The Yellowstone Club, an exclusive residential club, ski resort, and golf resort in eastern Madison County, Montana. Now all they wanted was a log home that looked as if it were built in 1870—but with all of the modern amenities that a neurosurgeon and his family would expect from a brand-new vacation home. “I’m 55 years old and I grew up in the Cowboys & Indians generation,” says the homeowner. “We took a few camping trips to the Rockies a…

Gregory and Kym Lagios had corporate careers in the Boston area, working long, hard hours. Their efforts paid off, earning them enough income to afford an early retirement. “Kym and I had been searching for property in the Lakes Region for several years,” says Greg, “and came across this lot through our friend and realtor Gerard Constantino. What we love about our site are the views of the water and mountains, along with our very own 106-foot private sand beach. Rural enough to afford them plenty of pea…

The story about how this pièce sur pièce log home came to be built is a true epic tale of timely decisions, good fortune and, most of all, perseverance. It all started back in the mid-1970s when Gaétan Ruel and his wife Nicole welcomed their third child. At the time, they were living in a beautiful modern mountainside home facing a ski hill in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. But they were quite a distance away from schools, grocery stores, and recreational centers for the kids, and with only weekend…