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Interiors are a careful culmination of function based on research, lighting, color and the inherent beauty brought about by the natural materials we aim to incorporate in every project. We design, build, and finish our interiors with custom millwork, cabinetry, stone and tile, as well as the highest level of quality and finishes available.
The kitchen reveals the natural lines of organic timbers selected for their unique shape.
The stone and brick for this Rumford Fireplace and associated chimney were sourced directly from an 18th-century cellar hole, original to the farmland on which this residence now sits. This native stone was also used to construct some of the earliest structures in Lanesborough, such as the Old Stone Church on Route 7, erected in 1836. The hearth, mantle and lintel are comprised of locally-sourced granite. The fireplace is the work of master stone mason Ernie Zuraw, who specializes in restoration at Historic Deerfield Village, MA.
Tropical-style, raised glass vessel his-and-her sinks
An example of locally-sourced materials influencing the design process and honoring the organic shape of the timbers.
The interior experience reflecting the forms of the timbers in their natural environment offers the suggestion of a stand of trees.
Soaring ceilings in a custom, handcrafted open space
Custom, frameless glass shower doors and recessed lights create a sleek shower enclosure
This "Berkshire Cottage" carefully replaces an old family camp; it is sited and oriented to honor the many years of memories. Our design and building process is an organic and custom process from start to finish. We use traditional craftsmanship, local materials and local artisans at every opportunity.
It all begins in our local forests where our team hand selects and fells the trees that will give life to the timber frame. This majestic cherry is tagged and ready for felling. This tree will become posts and a beam for the exterior porch, and revered for generations to come.
This locally sourced cherry post was selected and felled by our team and will be a focal point of the design and structure to come.
The cherry tree posts are hand planed by Wayne's skilled hands to reveal the beautiful grain. These were all locally sourced and hand picked and felled by our team. One was site sourced from the client's property.
A pair of tree posts home in the frame.
A pair of the finished cherry tree posts.
These site-sourced sugar maples will become joists on display in the dining and living rooms. Here Kurt is peeling the bark using an antique bark spud.
A finished and hand-planed cherry joist with its natural curve will be on display in the ceiling of the dining room.
Completed rafters, crafted in our shop from locally sourced timber.
Each timber is custom crafted in our shop from locally sourced timber.
A trailer load of finished parts ready to be erected in the frame.
Wayne is a master craftsman in every sense of the word; there he makes a few adjustments before the timber goes in.
These open mortises will soon receive the many handcrafted and site sourced ceiling joists that will be on display in the living and dining areas.
Taking shape.
The raising of the frame. A very special experience.
The frame is complete, a magic moment and the culmination of a lot of hard work and planning.
Locally sourced and hand-crafted granite columns will support the timber framed porches facing the lake.
Granite columns in place.
The timber exposed to the weather is flashed in lead to increase its longevity.
A continuous copper pan sheds any water away from the future connections to the main structure.
Each joist is anchored to the sill. Note the scarf joints to the left and to the right of Wayne. These joints join three pieces into one timber that is over thirty feet in length.
The timber for these porches were selected not only for their characteristic beauty but also for their characteristic rot-resistance so that they will endure the test of time.
Raising the lakeside porches' timber framing.
The lower bent is complete and ready to receive the upper bent of the master suite's porch.
The raising of the upper cross section or “bent.” The raising of any frame is always special, but this was a very special raising that we were proud to realize.
The completed front entry not only says "welcome" but also hints towards the characteristics and spirit of the cottage within.
This is the marriage of two historic structures, a barn and a cape. The home dates to about 1795 and the barn about 1800. The barn was carefully documented, dismantled, restored and reconstructed using traditional tools and methods. It originally stood about 5 miles up the road from where it is now, a period addition to one of Berkshire County's early and original gems.
The seam between the two buildings is hardly discernible.
This antique barn was removed from Williams College and restored to a home addition.
Every timber is tagged and numbered and keyed to a detailed set of architectural drawings. This is critical to the reconstruction to come.
All of the original fabric from the barn is saved for the restoration.
The historic hewn timbers exposed.
A detailed survey of the timbers yields information on age, species, past repairs and new repairs needed.
The timbers are washed to reveal their gorgeous antique patina.
Freshly washed rafters.
Here is a top plate that is broken due to rot. It will require a special repair.
This drawing outlines the bladed scarf joint that will join the timber together once more using only period joinery and white oak pegs.
The completed repair.
Each cross section or bent is carefully reconstructed and checked for dimensional accuracy.
The bents are raised and flown into place.
The top plates tie the bents together and will support the rafters.
All of the original board sheathing, washed and de-nailed, is ready to be reapplied to the frame.
Shined up like a new penny.
The first pair of rafters.
Note the roman numerals that were used to label rafter pairs and other paired joinery.
The frame is sheathed again and ready for the building envelope.
Wall panels.
Roof panels.
Coming together.
The patina casts a glow throughout the day and comes alive at night.
A sunroom features large mahogany windows, restored original columns sourced from the parent house, and an Ipe deck wrapped by a custom, classical cast-marble balustrade. The sunroom opens to a large, timeless rectangular pool, creating a pleasing focal balance and complementing the garden’s formal symmetry.
Nearly fifty years old, a house suffered an outdated and poorly designed floor plan. The original house was chopped into compartment-like spaces and without sufficient light, circulation, storage or a functional entry. It also lacked a connected and functional outdoor space.
Working with the client, we designed the new addition to provide an open plan concept kitchen-dining-living area, flanked by an Ipe deck. This enabled us to then use the former kitchen and dining areas for a functional mudroom/laundry, a pantry, an office, coat and utility storage, as well as for functional circulation. Locally sourced white oak floors, radiant heat, recessed lighting, and air conditioning all contribute to the comfort and function of these new spaces.
Example of a small, transitional L-shaped kitchen with a light wood floor, Shaker cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, island, and a farmhouse sink.
Custom white oak pantry with a barn-style, vintage sliding door featuring plate glass offers light-filled storage with a nod to the past.
Box beam in the kitchen.
Floating bench nook (during construction).
Floating bench nook in mudroom entry.
Renovated hall with locally-sourced white oak floors.
Looking into the new office, previously used as the dining room.
The exterior of the addition with its Ipe deck. Ipe is harvested as an exotic hardwood, naturally resistant to rot and decay.
The former den and porch roof have been removed, and the addition slab is almost ready to be formed. The coils are for radiant heating.
This old home had a very divided floor plan, poor lighting, and a lot of potential. We were able to redesign, restructure, and revive this home by opening up the floor plan, modernizing the space, adding a new kitchen, new insulation, new windows, and new lighting.
This album illustrates the process by which an authentic timber framed home is made. A true timber frame is made by human beings using local materials, with tools and craftsmanship that have been refined and passed down for millennia.
There is no more organic home type. It mixes art, craft, nature and the human experience to deliver the ultimate of the same to those who will dwell or work within.
These hand-hewn timbers were reclaimed from a 19th-century building in West Stockbridge. They were cut and rejoined to fit this new breezeway, adding an antique aesthetic to the space.
This timber framed entry is comprised of American Black Cherry sourced from the client’s own woodlot and locally-sourced Eastern White Pine rafters. The entire frame is hand-planed to a furniture-grade finish and then oiled for longevity in the elements. The generous overhangs are not only implemented for their design characteristics, but also to preserve the frame.
These are only a few samples of a large and extensive portfolio (available upon request) of design work spanning over a decade and across the architectural, engineering, timber-frame, plumbing, electrical and mechanical disciplines.
A rendering of the historic Lamson & Goodnow manufacturing mill in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
Photo of the historic Lamson & Goodnow manufacturing mill
South elevation of post and beam home
Southern view of post and beam home
West elevation
Western view
Southwest view
Hybrid north and east elevation
Completed entry, northern view
The stone and brick for this Rumford Fireplace and associated chimney were sourced directly from an 18th-century cellar hole, original to the farmland on which this residence now sits.
This native stone was also used to construct some of the earliest structures in Lanesborough, such as the Old Stone Church on Route 7, erected in 1836. The hearth, mantle and lintel are comprised of locally-sourced granite. The fireplace is the work of master stone mason Ernie Zuraw, who specializes in restoration at Historic Deerfield Village of Massachusetts.
Harvesting the 18th-century brick from old cellar hole on farmland in Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Construction of firebox surround and hearth of Rumsford fireplace from native stone and antique brick
Lifting the fireplace lintel into place
Positioning native granite mantel shelf
Historic houses and barns require specialty tools, skills and knowledge to properly restore. Some components can be restored in-situ (or in place), while others require dismantling for repairs and reassembly.
Clamping the repaired column in place for adhesive to set and bond
The repair includes sanding the surfaces smooth
While the shaft of a Tuscan column never uses fluting, the suggestion of a ribbed, finely inscribed surface in the capital accentuates the play of light and lends a feeling of rhythm. Historically, fluting represented a papyrus plant with multiple stems.
True, working columns (as distinct from pilasters) support the roof and set the stage. The simplicity of the shaft and base of the finished columns suggest inspiration from the Tuscan order
Mortise and tenon detail
Detail of post and beam repair
A good deal of the timber for this project was sourced directly from the land upon which it now sits. Certain trees even influenced the design with their unique forms. The remaining timber was sourced from a Berkshire farm, located less than ten miles from the site. All of the wood flooring in the house is a byproduct of the process of sawing the timber for the frame. Stone and brick were also sourced from the site and the Berkshires, as well.
