A Modern Perspective

Photography by Roger Wade Studios

This 2,990-square-foot, modern timber frame home is spread over a single level where almost every room has a spectacular view of the Montana landscape beyond. The mixture of warm wood tones, metal accents and sleek interior finishes combine in a mountain modern design style.

Selecting the perfect place on her family’s working cattle ranch near Red Lodge, Montana to build a home wasn’t easy for this homeowner—who inherited the land with her sister. 

“It’s amazing how hard it was to pick a place,” she said. “I had considered several sites before I found a place where I could see the mountains to the south and that looked west over the river that runs through the property.”

Initially, the homeowner didn’t even know what kind of house she wanted to build—but when she found ‘the’ spot, she knew her home had to capture its striking views. Searching through a variety of magazines for inspiration, she found an advertisement for a modern timber frame design by PrecisionCraft. 

The design included a shed roof with multiple ridges which rises over the single level layout to the back of the home and comes to a point, giving an open living area and master suite floor to sky views.

“I wasn’t familiar with modern architecture, but I’ve always been drawn to timber framing,” she said. “When I saw the layout and the large window walls I knew it would take advantage of the views.”

To start the design process, a PrecisionCraft representative and Tim Brock, a designer for the company’s in-house firm, M.T.N Design, visited the site to take photos and discuss the orientation of the home towards the both the north and west views. 

“We decided that the mountains to the south would be the primary view. That put the kitchen in the west corridor,” said Tim. “To maximize the view we added counter height and clerestory windows. It also brings a lot of light into the kitchen, which flows into the open dining area and great room.”

A bedroom suite for her daughter was also added to the layout at the end of the house, to give the room the same mountain views as the master suite. 

The major change was to the plan’s original style. The homeowner wanted to remove the pointed overhang from the original plan to create a more contemporary feel. Tim changed the point to a rectangular overhang that ‘steps’ back with each additional room and roof ridge on the north elevation. In addition, Tim designed the home’s timber frame with contemporary lines and shapes to give the home a simple and sophisticated elegance. 

The home’s rear silhouette is extraordinary against the Montana sky. The roofline cascades over each section of the home. Timber rafters that extend from the roof and metal accents enhance the geometric architectural features. 

Large windows framed by metal and timbers show exposed rafters throughout the home and blur the transition from interior to exterior space. 

Inside, the kitchen, dining room and great room share a large, open room. The dining area and sitting area are defined by rugs. A metal fireplace anchored to the east wall is a secondary feature to the rafters above. French doors lead to an outdoor kitchen area that capitalizes on the view, too. 

To the west, the kitchen overlooks the cottonwood trees and river that was important to the homeowner. Glass shelves were used to add extra storage space for dishes instead of cabinetry that would have blocked part of the view. A long island provides additional storage and seating while keeping the working area of the kitchen open to the rest of the room. The back wall of the room provides space for the refrigerator, a double oven and a wine cooler. 

Down the hall in the master suite is another unique fireplace made of concrete and decorated with veins of crushed glass.  Even with modern shapes and lines, the combination of the concrete’s texture, overhead timber rafters and view of the Montana mountains make this bedroom feel rustic and connected to the land. 

Structural insulated panels (SIPS) were another modern material used to complete the home, which wrap around the home’s timber frame skeleton to create the walls and the shed roof. The large panel size combined with the timber framing works really well with modern style roof lines to create large, open spaces.  

The homeowner credits her interior designer Kibler & Kirch with helping her find materials and furnishings that fit in her rustic contemporary home. Once her design was set, she started working with Amanda Clardy and Rosina Kastelitz to create the right look. 

“The mixing of rustic and modern is consistently found from the outside landscaping through the front door and into each room,” said Rosina. “The flow of the house was designed for the homeowner’s gift of hospitality. During the design process, we envisioned the house full of her family and friends and planned for entertaining them. We spent considerable time working out all of the details of the furniture plan. Always thinking of the views and the use of each space, our intent was to create continuity between the inside and outside.” 

The finished home truly represents the homeowner’s love for the land she grew up on—with a modern perspective. 

Laura Jamison is the Marketing Manager for PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes, a company that has been creating distinctive mountain style homes for over 30 years. View their profile or contact Laura at 800.729.1320.

Content for this article provided by PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes.