The sun has long since set and the rosy glow on Lone Mountain is giving way to a smoldering purple as I sink into my club chair and gather my thoughts to write this letter.
A fresh snowfall blanketed the ski slopes yesterday and the only audible sounds are the crackle of seasoned pine on the fire and the occasional clink of ice as I tip my glass. If it’s true that how we spend an afternoon is how we spend our lives, then our place of retreat – our shelter – surely must reflect that which we value and hold most dear.
For me, living in a log home is about more than the romance of living simply or the beauty of artistry in wood. For me, it is about appreciating where I am and recognizing how I got here. These walls were trees that were hand-scribed by someone who recognized and appreciated every curve, every knot. There is a tradition of craftsmanship visible in every stone detail, in the ubiquitous joinery, and in the way that the rooms flow into one another seamlessly. Day or night, the amber hue of the logs illuminates the room, creating a radiance that only Mother Nature can duplicate. I have chosen to dwell at the edge of a forest underneath the big sky. My home, my walls, reinforce that decision every day. And I am grateful.
The Powder Ridge Cabins are log home living at its best. Each one is handcrafted in a tradition that dates back centuries with details that reveal both inspiration and ingenuity. And yet, the modern amenities are unparalleled – from the chef’s style kitchen to the remarkable thermal efficiency of log and the hot tub beckoning off the back porch. With ski-in ski-out access, the Cabins are available in four different floor plans, ranging from 1,500-3,500 square feet, and three to five bedrooms.
Perhaps my own bias for log comes from years of enjoying the solitude and artistry of my own home. Or maybe it is my lifelong passion to handcraft heirloom properties. Either way, the fire is roaring. The beverage is poured. You are welcome here … come see for yourself.
Chad Rothacher, Founder and Owner of RMR Group
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Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday’s most popular rooms — such as home theaters — from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.
From Yahoo market watch – Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed ‘green’ from the outset,” she said. The key for home builders is “finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.”
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For homebuyers, green is fast becoming a priority – whether its because they want to reduce their energy costs, minimize their carbon footprint or improve air quality.
From MSN. Real Estate – Here are 10 questions that prospective buyers or renters ought to ask to find out how green a house or apartment is.
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There’s at least one major upside to the bursting of the real-estate bubble: The kind of adventure-ready second home you’ve always dreamed about is suddenly within reach. From mountain retreats to lakefront outposts to slopeside condos, here’s your primer on where to invest for the long haul.
No, Big Sky is not the billionaire’s Montana. OK, so Ted Turner has a ranch in the area, and two exclusive communities, the Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks, are also here. But Big Sky itself is a tiny (pop. 2,200), old-school skiers’ destination with a base area sporting 1970s condos and nothing remotely resembling a “village.”
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Around the year 500 B.C., the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Nothing endures but change.” Over the centuries his wisdom has proven correct time and again-except, for the most part, in the field of custom home building. True, new developments have taken place in materials science, mechanical systems, and building products, but generally speaking, the way a custom home comes together hasn’t changed much in the past 100 years.
The home building industry has always moved very, very slowly,” says timber-frame guru Tedd Benson of Bensonwood Homes in Walpole, N.H., who for years has been calling on his fellow builders to evolve more quickly. “Historically, it moved even more slowly. It was the same for about a thousand years, and then there were many changes at the end of the 19th century and in the first part of the 20th century-mostly concerning the integration of various mechanical systems.” Custom builders tend to be skeptical of anything new, and with good reason: Plenty of unproven products and techniques have bombed over the years, leaving unhappy homeowners in their wake. “The skepticism is justifiable,” says John Connell, an architect and builder in Warren, Vt. “Builders learn what they know through a slow process of doing it. If they make a mistake, they lose a lot of money.”
