Bull River

The owners, a retiring couple, wanted to move out West and enjoy a quieter life in the mountains of Montana closer to family. The land is nestled amongst the mountains and trees, and offers opportunities for seeing wildlife from the yard. This project was performed under a partnership with another firm. As we dove into the work on the project we took inspiration from the owners desire for Craftstman architecture. 

In order to support the future needs of the family we designed a home that allowed for all first floor living. This includes a master bedroom and bathroom, laundry, kitchen and living areas. The owners also wanted to ensure space for their grand piano, to play on the piano while enjoying views of the mountains. 

A constraint of the project was working within a specific budget, ensuring that the desired features were met, while remaining conservative with selections. Practically speaking this meant limiting exposed chimbers, building a wood sided chimney, and eliminating stone work. At the same time we were able to create an elegant 12×12 pitched roof, which offered generous ceiling space for the interior. 

An exterior woodbox allows for easy access to stock the fireplace. In addition, the building site was flat, simplifying the build process and allowing for stepping into the home without multiple steps up or down. 

A particular docs was ensuring that the owners had a view of the Cabinet mountains from the dining room, living room, kitchen, and Master bedroom.