Traverse City Home Tour by Northern Home & Cottage, Home #2

The Holmeses’ original plan was to build a timber frame house, and so they brought their ideas to a company that specializes in timber frame construction—only to come away disappointed at the cost. That’s when they turned to builder Scott Norris, who told them that a hybrid timber frame would give them the Northwoods look they were dreaming of but be within their budget. Norris could even provide the timber trusses from his company Grand Traverse Timber Frame. The couple was game for the idea, and Scott and his team went to work.

In the finished home, a pine-paneled vaulted ceiling spanned by twin 20-foot arched white pine beams rises over the foyer and living room, creating a grand rustic statement. A stacked stone fireplace that meets the ceiling puts an exclamation point on the style. While traditional ceilings are used in the rest of the home, pine trim and mountain ash flooring echo the living room’s rustic style. The Holmeses are fond of pointing out their handcrafted knotty-pine heat vents are courtesy of Scott’s ace carpenter, DJ Schaub, who told them: “You don’t want pieces of painted metal on the wall.”

In the kitchen, knotty alder cabinetry and exquisite granite countertops continue the natural theme. But the truest rustic-style statements are the generous views of the Northern Michigan forest that surround the home—views that are magnified in the four-season sunroom off the kitchen and living area.