interiors Archives - Page 6 of 6

Post and Beam Eastern White Pine House by Eric Watson Architects

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Jeff Easterling

Eastern White Pine may be more closely associated with log cabins and the historic architecture of the Northeast than with beachy contemporary cottages in Florida, but architect Eric Watson proves the material’s versatility with the Haupt Walstrom House. This two-story residence in Seaside, Florida is a post-and-beam structure made with Eastern White Pine timber.

The natural, pale creamy shade of the wood is enhanced with just a touch of whitewash to give the home’s interior an airy, bright and open feel. It lines the walls and ceilings, and comprises the clean and simple cabinetry in the kitchen. While still maintaining its rustic charm, the wood adapts beautifully to this surprising usage, resulting in a beach house that’s anything but typical.

Light stains, whitewashing or nothing but a clear coat finish not only allow Eastern White Pine’s natural beauty to shine through, they also lend a more contemporary air to residences and other structures than medium to dark treatments.

Choosing between light and dark wood can change the entire vibe of an interior, making the difference between a clean and spa-like environment and a cozy, historic-feeling space.

Get This Look: Rustic Horizontal White Pine Paneling

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Jeff Easterling

Warm, rustic and full of character, horizontal wood paneling in highly versatile Eastern White Pine is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to totally transform a room. It can be white-washed, painted or stained to match your decor, or simply protected with a clear coat to let the natural beauty of the wood shine through.

Horizontal paneling got a less-than-stellar reputation after the faux wood versions of the 1970s made it seem dark and dated. But using real wood, this interior wall treatment has a fresh look. Narrow tongue-and-groove panels in a smoother grade of pine have a more modern look, while shiplap or wide-plank paneling can add a rustic or country aesthetic.

In the top photo, KellyBaron Design gave a home on Lake Joe in Canada a cozy cottage feel with knotty white pine paneling that contrasts with modern bathroom fixtures. The second photograph depicts a lightly stained wider plank in a home by Georgetown Development. In the third photo, Kate Davidson Design uses pale paneling to give a master bedroom a rustic-chic look.

Beautiful LEED BrightBuilt Barn Made of Local Eastern White Pine

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Jeff Easterling

An airy, 640-square-foot prototype house called the ‘BrightBuilt Barn’ proves that small can be open and livable. The LEED-Platinum eco-friendly home in Rockport, Maine, made with locally milled Eastern White Pine, won the EcoHome 2010 Grand Award for its net-zero energy performance, commitment to sustainable materials and smart design. The home, by Kaplan Thompson Architects, has a flexible open plan with spaces separated by sliding translucent panels.

Designed for use as a studio by the client, but adaptable to be a one- or two-bedroom home, BrightBuilt Barn was created by a team of Maine’s top green engineers and professionals. Five driving principles drove its design: livability, sustainability, replicability/affordability, disentanglement/flexibility, and education.

The home was pre-fabricated, and can be placed virtually anywhere a client desires. It features a super-insulated shell, a photovoltaic array for power, high-efficiency lighting fixtures, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and a real-time energy monitoring system with an LED light skirt on the exterior perimeter that glows green when the house is producing its own energy, and red when it’s using grid power.

The bright and refreshing interior gets much of its good looks from the use of Eastern White Pine in a subtle palette of light stains. Get more information about this design from Kaplan Thompson Architects.

Hand-Hewn Pine Timbers in Striking North Carolina Residence

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Jeff Easterling

Nothing adds more rustic character to a structure than hand-hewn wood beams, and this incredible mountain residence in North Carolina by Hearthstone Homes and Scaly Mountain Builders is a dazzling example. The Jackson Family Home was built for a couple from Palm Beach, Florida who wanted a warm and welcoming getaway in the mountains that reflects the ambiance of its surroundings.

Located on a lake at the headwaters of a river, the Jackson Family Home features lots of glass to look out onto the natural setting, with the main view framed with hammer-beam timber frame trusses made of Eastern White Pine. These beams are the most notable feature in a home that is full of visually stimulating elements, including a stone fireplace and dark-stained floors.

The timbers were hewn with a foot adze, which is a traditional tool used for smoothing or carving rough-cut wood. This axe-like tool strips off pieces of wood for a relatively smooth finish that retains the traditional look of hand-finished timbers. The result, especially in this case, is ideally suited to the centuries-long history of Eastern White Pine in America.

The Jackson Family Home is a great representation of how rustic and contemporary elements can be blended in interiors for a traditional look that fits the modern family’s lifestyle. The architectural details of the hand-hewn beams are an ideal complement to the whitewashed wood plank walls, which are also made of Eastern White Pine. See more photos at HearthstoneHomes.com.