
Double-layered stucco and manufactured stone help this post and beam home blend into the Colorado countryside.
âWe lived in a lot of houses through the years,â says Mike, âand what we did was take the best of everything and put it together in this post and beam house plan.â Using home-design softwareâbut no input from an architectâhe and Virginia spent months conjuring their ideal home. The real trick, though, was finding the right builder to bring it to life.

A striking manufactured-stone fireplace mingles with the white pine post and beam timbers in the great room. Mike says. âItâs like being inside a cathedral.â
From the soaring 32-foot-high ceiling in the great room to the intricate timberwork, Richardâs wizardry shines. Still, like his clients, he was mindful of the fact that he was framing a real house for real peopleâso nowhere are the spaces gratuitous or overly showy. âI didnât want big for the sake of big,â says Virginia. âEven in those big spaces, I wanted it to feel intimate. I wanted to feel the warmth of the wood.â She and Mike, avid hikers both, also wanted their post and beam home to meld with the dazzling sceneryâcompliments of the Rocky Mountainsâ San Juan Rangeâsurrounding their 5 1/2-acre property.
So when it came time to choose an interior palette, they looked no further than outside. âWhat I tried to do was choose colors that we see out the windows,â says Virginia of the gray walls and green carpets. âWe use our deck quite a bit, and we wanted everything to complement the natural surroundings.â And, as with pretty much everything else on their wish list, they got it. Whether it was gallery-worthy expanses for displaying their masterpieces or stunning-yet-snug nooks for hosting friends and family, Mike and Virginia realized their timber-home dream. â
When we have guests whoâve never been here and we take them on the tour, at the end of it, Mike and I say to each other, âWe just love this house!â Itâs an incredible place Rich built us,â says Virginia. âIt feels like we live in a beautiful piece of artwork.â