Three Design Traits of Traditional Mountain Homes

Three Design Traits of Traditional Mountain Homes and How to Get Them in Your Own Home

One of our favorite things about Montana is the glorious mountain inspired homes, full of timber and Rocky Mountain animal decor. It’s a pleasure to live in an area where the homes are unique in character and embody their location. Several of our past projects were designed with a Montana representation in mind and if you look around the valley, there are hundreds of houses crafted out of the resources our land provides us, much like the first homes built here in the late 1800’s.

But what is it we love most about these designs? It’s not their elk mounts, bear rugs or the “lake life” signage, it’s the wood from which they are made. The hard work embedded in our Valley’s deep-rooted heritage of logging and harvesting timber from our forests and the craftmanship demonstrated in creating a log home is what we appreciate.  It’s their exposed beams, rustic exterior, and the process that we love. When we get the chance to work on a distinctly Montana or mountain inspired project, we get excited and we most always deeply encourage our clients to maintain the houses’ inimitable character.

If your own home seems “cookie cutter” or “run of the mill” but you love the mountain inspired designs as much as we do, incorporate one or two of these design staples into the space and you’ll find your home will have a little of that rustic Montana flair you are dreaming of.

Exposed Beams

Oh, the beauty of exposed beams. It seems like everyone wants these and seriously why not? They are stunning. But often expensive to unearth or incorporate. If you love the look but don’t have them in your current construction, hang some faux ones and no one will know the difference. Gather several two-by-fours from the store and stack two together to create a thicker four-by-four. Glue, stain and trim them how you want them to look and fit your room. Then, drill them with long screws to the existing ceiling framing. And voila – exposed DIY beams at a fraction of the cost.

Wood Paneling

Instead of painting an accent wall in your favorite hue, opt to install wood paneling for a focal point and rustic mountain addition. Easy to get from the local hardware store for a weekend project, the paneling will transform your room and can fit nearly every design style. Love the rustic brown? Choose the weathered barnwood or rustic hardboard options. Or, do as a friend recently did in their mountain home and whitewash the wood to match a more contemporary and airy design style.

Stone Work

Try to bring in natures’ color by way of stonework.  Get a pallet of stone that matches the other colors in your home and get to work on replacing the tile fireplace or drywall in the kitchen or living room. Purchase manufactured stone flats from the hardware store for the budget option or head to an actual stone company for thin veneer or natural hard stone options to make a grand mountain style addition.