10 Tips to Help You Choose a Timber Frame Plan

Here at Davis Timber Frame, we typically design 90% of our clients new timber frame homes. For many of our clients, it is often hard to know where to begin. Below are some tips to help you find a timber frame plan and help you establish some ideas to share with the designer or architect you choose to work with the design your new timber frame.

Tips to help you choose a timber frame floor plan:

• Establish a budget for your new home. Setting a budget is crucial so you can determine what size timber frame house you can afford to build.

• Determine how many bedrooms and bathrooms and all additional rooms you want (great room, kitchen, dining, office, extra bathroom). Deciding how many rooms you want will help you work on square footage.

• It helps to plan now if you want a garage or not. If you choose to have a garage now or down the road and you want to connect it to the house, this could affect your floor plan.

• Many of our clients here at Davis Frame choose to have a walk-out basement. Some use it for storage or additional living space. Deciding if you want a walk-out basement and what its purpose will be may influence the design of your new timber frame home.

• Do you want to add guest quarters? If you do, do you want it in a separate area from the master bedroom?

• How many floors do you want in your new home? Are you looking for a home you can retire in? This will play a big factor in how you design your home.

• Draw a bubble diagram to map out the layout of the rooms.

• What style home do you like? Do you prefer a more traditional or modern looking home?

• What style is predominant in your neighborhood? Do you want your home’s architecture to resemble the styles found in your region?

• Also consider your site before you choose a house design. Choosing a house plan to maximize views or natural lighting for energy efficiency according to your land is key. Remember many Davis Frame timber frame floor plans are flexible and rooms can be moved around.

To speak with a Davis Frame project coordinator, call 800.636.099! Visit our timber frame floor plan page to gather ideas for your timber frame project.

New England Timber Frame Home Built with Southwestern Style

Here at Davis Timber Frame, we have designed and built hundreds of timber frame homes over the years. Every timber frame is unique in its floor plan, timber frame system and of course style and decor. This week's featured home is located in New England, but has a southwestern style decor.

The clients had a special request for their New England timber frame home and that was to add a southwestern look to the timbers. The homeowners have done a lot of traveling in the southwest and wanted their home to remind them of their vacation memories. Once the building was complete, the crew from Davis Frame went through the house and "hand-cut the through-tenons into a jagged shape that played on the Southwestern decor.

Whether you are looking for a southwestern style home, mountainside timber frame home, barn style home, seaside timber frame or any other kind of architecture style, we can help you design it from scratch! Timber framing is adaptable with any style of architecture. Work with a designer and Davis Frame project coordinator to create the timber frame home, addition or barn of your dreams.

Call us today at 1-800-636-0993 to speak with a project coordinator!

Article Feature: Lakeside Timber Frame Home Built on Lake Sunapee

Published by Timber Home Living, April 2006

Story by Bridget McCrea
Photos by Rich Frutchey

AQUATIC addicts by summer and downhill daredevils by winter, John and Karen knew exactly what they wanted when they decided to build their timber home retreat: a place to ski. They found the perfect spot overlooking New Hampshire's Lake Sunapee and built a 4,000-square-foot home. It boasts a clever design, which has allowed the couple to host large family gatherings and social events and, of course, enjoy outdoor sports year-round.

"We wouldn't change a thing about our home," says Karen, whose mind was set on an open floor plan that combines the kitchen, dining area and family room into one flowing space. Mimicking the floor plan of the home's predecessor, a small cottage they'd owned for five years on the same site, John and Karen worked with Claremont, New Hampshire-based Davis Frame Company to bring their timber home vision to life.

The company produced a customized "H" design plan, with three frames that come together in the middle to create the shape of the interior living space, surrounded by porches and decks.

"The cottage had a similar layout," says Karen, "so we took what we loved about that tiny cottage and expanded it into a larger, timber home."

Dreams Realized

To make their dream of a larger home a reality, they purchased the house next door to their cottage and found themselves the owners of 1.2 acres of lakefront property. Then they were ready to build.

But the couple didn't take the plunge without carefully weighing all their options. In fact, before selecting Davis Timber Frame to craft their four-bedroom, three-bath second home, John and Karen looked at a number of timber home styles and interviewed several providers. Karen says their final decision was based on product quality and the firm's ability to provide flexible floor plans that encompassed the couple's individual preferences.

To bring the home's design to life, Davis Frame used common rafter collar ties for the center section of the house, which contains the kitchen and dining area and timber-framed entry. Flanking either side of this center section are the living room and master bedroom areas, both framed with Hammer beam trusses. Using Douglas fir timbers and roof boards, Davis Frame chamfers the edges of the beams, and then applies tongue oil to protect the wood and enhance the grain.

John and Karen, whose primary home is about two hours from Lake Sunapee, are close enough to use their four-bedroom, three-bath second home year-round, but far enough to make each trip feel like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Shunning the trend for an oversized great room, John and Karen opted for a more intimate affair. Sumptuous leather couches and multi-toned fieldstone fireplace create the perfect spot for warming up after a day on the slopes.

Outside, the home is a merger of wood siding and stone, a perfect harmonization with its wooded waterfront locale. A large, square dock provides enough room for socializing after a day of boating......click here to read more of the timber frame article!

To speak to a Davis Frame project coordinator about your timber frame project, call 1-800-636-0993!

Don't Forget to Attend Our Energy Smart Living Workshop This Saturday!

Don't forget to signup for the Energy Smart Living Workshop hosted by Central Oregon Timber Frames, Davis Frame Independent Representative for the Pacific Northwest! Come and spend the afternoon and tour this timber frame model home in Oregon and attend a presentation. See the integration of SIP's construction, solar electric photovoltaic panels and a solar hot water system to achieve comfortable living in this attractive passive solar home design.

Date: Saturday, June 19th
Time: 1:00pm-5:00pm

Location:Model Timber Frame Home & Carriage House
67775 Cloverdale Road
Sisters, Oregon

Call homeowners Doug and Leanne Smith today to RSVP 541-977-8285 or email them at timberinfo@ykwc.net.

Workshop Presentations:

• How to design & build an energy-smart/high performance home - Karen Smuland, Architect, AIA, LEED AP
• Use the sun & wind to power your home -Mark Patt, Evergreen Homes
• Solar Thermal to Heat your home -Jim Crow, Builder & Solar Thermal Installer
• Solar Electricity to Power Your Home - Jonathan Poot, Trinity Electric & Renewable Energy Installer
• Benefits of living in energy-smart home -Doug & Leanne Smith, Reps for Davis Frame Company

To learn more about our upcoming event schedule, please visit the Davis Timber Frame events page!

Davis Timber Frame Design Services

Are you looking for a timber frame company who can help you design the timber frame home or project of your dreams? Work with Davis Timber Frame Company on a custom design or modify one of our existing timber frame plans.

Our design and manfacturing facilities are located in one location which is an added benefit to choosing Davis Frame to supply your timber frame. Call us today at 800.636.0993 to speak with one of our project coordinators about your upcoming project!

To learn more about our design services, please read one of our past blog posts on our timber frame design services!

Timber Frame Floor Plan Feature: The Pacific Crest

The Pacific Crest timber frame home was originally designed for Davis Frame Company's North Pacific Independent Representatives, Doug and Leanne Smith in Sisters, Oregon. The timber frame floor plan features 2,850 square feet with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Passive solar design techniques were used to design this home so that the home maximizes natural lights. The Smith's also incorporated 27 photovoltaic panels on their roof. The timber frame home's electricity comes solely from the solar panels.


This timber frame home can be built off-grid or you can use passive solar design to maximize the energy efficiency. The Pacific Crest expands our variety of western style timber frame homes.


The first floor offers an open first floor plan. The dining room, great room are all open to one another creating a spacious feeling. The master bedroom suite is also on the first floor along with an office. The office could easily be converted into an additional bedroom to make this a 3 bedroom timber frame home.

The second floor features a guest bedroom suite and a large loft. This is a perfect setup for overnight guests.

To see photos of this timber frame home, please visit our Oregon Timber Frame Home Gallery! The Smith's are having an Energy-Smart Living Workshop at their home in Sisters on June 19th. Check out our timber frame events webpage for more details!

To learn more about the Pacific Crest or to discuss your own plans for your timber frame project, call us today at 800.636.0993!

Timber Frame Floor Plan Feature: Classic Ranch

Ranch style homes were a very popular style of home built during the 1940's through the 1970's. The trend of building these style homes began out west and eventually expanded to the east coast. The trend declined after the 1970's, but now there is a growing interest in one floor living floor plans with the baby boomer generation.

Our Classic Ranch timber frame floor plan offers one floor living like a traditional ranch style home does, but was designed to feature an open layout and offers modern features to meet the tastes of today's buyers.


The Classic Ranch timber frame floor plan offers plenty of space with over 2,000 square feet of living space. The great room, kitchen and dining room offer an open concept layout creating plenty of open space for this one floor living space. The floor plan also offers a master suite as well as a guest bedroom and den. The den could easily be converted into a third bedroom. A guest bathroom and laundry room also fit into this spacious one level living floor plan. To create additional space to this floor plan, a walkout basement could be added.

To find out more about our Classic Ranch floor plan or to see other one floor living floor plans, call us today at 800.636.0993!

Summer Timber Frame Open House in Maine

Nubble Lighthouse in York Maine, Photo from US Pictures

If your from New England, you may usually spend some time at the ocean, whether it be in Cape Cod or in Coastal Maine. Now is the time to think about planning your oceanside vacation! Why not schedule it the same weekend as a Davis Frame timber frame open house?


Join Jackie and Dave Dewey, Davis Frame Independent Representatives at their home for an open house event. There is nothing quite like seeing a timber frame home in person to help you gather ideas for your timber frame project.

Date: Saturday, August 7th

Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm

Location: York, Maine

To register for the York Maine timber frame open house, please call us at 800.636.0993! Learn more about what the Coastal Maine area has to offer by visiting the Gateway to Maine website!