“Lighting is an important part of designing a home from the inside out. Low voltage accent lighting highlights architectural features while stylistic fixtures identify the gathering spaces.” -Diana Gerken
When Mark and his wife set out to craft a timber frame home in central New York State, the journey started with finding the right piece of country real estate to build on. Once they had acquired the land to develop, it became time to design their new family home.
“During the design process we often ask ourselves: How will they know where to go? Here the main entry is called attention to by a trellised walking path from the face of the garage to an expressive covered entry, which extends to be the most prominent extension on the main facade.” - Kyle Zinteck, RA New Energy Works
“We customed designed our home, so it is exactly what we wanted. My wife and I are not youthful anymore, so we had a clear idea of what we needed for the next 25 years or so,” Mark shared. “We have a large extended family, so we designed the house around our need to host large groups of people to accommodate our family when they visit.”
“The main entrance is substantiated with stone walls on either side of the door to support the timber porch that draws guests in to a custom NEWwoodworks door. Taking inspiration from a previous New Energy Works project that the homeowners loved, we designed this Douglas fir door with transom and sidelights in a finish that blends harmoniously with the timber color and stained cedar siding.” -Diana Gerken
The home had to be cozy enough to feel like an intimate private country home when the couple are alone during the week but also be large and dynamic enough to comfortably accommodate their thirty-member extended family on the weekends. The result is home that exceeded their expectations of comfort and functionality, and includes a heated four bay garage, tailored man cave, and enough space to spare for their whole family to gather in, all while maintaining a warm informal atmosphere.
“The kitchen design evolved throughout the project with collaborative input from the clients. Originally shown with a flat ceiling to make the great room the showstopper space, the thought was ‘why not take advantage of this volume and vault the kitchen ceiling too’. Functional workstations were defined by the homeowners’ established routines and wish list items such as a built-in butcher block terminates the natural granite island near the cooktop for easy prep.” -Diana Gerken
“The house is beautiful! It is exactly what we wanted, designed, and laid out with New Energy Works. The team’s interior designer Diana Gerken was extremely helpful with interior design support, which we flip flopped on if we really needed it in the beginning, but when we got into the project, we realized that without using her design support it would have been a very different project for us,” Mark explained. “The house is extremely solid, well built. It is a tremendously high-quality home. The architectural and engineering component of the project was really a home run for us.”
“Reclaimed softwood T&G gives even more drama to the steep ceilings between great room and kitchen. Greyish-brown tones of the timber frame, Pioneer Millworks flooring, and built-ins ground the spaces with some uniformity throughout. Modern black fixtures give these rugged surroundings a sleek and updated feel.” -Diana Gerken
“New Energy Works and their sister company Pioneer Millworks provided and built every piece of wood in our home. The selection and quality of Pioneer Millworks reclaimed and sustainable wood offerings for our siding, paneling, and flooring were phenomenal. We go to pick out some really cool things that were perfect for us and the home we were trying to build,” Mark continued. “New Energy Works fine woodworking division NEWwoodworks also built all the cabinets, and they are extremely high quality, very well done. The materials and the craftsmanship are just amazing, there is not a single thing that is not perfect.”
“An accent wall of the ceiling material brings texture to the dining nook off the great room” -Diana Gerken
“The floors, wall, and ceiling elements from Pioneer Millworks and all the woodworking and cabinetry are all incredibly well done,” Mark concluded. “But I think this house was extremely well done from beginning to end. The people that we met at New Energy Works and Pioneer Millworks are really talented, they care, they work hard. It is exactly what we wanted, designed, and laid out with the team. We are extremely pleased with the design, architecture, and build quality of our new home. “
“Large expanses of glass are often a feature on Greatroom gable end walls. Extended overhangs supported by a timber truss and bracket from wall face allow for solar shading while allowing views and light to be shared between indoors and out” -Kyle Zinteck, RA New Energy Works
Project Credits:
Architect: New Energy Works
Builder: New Energy Works
Enclosure: New Energy Works
Engineer: MBL Engineering PLLC
Reclaimed & Sustainable Wood: Pioneer Millworks
Fine Woodworking: NEWwoodworks
Photography: Don Cochran
Case Study: Country Entertaining | New Energy Works
