get yourself some hard wood

Since my father was in the military, we tended to move around a fair bit during his time in service, and only a little less after he retired. The longest we ever spent in one place was about seven years (after his retirement, though), and the shortest was either two years, or six months (the latter hardly counts since I was born in the middle of a tour and then we moved six months afterwards). Regardless, one of the things that always came up whenever we moved was lodging – logical, after all. And the question was always rent, buy, or build?
My parents never really rented after I was born, and instead bought houses wherever we stayed. However, twice, they commissioned houses to be built. That decision, however, raises a whole raft of other questions. Floorplans, designs, materiels, locations, lots, etc. etc. However, one particular style and design that always caught my eye was that of Timber Frame. These houses always seem to either be designed, or built, or both, in Vermont for some reason… But, regardless, they are inherently cool.
There is something unique and inherently beautiful to each and every one of these houses… From the outside, I have to admit, they are not terribly impressive. But when you get inside of them (the angle from which houses generally should be viewed), they are absolutely gorgeous – exposed frame, trusses the size of railroad ties, bare wood everywhere you look… To say they put your standard wood-framed house to shame would be putting it mildly – the only thing that can even hope to compete is an honest-to-God log cabin. The really annoying part is that, every move, my parents always considered a timber frame house… and decided not to. Argh.
For me, though, it definitely falls under the “eventually” category… Might not build one myself, but the market of them is growing every year.
—This post sponsored by Vermont Timber Works.—