“The house is designed to accommodate anything we want to do,” Mark points out. “We designed it not just for ourselves, but for entertaining and having company. There’s a home theatre, a bar in the walkout basement, a pool table—the works. And the house can sleep sixteen.”

“One of the most fun features,” says Chris, “is the dorm-style room we designed for the girls. They just love it. It can sleep six kids, so it’s perfect for sleepovers.”

Chris goes on to talk about some of the other design choices at Big Sandy. “We kept the beach (and sand) and fun in mind all the time. We kept asking ourselves, ‘How can we keep this clean?’”

The answer came in many forms. There are built-in foot washers at all entrances, outdoor showers and a cement-floored walkout basement that lets family and friends go to and from the beach without tracking sand into the house. The basement even holds an industrial-sized ice maker to keep drinks cold (and sandy feet out of the main house). The house also features a garage under the garage­—an engineering feat that gives the family a place to load, unload and store beach toys and other recreational equipment.

Building one of the first Timberpeg^® homes in the area was not without its challenges. But the Whiteheads are quick to point out that Mark Bohn always knew where to turn for answers.

The novelty of the Timberpeg^® system was not lost on the project’s framer. “Most homes in Nebraska are just typical frame and brick,” says Chris. “The framer really fell in love with the project. He loved watching the semi pull up with all the timbers that went together like a puzzle, and he and the crew really enjoyed working with the Timberpeg^® frame.”



There’s no doubt that the Whitehead’s Timberpeg^® home is built with fun and relaxation in mind. “This is just a fun place, not stuffy, not formal at all,” says Chris, whose eclectic sense of design gives the home much of its lively personality. “We have hula girls and little cocktail drinks on the walls in the basement bath. The kids’ room is done in bright yellow, orange and purple. I decided on a Craftsman-inspired kitchen and found a cabinetmaker who was not afraid to try new things, like a built-in coffee bar and coffee station. He even built a buffet that looks like a stand-alone piece of furniture.”

“The framer really fell in love with the project. He loved watching the semi pull up with all the timbers that went together like a puzzle, and he and the crew really enjoyed working with the Timberpeg® frame.”

One of Chris’s favorite places in the house, though, is her own little hideaway aptly called “the observatory.” Down a hidden hallway and up two steps, the octagonal room has views in every direction and just enough space for two or three visitors. “It’s a quaint, quiet escape,” she says.

Mark’s favorite spot is the great room, with its two-story windows. “You get an immediate and spectacular view of the lake the minute you walk in,” he says. “We intentionally didn’t put a raised porch in front of the windows because it would have spoiled the view.”

These days, Chris confesses to “designer withdrawal.” “I loved getting involved,” she explains. “I worked with two decorator friends and took a large part in the project.”

Mark, though, is keeping his eye on the next project. “The Big Sandy Development,” he explains, “is being done by a dear friend. Another friend of ours is building a Timberpeg^® as well. It’s a very close-knit group of people here and many of them have fallen in love with the Timberpeg^® concept.”

Photos: Rich Frutchey, Photographer
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“GREEN BY NATURE.” Bob Brewer, Plant Manager at Timberpeg’s West Coast Shop “I look at the timbers in our yard, and I think to myself, ‘The trees these timbers came from took many years to grow. My obligation, my duty, is to not squander them.’ They represent our heritage and our future. They will be made into houses that will last longer than they took to grow. Treat them with respect. Be careful when you machine them. Don’t waste them. Our prime timbers are being used on houses. Many ‘rejects’ may be cut down to the next usable size. Our trim ends and fall-offs are used for firewood to heat homes. Our sawdust goes to a dairy farm and is used for bedding. Nothing is wasted.” For more on Timberpeg’s green building practices, visit www.Timberpeg.com/green.html.