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 A NEW JERSEY COUPLE TRADES THEIR DOWNEAST SUMMER HOME FOR A YEAR-ROUND TIMBERPEG® RETREAT  “An oldie...but not an antiquie” is how the owners describe the summer home that had been in the family since 1922. Built in 1820, the home had endured multiple additions and renovations and even lived other lives as a restaurant and bottle club.
“Over the years,” the owners explain, “we sank more and more money into the house. Nothing was square. In an eight-foot run of counter in the new kitchen we installed, there was a four-inch height difference from beginning to end!” After many such attempts to update the unheated interior, the family decided it was time for a change. They had been looking at TIMBERPEG® brand homes since 1980, and eventually had a conversation with a cousin who referred them to John Collier at AB & JR Hodgkins, Inc., a local Timberpeg® Independent Representative. John introduced the homeowners to the many possibilities that Timberpeg® timber frame homes offered, taking them on tours of the houses his company had built and confirming their feeling that Timberpeg® made a high-quality home that was easy to maintain. Building began in earnest in 2004, but not before several issues were addressed. “Originally,” the owners explain, “we wanted to build right at the water’s edge where there was a smaller house we planned to dismantle. John listened to our reasons and we explored all the possibilities together. In the end, it was clear that it made more sense to tear down the old summer house and build farther from the water. “Everyone in the family loved the old house,” they continue. “So we needed Timberpeg® to create something with the same feel that was as close to the old home as possible.” The couple found John and his team patient and open-minded throughout. “They listened and explored things with us. It was very collaborative. They were very responsive to our ideas. The end product is a beautiful home with wonderful vistas, built to last for generations. The kids just love it.” Among the couple’s favorite features are a first-floor master bedroom with French doors and a warm, beamed and wood-paneled ceiling. The kitchen is also a big hit with the family. AB & JR used the “new” cherry cabinetry from the old house that had stood on the property and custom-built additional cabinets to match. The kitchen also features dramatic soapstone counters that highlight the warmth of the hand-milled cherry. Custom woodworking details abound in the home, thanks, as John points out, to the area’s boatbuilding industry. Woodwork in the home, for example, boasts five coats of marine varnish instead of the usual polyurethane. “It will last for 20 to 25 years,” explains John. “You could put a wet glass on it and it won’t even leave a mark.”  Other special touches include custom-made doors throughout the home, as suggested by an AB & JR craftsman, as well as custom banisters and newel posts milled to an old handrail design. “They fit your hand naturally. It feels wonderful going up and down the stairs,” say  the owners.The owners took advantage of the flexible design system Timberpeg® offers to make the home retirement friendly. It’s designed to be warm and easy to maintain overall. Doorways and hallways are wider than average, and oversized closets on the first and second floors allow for the possibility of installing an elevator in the future. “Everything arranged by AB & JR was perfect,” say the owners. “They take great pride in their work. Every joint was square – perfect. And the product as it arrived from Timberpeg® fitted perfectly as well.” Local Timberpeg® Independent Representatives are known for their dedication, and John was no exception. Since the owners live and work in New Jersey, they relied on him for most day-to-day as well as many major decisions. “We knew the project was in good hands,” they explain.
The dramatic fireplace in the great room is a fine example of the trust they placed in their Timberpeg® Independent Representative. It was designed over the phone and fax and built in about 90 working days by one craftsman, using local granite and other local materials. The owners were surprised by the amount of detail that goes into a finished home and, again, they relied on John for help in  this area. “Timberpeg® Design pretty much solves its own problems,” says John. But the owners did rely on him to come up with creative solutions for wiring in the home’s exterior walls and for installing air conditioning.“We had never worked with someone as good as John is,” say the couple. “John is the [business] owner, but he’s on hand, paying attention to details. He has extremely talented artisans and craftspeople in his shop – they’re like walking encyclopedias. John and his people are fastidious. “We know we got a great value. John keeps a continuing interest in the house. He’s happy to take people through the house to show them what you can do with a Timberpeg®.” In the end, the owners are happy to report that there’s nothing they’d change about the final design. “We sit on the porch and think, ‘why would we ever want to be anyplace else on earth?’ ” Photos: Rich Frutchey, Photographer Contact us for more details on this and many other floor plans.
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