This Nebraska Home Is a Midwest Marvel

A once-modest Nebraska family cabin is transformed into a timber home masterpiece.

Photos courtesy of Texas Timber Frames | Photos by Cody Wortmann

If you’ve ever wondered what the founders of a successful timber frame outfit would build as their own personal “forever” home, wonder no more. Len Dickinson and Jule Goeller, the proprietors of both Sand Creek Post & Beam in Wayne, Nebraska, and Texas Timber Frames, in Boerne, Texas, owned a 1,759-square-foot, two-story family cabin in the Nebraska farmlands, but not only was it not quite large enough for their needs, it was in pretty rough shape. An overhaul was in order, for sure, so while they were at it, they thought, “Why not go bigger?”

And expand they did. More than 3,200 square feet on two levels was seamlessly integrated onto the existing cabin. But it wasn’t just any addition — it was a glorious Texas Timber Frame.

As the owners of not only the home, but also the timber company, Len and Jule had the freedom and the vision to incorporate a few unique features. For starters, they increased the size of the timbers from the standard 8 inches square to 10-by-10 inches. The effect is subtle, but substantial. It creates a sturdier, more impressive environment in areas like the great room, but where it’s really noticeable is in spaces like the master bath, where there’s more contrast and scale to emphasize the size. The timbers, themselves, are crafted of Douglas fir in an elegant hammerbeam truss style, hints of which are visible from the exterior.

The design, itself, is quite a feat. The original cabin side of the house is now home to a library and office, a guest den and a mudroom on the first floor, with two bedrooms upstairs. The timber frame addition contains the main-level great room, kitchen and an expansive master suite, while the second story boasts a sizeable bedroom, bath and family room space.

“The existing cabin and the new timber frame addition are integrated so phenomenally, you’d think that the entire structure was built at one time,” shares Cody Wortmann, marketing director for both timber frame companies, which have built homes in 49 of the 50 states. This can be attributed to Len’s planning prowess. “Len actually designed a scale model of the home years before they ever built it. The house mimics this model very closely, which is pretty cool. Our director of business development, Michael Ratliff, actually finalized the design.”

It’s a testament to knowing exactly what you want, figuring out how to achieve it and keeping the dream alive — no matter how long it takes.