An All-Natural Timber Home in New York

Featuring all-natural materials and one-of-a-kind design, this New York timber home rivals its spectacular surroundings.

20160709-_DSC2214_11868_2023-10-19_12-14

20160709-_DSC3732_11868_2023-10-19_12-14

Best-Home-Great-Room-C-Scott-Hemenway_11868_2023-10-19_12-14

20160709-_DSC2145_11868_2023-10-19_12-14

20160709-_DSC2189_11868_2023-10-19_12-14

The home was designed to nestle into the land, providing an open floor plan and plenty of outdoor areas for family and friends to enjoy.

Photos: Scott Hemenway, Courtesy of New Energy Works Timberframers

Drive two hours north on the Taconic State Parkway, away from the bright lights and fast pace of Manhattan, and you’ll soon find yourself pulling off into the charming hamlet of Hillsdale, New York. It’s here, surrounded by rolling hills and country roads paired with million-dollar views of the Massachusetts Berkshires, that city dwellers come to rest, relax and get away from it all. And Greg and Dee Olsen are no exception.

“We go up to the house pretty much every other weekend, whenever the kids have vacation — all the time,” says Greg, adding that they’ve also been hosting guests frequently, including his parents. “My dad’s an architect, so he really appreciates the house and how it lives on the land and captures the view.”

It was that view that first captured Greg’s attention as well, and served as the focal point for the home’s “one with nature” design. “The view and the pond are what we enjoy most. The setting is really something you would typically go on a hike or a gondola ride to set out and see, but we’re so spoiled because we wake up to it every morning,” he says.

The finished house that was designed by the team at New Energy Works Timberframers has other stand-out qualities, including a mix of reclaimed materials, a walk-out lower level with a rec room and home gym, and a “healthy house” approach that helps with their daughter’s environmental allergies.

The design, with its open kitchen/dining/living space and walk-out lower level, lives larger than its 3,200 square feet, Greg adds. “The great room that leads into the kitchen and the dining area — everyone’s always spending time there. The kids study at the dining room table. If we’re reading a book, we’re in the living room or on the porch. I definitely think we designed the right size house with the perfect layout.”

From start to finish, design to completion, the Olsens’ home-building journey has been just that: perfect. “It might sound a little unbelievable or corny because you sometimes hear horror stories about building a custom home, but we didn’t have any of that,” says Greg. “We’re so happy we decided to build this house and we’re so happy we decided to work with New Energy Works. We couldn’t have built a better home for our family and this spectacular piece of property.”

What Makes It The Best

The house features a walk-out lower level, a spacious deck and a screened-in porch — all perfect for admiring the beautiful views. The mix-and-match aesthetic of the finishing materials brings a rustic, all-natural feel to the home, both inside and out. Designed with efficiency in mind, the house is exceptionally tight and features a geothermal/solar system so their monthly energy is actually free.

Lessons Learned After Building a Timber Home

Now that his timber home is complete, Greg Olsen shares his top tips for building a custom home on a not-so-standard site.

Focus on Energy Efficiency.

"Really try to build a house that’s as tight and efficient as possible,” says Greg. While it will cost more upfront to build this way, it will save you money in the long run because it will take less energy to heat and cool.

“When we’re home, the fact that we can keep everything at the perfect temperature is so nice.” The Olsens also incorporated a geothermal/solar system on the property, so their monthly energy is actually free. “It’s not only comfortable from a temperature standpoint, but there’s no heating or electricity bills, so it’s more comfortable financially,” says Greg. “We actually make a surplus of energy for the year, so we sell that back to the company and it even covers the service charge.”

Plan Ahead for Access.

If you know you’ll be building on a challenging site, think about year-round access early on. “The only challenge with the house, because it’s high up and the driveway is a half a mile long, is we’re the ones that have to maintain it,” says Greg.

While he does have someone to plow the driveway, it can get tricky when it ices up. To work around the weather, the Olsens purposely bought vehicles that could make it up the steep drive. “We also have a guard rail just in case,” says Greg. “This way, if it’s icy, you won’t shoot down the hill.”