This Great Room Proves Just How Cozy a Neutral Palette Can Be

Home by OakBridge Timber Framing

Photo by Roger Wade

White oak timbers, white trimwork and off-white walls set the stage for a bright and cozy great room. Here's five smart takeaways from this cozy-but-clean scheme:

1. A structural timber frame crafted in white oak is the key ingredient behind the wide-open living/dining layout. The timbers’ natural finish allows the texture and grain of the wood to shine through.

2. Four sets of French doors open to the home’s waterfront deck for true indoor/outdoor entertaining. 

3. Not only do the clear-paned clerestory windows flood the room with sunlight, they create a peek-a-boo view to the exterior strutted-king-post truss system. 

4. The room is trimmed in classic Shaker-style details, such as the built-in bench and the TV/fireplace surround.

5. Textured oak flooring coordinates with the frame and grounds the room in good taste.

See also: Great Room Design Challenges (and Our Favorite Solutions!)