Cedar Boat House

This is a boat house we built here in Bonner, MT, and shipped to Ely, MN. The timber structure is made of 8x12 solid reclaimed cedar. The timbers were attained from huge logs originally used in logging operations in Washington to bridge rivers -- acting as actual bridge structures.

The corners of the boat house are held together with dove-tail joinery. We built the trusses from reclaimed douglas fir obtained from deconstruction projects in Montana.

We also built all the doors for the structure. We constructed them from solid vertical grain reclaimed cedar also obtained from the Washington logging operation.

I can safely say that a solid cedar structure like this has rarely been attempted. It was a unique and great opportunity and certainly turns a lot of heads!

About Pfiffner Design Build

Building a custom home can be a daunting task. At Pfiffner Design Build we have the experience and expertise to communicate with professionals from across the trades to help simplify this process for you. Using old-world techniques and modern ingenuity, we find simple ways to build beautiful things, uniting functional demands, complex designs, and our client's vision. Like our clients, we believe in quality and individuality. Our work reflects our passion, unique skill set, and commitment to excellence. Every client and every batch of timbers says something a little different. We listen to our client, the wood, and the landscape to construct exceptional custom doors and timber frame homes.

Custom Doors: Datsopoulos MacDonald & Lind PC

These doors that we recently finished for Datsopoulos MacDonald & Lind PC in Missoula are solid walnut. They feature custom-cast bronze kick plates, push plates, handles and lock set from Rocky Mountain Hardware in Hailey, Idaho. The designer, Melina Datsopoulos, requested them.

They are French doors that swing both ways, finished with natural oil and wax. The glass is etched and beveled in order to create privacy.  

It's really unique to find stable thick walnut; it's almost never done -- everything is usually veneered instead. Walnut can warp. We found the wood at Intermountain Lumber --- dug through about 100 pieces to find 8 long ones for stiles and then, after we purchased it, it sat in a pile for weeks to make sure that it wouldn't warp.

The 5-piece window unit above the entrance doors was built to match. The window unit, doors and trim were all made out of the same material.

About Pfiffner Design Build

Building a custom home can be a daunting task. At Pfiffner Design Build we have the experience and expertise to communicate with professionals from across the trades to help simplify this process for you. Using old-world techniques and modern ingenuity, we find simple ways to build beautiful things, uniting functional demands, complex designs, and our client's vision. Like our clients, we believe in quality and individuality. Our work reflects our passion, unique skill set, and commitment to excellence. Every client and every batch of timbers says something a little different. We listen to our client, the wood, and the landscape to construct exceptional custom doors and timber frame homes.

Custom Doors: Break Espresso, Misssoula, MT

 

 The story behind the Break Espresso doors is pretty straightforward.

We met Rick (owner of the Break) through a designer in Missoula. We found the reclaimed vertical grain douglas fir at Home Resources. I pitched the idea of using the wood because of it stability and distinctive iron oxide stains from its previous life before being reclaimed. The wood was part of the roof structure in a warehouse building in Eastern Washington. (Gary Delp of Heritage Timber had procured the wood.) It was burly wood to work with -- it's really dense reclaimed old growth -- probably was cut down 100 years ago. The rings are very tight, when you pick it up it feels almost like a piece of iron, it's dense.

In downtown Missoula, we also created the doors at Sapore and are currently work on custom doors for Dotsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind, P.C. 

About Pfiffner Design Build

Building a custom home can be a daunting task. At Pfiffner Design Build we have the experience and expertise to communicate with professionals from across the trades to help simplify this process for you. Using old-world techniques and modern ingenuity, we find simple ways to build beautiful things, uniting functional demands, complex designs, and our client's vision. Like our clients, we believe in quality and individuality. Our work reflects our passion, unique skill set, and commitment to excellence. Every client and every batch of timbers says something a little different. We listen to our client, the wood, and the landscape to construct exceptional custom doors and timber frame homes.