Crafting a Luxury Estate with an Expansive ranchwood™ Western Timber Package

The Grand Entrance Featuring ranchwood™ Western Siding and Heavy Framing

Building a legacy mountain home requires more than just premium materials; it requires a unified architectural vision. Take a look inside this breathtaking luxury estate, featuring a massive, multi-phase ranchwood™ Western timber package that seamlessly connects the rugged exterior to the refined interior spaces.

The homeowner worked directly with their Montana Timber Products representative to curate a highly customized wood package that perfectly balances modern architectural lines with rugged, organic tradition. By utilizing this custom Douglas Fir across the exterior cladding, structural timbers, and interior accents, this custom build blurs the line between indoor luxury and outdoor majesty.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Type: Custom Residential Mountain Estate

Architectural Style: Contemporary Mountain / Mountain-Modern

PRODUCTS & APPLICATIONS

• Product Line: ranchwood™
• Color: Western
• Species: Douglas Fir
• Lumber Grades: Douglas Fir #2 & Btr (Cladding & Trim), Douglas Fir #1 FOHC (Timbers)

Due to the immense scale of this project, materials were supplied across multiple phases, encompassing tens of thousands of board feet of custom Douglas Fir.

Key Applications & Dimensions Summary

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Grounding the Design: Stone Masonry Wainscoting

A critical element of this timber package is the strategic use of natural stone wainscoting. While it provides a beautiful visual anchor, its primary role is highly functional. Wrapping the lower exterior walls creates a vital dry separation. This heavy stone base lifts the custom Douglas Fir siding safely above the grade. It actively protects the wood from ground moisture, heavy snowpack, and rain splashback. Combining this protective masonry base with our factory-applied Seal-Once waterproofer ensures the wood will perform assuredly for years. Aesthetically, the cool tones of the stone also ground the massive structure. This smart design contrast makes the warm, linear grain of the prefinished ranchwood™ Western siding truly pop.

Massive Exterior Scale & Cohesion

The exterior of this custom estate is a masterclass in mountain-modern architecture. The facade features over 17,000 board feet of exterior finishes, anchored by more than 8,300 board feet of vertical 1″x8″ Douglas Fir shiplap siding. This wide-plank exterior profile was beautifully complemented by 4,514 board feet of wire-brushed 1″x6″ tongue-and-groove soffit, ensuring a seamless, high-end look from the exterior walls up through the dramatic rooflines.

Grand Structural Elements

To create a truly grand entrance and striking outdoor living spaces, incredibly heavy structural timbers were utilized for the front entry and rear porticos. The design team specified massive 10″x18″ wire-brushed Douglas Fir beams and purlins—spanning up to 24 feet in length—to perfectly frame the home’s architecture. They were supported by beautiful 4″x8″ exposed rafters. Additionally, over 5,600 board feet of thick 2″x6″ structural Douglas Fir T&G decking was integrated into the build, providing both structural integrity and a stunning visual ceiling from below.

Bringing the Timber Indoors

A hallmark of great mountain architecture is carrying the exterior warmth directly into the living spaces. The homeowner achieved this by wrapping the interior ceilings in over 2,700 board feet of 1″x6″ Douglas Fir with a WP4 profile.

Custom heavy timber beams were also specified throughout the home’s key interior spaces. While rooms like the Den utilized impressive 8″x12″ beams reaching up to 28 feet long, the primary Great Room took the scale a step further. The order called for show-stopping 10″x24″ Douglas Fir beams spanning a remarkable 40 feet. These massive timbers feature a Band Sawn texture—rather than the standard wire-brushed finish used elsewhere—adding an extra layer of rustic, architectural contrast to the main gathering space.

Prefinished for the Mountain Climate

Building in extreme climates with fluctuating temperatures and heavy snow loads requires durable, high-performance materials. All dimensional siding and trim for this project was kiln-dried to a moisture content of 15% or less, while the heavy timbers were dried to under 19%.

Before arriving at the job site, every board with a textured face was factory-finished with two face coats and one back coat of Seal-Once, our non-toxic, low-VOC waterproofer.. This guaranteed that the custom wood package was protected from the harsh elements from the moment it was delivered, saving the installation team countless hours of on-site finishing and ensuring long-lasting performance.

THE RESULT

A Masterclass in Contemporary Mountain Architecture

Coordinating a custom lumber package of this magnitude requires incredible precision and communication. By working directly with Montana Timber Products to utilize prefinished ranchwood™ Douglas Fir across the home’s framing, wide-plank exterior cladding, and massive interior accents, the homeowner successfully brought their architectural vision to life. This property stands as a prime example of how traditional organic materials can be elevated to meet the exacting standards of contemporary luxury design.