James Golden's Federal Twist garden. Photo by Jay Sifford.

airy, beams, blue chair, blue pillow, large wood beams, light walls, neutral, open concept, rustic leather coffee table
Elegant dark wood floor living room photo in Tampa with white walls

Imagine a rickety old house made from 3 salvaged timberframe ells, tacked to the back of a small Federal, that was the original Dartmouth Medical School. The young couple who took it on knew it was a good investment, in a walkable college town. An uncle, Ray Clark, was a preservation builder. I measured the house, and helped them edit it. Off came a leaky greenhouse. The mudroom was moved back to the 2nd ell, near the garage barn ell. We added a gable above that entry, to keep snow off the doorway, and to bring south light into the bedrooms, and the new stair. The top floor of the original house was opened up to the old timber frame, and became the spacious master bedroom and dressing area with an open stair in the middle.