> My reply is a bit scattered, as I'm trying to write this quickly...

[Snip commentary that was anything but scattered...]

Delurking briefly...

This discussion fascinates me.  I used to build houses for a living, then
became a Wall Street lawyer, then semi-retired from law and now do a fair
amount of hand work (building boats, small shop pieces, etc.).  For the
first time in nearly 20 years, I am currently building myself a new house.
This one is on a beautiful body of water -- Penobscott Bay, in Maine.  I've
given a great deal of thought to the architectural style, the materials
used, the detailing, etc.  For example, although seemingly a no-brainer to
Galoot types, I rejected strong arguments from architects, carpenters, etc.
that I should use vinyl covered windows and other ... polutants.  Wood is
the material that this house is made of, and it will "suffer" from all the
imperfections, the movements, the changes, the need for maintenance, that
wood causes.

As far as style, I did two things.  I first thought through all the spaces I
wanted; then I tired to incorporate them into a design I would love to look
at.  It has the "Maine cottage style," although I wasn't necessarily
"aiming" for that.  The house is large -- about 4500 square feet of living
space.  There are four floors up from the foundation on the water side.  All
windows are true divided light wood.  There are French doors everywhere,
private decks for upstairs bedrooms (overlooking the water), a huge
wrap-around deck for the whole house (with hip roof), etc.  Although there
will be sheet rock, many of the interior walls and ceilings will be wood.  I
am excitedly selecting woods for these and the floors, having settled on
Southern longleaf yellow pine for the floors....  There is a large fireplace
in the center of the living room, which itself is 36 feet by 16 feet, and
virtually solid glass on three sides.

I waste your time with these comments only because I do agree that this kind
of discussion does go to the heart of why we "work with wood" -- the *build*
things, things of beauty.  My tools are not just for "making shavings" ...
Oh, and most importantly....

The basement of the house is built into the side of the gentle slope on
which the foundation (52 feet by 28 feet) sits.  On the water side, tthe
walls are framed up from a short foundation.  There is a room here
approximately 16 feet wide that runs the full length of the house.  At one
end, there is a nine foot wide opening (wide enough to drive a car into),
with a barn style door, opening onto a parking area.  On the water side
wall, there are six large double hung windows.  These look out at the rocks,
the ocean, and the islands off the coast.  At the far end, two more large
windows, looking at acres of woods.  There is a six inch thick concrete
floor over about 8 inches of gravel.  A wall down the (off) center of the
house divides this room from the areas where furnace, laundry etc are.  The
room has a little over 8 feet headroom.  This, friends, is my new shop.
How's that for a gloat....

Sorry for wasting your time, and apologies to list moms.  With all this talk
about the perfect house, I just had to do a little gloating...

Mark Lane