Build Update – Majestic Meadows

The Coastal Modern house feels different now that we’re not the owners and we’ve packed most of our possessions. There are a few things we’ll miss about our little beach house, including the beach, neighbors and garden. We’ll miss our friends and family most of all, but we’ll visit every now and again. One thing we won’t miss is the heat and stress of hurricane season. Jim and I are looking forward to experiencing all four seasons. In today’s post, we say goodbye to our South Florida home, share more about our Montana location, garden and new home build.

Location

Our NW Montana home sits like a jewel box nestled among the pine forest surrounding it. Swan Range views greet you on the drive in, as well as upon arrival. We fell in love with the views and then the property. The mountain views are framed perfectly from our living room windows, as well as throughout the interior design. The garden will offer more spots to enjoy the views and property. We’re also located in a wildlife corridor, which means we share the land with whitetail deer, bear, fox, birds and other critters. I wonder, will we ever tire of the view, adventures and Montana’s wild things? Right now, it doesn’t seem remotely possible.

Our home sits up on a ridge about 400′ from the community road. It’s at the end of that road, so we’ve got lots of privacy to go with the fabulous views. One of the first things people ask us is some form of, “How far is everything?”. Well, we’ve got several grocery stores close by, including one within 20 minutes of us. There are also many good restaurants, banks, and recreational opportunities close by too.

Montana is a big state, but we’re moving to a relatively small community. There are several towns within 45 minutes that offer green markets, theatre performances, concerts, art festivals, shopping, skiing and more. We absolutely love the outdoor culture, where most folks respect their wild places, resources and wildlife. Glacier National Park is a national treasure, but so are the nearby wild places, such as national forests and forestry land. Most people here follow the rules, including leave no trace principles while they hike, camp, swim, and hunt. Finally, we’re grateful to share this land with the native tribes that have called this place home since their creation story.

Garden

Now that our home is 85% complete, we’ve started garden plans. There are several local resources to help, including native plant nurseries and the DNRC (Natural Resources and Conservation). The DNRC will send out a forestry expert, who will provide actionable steps to reduce property damage from wildfires. Before finalizing any garden plans, we’ll make sure our home, and our neighbors are protected from wildfires as much as possible. This means thinning trees throughout our property and keeping garden plants away from the house.

There is still plenty of garden space, so in those areas we’ll have a mix of native grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. Rocky areas will feature specimen plants with unique character placed among the boulders and rocks. The area within 30 feet of the house will need to be kept tidy, mowed and watered regularly. In this space, it’s best to use non-woody, low height, herbaceous plants and keep at least 18 feet between trees and shrubs. We’ll need to increase the distance on the slopes and remove limbs 6′ to 10′ from the ground. It’s also important to keep tree branches at least 10 feet from the house or other structures. Finally, our driveway and planned trails will create fuel breaks around our property.

Learn more about our garden plans below:

Garden Design – Majestic Meadows

Jim and I feel better when we exercise and look forward to being outdoors more. We won’t have to go far. We’ll simply walk out the door, down the driveway and around the property starting this summer. The planned mile long trail will be usable most of the year. We really look forward to taking a relaxing walk and eventually being able to xc-ski the driveway, trail and road. Montana has a lot to offer, including all four seasons, hiking trails, views, wildlife, and community.

Build Update

We’ve used SketchUp to design and “build” our Mountain Modern house for the last seven years, so it feels unreal to be planning our move. The mid-century modern inspired home features gorgeous white oak floors, which contrast perfectly with the walnut cabinetry and paneling. Interior spaces need contrast, including light and dark, as well as contrast in textures and colors. A mix of natural stone and quartz countertops, as well as terrazzo and porcelain tiles keep the spaces durable, unique and beautiful. The 11′ x 7′ windows on both sides of the great room offer additional MCM design by bringing the outdoors into the home. Additional large windows are also featured in the kitchen, entry, primary suite and guest bedrooms.

All the exterior doors, including the garage doors have been installed in the house. We love the front door package! The south-facing door is made of solid fir and has three fixed windows. These windows bring light into the entry and kitchen spaces. The trim carpenter should install the exterior triple-lock door hardware shortly.

Learn more about our security features below:

Security – Majestic Meadows

The subcontractor has also installed the interior door hardware. The wood and brass interior door handles are simple, yet gorgeous. The interior doors and trim will be painted Natural Linen by Sherwin Williams. It’s a warm, light tan that will look great with our walls, which are painted Greek Villa (SW). Both these colors have a warm undertone and will work great with each other and other elements in the home. We’ve had white, light-colored doors and trim before and it’s not fun to keep clean. I’m hoping the Natural Linen will hide a bit more than the white we’ve used in the past.

The tile in the second bathroom looks great and we expect the tile subcontractor to finish both bathrooms soon. Large scale, neutral tiles are being used on the floors, tub and shower surround in the second bathroom. The porcelain tiles coordinate with the terrazzo in our primary bathroom without being matchy-matchy. Both tiles look fantastic with the walnut cabinets. We are really happy with the quality, finish and style of our DeWils cabinets.

Learn more about our DeWils Cabinets in the post below:

The Cabinets – Majestic Meadows

Budget

Using a detailed build plan allowed us to get several initial bids from some local contractors. Our builder, J Martin Builders used a combination fixed and cost-plus contract that provided full transparency and control over our budget. The budget for this build is 10% over plan and certainly more expensive than we imagined seven years ago. This is a high-end build, and we chose to go over budget with high-end materials. Once we got the final build numbers, we also went over budget by adding work scope to the project. Not everyone goes over budget, but it is a good idea to have a 10% contingency fund for all construction projects. I’m delighted to report, a local bank has valued our home higher than we paid for the property and home build. We’re not selling, but it was nice to know we’re not upside down in this new build.

Find our detailed build plan and more below:

Design, Plan and Bids – New Build

Our move date is about two weeks out, so we’re busy packing the rest of our stuff and we are beyond excited. Our pup, Hanna, Jim and I will be loading up the car for the move to our new home shortly. We’ll have a few long driving days, but plan to stop along the way to see family in Kansas. Be sure to subscribe below to join us on this new adventure!