Many cabins and homes up north are of the Timberframe style. Due to the post and beam construction in these homes, the timbers become essential décor elements. These strong elements can prove to be difficult when decorating. Author Dick Pirozzolo who has written numerous articles on timberframe construction and consults with clients in the industry, combined his knowledge with Linda Corzine, an interior designer and photo stylist. Together they have written the book "Timberframe Interiors". The book is full of decorating ideas for this very special style of home. To give you a taste of what is contained in the book the authors have agreed to let us use a portion of it here.

ARE YOU PROCESS-OR RESULTS- ORIENTED?

Before embarking on your décor project, it helps to understand whether you are a process- or results- oriented person. After all, décor is a building effort that requires assembling and integrating color, pattern, and mass.

Results- oriented homeowners prefer to work backward from the final result. These homeowners can look at a picture of a finished room and articulate what they like, what they dislike, and what they would change to achieve the result they want. If this is your profile, visit a lot of homes and pore over magazine articles illustrating various styles. Ask yourself what you like about each room, what colors evoke a positive feeling and what colors do not. What makes the room come together? Try to guess where the designer started and what elements were most important. Was it color or was it a commitment to decorate with antiques or create a certain style? Going through this exercise will get your creativity flowing and help develop original ideas that are based on something within you rather than in the picture.

If you relish the journey, you are a process-oriented person. This means you enjoy the showroom visits to select individual fabrics, finding just the right side chair or the perfect antique lamp. Perhaps you will put all your senses to work, even your sense of smell, as you leaf through fabric books, and visit oriental-rug stores, letting the aroma of lanolin and wool waft over you. You may even feel a bit sad when the project is complete because the journey is over.

Kim Wallace, a Boston-area behaviorist and author of "Why People Don't Buy Things", has studied the famous and not-so-famous to determine their likes and dislikes and how they decide upon the look of their home and the furnishings that will go into it. According to Wallace, people generally fall into three types: the thinker, the visualizer, or the commander. Within these types, decision-making traits are revealed through body language. For example, when making important choices, the thinker gazes at the horizon, presumably because he or she is levelheaded; the commander looks down and to the right, which is where a king's most-trusted advisor sits; and the visualizer looks straight up to the sky, as if he or she needs a clean tablet upon which to assemble the answer.
 
Wildly successful people tend to possess all three traits, but, in general, such leaders as company presidents and entrepreneurs tend to be commanders- a personality type that relies upon and needs to get along well with others in order to rise to the top. With this in mind, if you feel you fit the profile of a commander, you will be most comfortable seeking out and evaluating the advice of others- including interior-design experts- when planning your décor.

The thinker, on the other hand, wants a logical design. This personality will create a kitchen with a moveable island and derive pleasure in being the first on the block to have the most sophisticated lighting or built-in home stereo. The thinker will walk his or her guests throughout the home, pointing out various technical features of the wood and intricate joinery, taking pride in knowing the historical names of the various parts. If you are a thinker, you may enjoy the logic and theory of how color, pattern, and shapes go together. Thinkers often like music because of its orderly nature and are likely to display artwork and photos of jazz greats who are noted for the precise, intricate, and logical compositions.
   
The visualizer is generally more process-than results-oriented and has the ability to assemble disparate elements to create something that is new, exciting, and bold. For the visualizer, mixing stripes and plaids is not a design faux pas but a challenge and a delight. A visualizer is likely to have a muted and soft antique rug juxtaposed with a hard-edged steel table and plenty of artwork on the walls. Visualizers tend to like big, bold, colorful prints and objects that blow guests away with their impact. Visualizers believe that abstract paintings, still lifes, and photos of scenery will enhance comfort and provide security. Other visualizer giveaways include larger-than-average mirrors, colorful rich rugs, and a mix of patterns that all work together. A visualizer is likely to make fast decisions and may be apt to change furniture and artwork more frequently than the other personality types.
 
Commanders love displaying photos of people, for they draw their strength and support from others. Typically, commanders will blur the lines between professional associates and close family or friends. A commander is comfortable inviting his or her accountant and lawyer to a family gathering. Because this personality type admires the role individuals play in team success, commanders tend to enjoy artwork and books that evoke determination and talent. Paintings will likely be of energetic sports activity with lots of texture, like the art of Leroy Neiman, or bronze sculptures of cowboys or regal Native Americans along the lines of Frederic Remington's work. A commander's décor will include coffee-table books on breathtaking feats such as yacht racing or mountain-climbing conquests. Other commander characteristics or needs to consider are a large foyer, open spaces to entertain lots of people, and soft fabrics that make guests feel comfortable. "One attribute that comes in handy for commanders is that they are tough negotiators and strive for value with every purchase," quips Wallace.

In addition to making selections based on proven color principles, there is one important factor to consider. What is the overall effect you wish to create? Some of us lean toward color schemes that allow the thinker side of our personalities to emerge- the side of us that secretly hopes Saturday-evening dinner guests will cancel so that we can curl up and finish that novel we've been reading.

At other times, our traits as visualizers take over, and we look for the "wow!" factor- an instantaneous reaction that comes the moment guests open the door. Our commander side may be a little more subtle, with lots of small meaningful items creating a journey of the sense. Rooms may keep the same color theme but have different tactile objects and textures.

If the visualizer in your dominates, go for one bold color- especially in the foyer and great room. On the other hand, a thinker or nester may see the home as a retreat from the outside world. If this is the case, go with softer more harmonious colors that will enhance your long-term comfort. Commanders are not afraid to reserve special areas of the home for each side of their personality. This is no different from the Victorian-era mansion with its dark, mahogany-paneled library and its pastel colored drawing room.

You selected a timberframe home because you knew it would be bold and sturdy. Do the same with your color scheme. Your colors should have at least as much impact as your home, so be brave and bold! Then, when you are feeling really brave, go a little bit bolder. Make that red redder or that deep purple a little more saturated. The result will be a décor that matches your personality and allows some inner sense of yourself to emerge, creating a place that will be yours for many years to come.

For ideas on decorating these special homes, like choosing colors, lighting, flooring and more, you can purchase the book "Timberframe Interiors" through Gibbs Smith, Publisher at 1-801-544-9800.

By Lakestyle Staff