A North Fork Holiday + Building Resolutions

The North Fork is a special place. I feel incredibly lucky to have chance to escape here and try to do so as often as possible. Nearly anytime we have a free weekend, this is Brad and my first choice for adventure. I’m always relaxed when I’m in the North Fork. It’s a wonderful reset, surrounded by nature with limited access to any cell service.

Just a 1.5 hour dirt road drive from Whitefish (weather permitting), “the North Fork”, also considered Polebridge, is a beautiful and peaceful place that borders the North Fork River and Glacier National Park. Brad’s family has a special piece of land in this part of the woods with an original homestead cabin that makes for a perfect, cozy winter reprieve.

This was our third Christmas in a row spent up at the North Fork. Most of the time, winter holidays are spent backcountry or cross-country skiing around the area. But this year has been a slow start to the snow season, so we spent most of our time trail running (with spikes on our shoes), sitting around campfires, building snowmen, reading books, watching Christmas movies, cooking, and sleeping. We also got the chance to catch up on some house planning and interior design research to kick off the new year!

After spending much of our downtime thumbing through home décor books, debating color choices, and talking about design theory, there were a few decisions settled on over our holiday break that Brad and I agreed to use as a compass for the next phase of building. I wanted to write them down and keep them in mind as these next few months will surely become a roller-coaster of decision-making. Our house-building resolutions for 2020, I suppose.

Creating an indoor-outdoor connection.
There is something easy and freeing about homes with a seamless transition between the indoors and the out. I also think architecture plays a major role in how connected a home feels to the land it sits upon, with key elements like sitting areas, windows, walkways, and material selections making an impact. As designer Lauren Liess puts it, “A home that celebrates its connection with nature and encourages those who live there to focus on one another and the world around them is a home that’s fulfilling its true purpose: to become the backdrop for a busy, beautiful, and real life.” That’s really the ultimate goal, in my opinion!
Buy things over time. With furniture, especially.
Even at the very beginning of this process we discussed this would be our game-plan and its since been helpful whenever I get visual overwhelm — browsing Pinterest, design blogs, and looking at beautifully-styled rooms on Instagram. But luckily, this also seems to be a common piece of advice shared by design experts. For budgetary reason, of course, but also because buying thoughtfully helps filter out the pieces that might feel “trendy” and instead, ensures that you pick pieces that will endure since you’ve spent much time considering them. My goal is to try and get some of the main furnishings and design scheme “right” and then go just on living in it, having fun with decorating each room over time.
Create a design language.
This is one that Brad and I are still fine-tuning, but I think we’ve at least been clear in our design preferences and aesthetic with all involved so far. Coming from a marketing background, I liken this to what’s known as a “design identity” for a brand. It encompasses the messaging, values, color schemes, fonts, and photography style which then serve as guidelines to give everything created for the brand a cohesive look. For interior design, the design language is a list of words or statements that describe the unique style of the project, and thus, acts as a filter for everything going into the home. Since so many moves are made when creating a home, the idea is to use these design words to help focus the entire team involved in the project including the architect and builder.
Try to just enjoy the ride.
I’ve yet to find a single person who’s built or remodeled a home that said it was an easy process. With the time and emotional commitment involved, it is absolutely like adding a part-time job to your regular life (at least). Hindsight is always 20/20, but I’ve also yet to find a person who didn’t say this process was very rewarding. Amidst the inevitable stress, we’re trying to find joy and humor in it.