Timberstead, in the village of Burdett, near Seneca Lake, does not announce itself. It rises gently from the landscape, shaped as much by the contours of the hills as by the intentions of those who built it. Surrounded by forest, meadow, and two tranquil ponds, the house invites presence. From the moment you enter, there is a quiet call to notice and exhale.
For Halli Steiger, co-owner of the home, that sense of calm is immediate. After long stretches away as a commercial pilot, the tension of the day fades as she draws near. This is not a retreat but a residence imbued with restorative energy.
Perched atop a hillside meadow, the property flows into surrounding vineyards, stands of conifers, and rolling fields. “I wanted to respect our surroundings,” Halli says. “A home should complement the area it’s in. There’s so much natural beauty here. We wanted to work with it.”
The house faces a large pond and remains hidden from the street. From the Pilates room, one can see another pond, its lilies stretching across the surface like a Monet painting. The windows themselves become a kind of living art.
Halli reflects on what the land communicates without words. Sitting quietly by the lily pond, one senses a serenity that permeates the surroundings. When the Steigers first visited, it was the land that stayed with them. The property had a park-like feeling: two barns, a trail, and neighborhood kids who came to fish. They still do. Timberstead invites life to move through it naturally.
She considers the home’s future resonance. “Twenty years from now, I hope someone walking this land will recognize that our choices were timeless. Everything will need updating eventually, but the decisions should feel deliberate. We spent two years on design and editing before going to New Energy Works. I joked with the builder, ‘Don’t bedazzle the house.’ Just let it show off its natural beauty. Honestly, we thought a timber frame would be out of our budget, so we were thrilled to make it a reality.”
The Steigers worked with New Energy Works to bring that vision to life. The company specializes in high-performance timber-frame homes that blend craftsmanship, sustainability, and thoughtful design.
Steve Lewis of New Energy Works explains, “Staying true to the client’s vision of blending into the countryside, the house’s bones are made of heavy timber, filled floor to ceiling with wood’s natural beauty.” The custom joists and trusses give the enclosure an efficient framework to work within.
Swiss-born Norbert Steiger has a deep appreciation for wood and a passion for woodcarving that shapes how he thinks about materials. He favored vertical wood siding—no horizontal lines, no vinyl. The exterior is clad in Pioneer Millworks larch, while the interior features reclaimed teak. The windows were sourced from Germany, and much of the insulation is sheep’s wool batting.
The company helped realize a home that feels both precise and organic. Reflecting his Swiss roots, Norbert included both a wood-burning and an infrared sauna, quiet nods to home.
“If I could invite anyone here, it would be my dad,” Norbert says. “He grew up on farms and loved an outdoor fire.” His father has since passed, but Timberstead carries that memory forward. “It gives that same sense of outdoors and home, like his native Switzerland, just without the mountains.”
The property teems with wildlife: deer that wander close, wild turkeys, ducks, and Canada geese. The main pond stretches six acres. Bees move through lavender, filling the air with scent and color. The land shifts with the seasons.
Wood brings warmth throughout. Fireplaces and an open hearth anchor the home. A full basement gym and a sunroom filled with light extend the connection between interior life and the landscape.
Halli cites Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, as inspiration, particularly its seamless integration of luxury and environment. The goal at Timberstead was similar: a home that belongs. Natural light plays a central role, with the timber frame balancing expansive windows so the house settles into its setting rather than standing apart.
Construction ran from April 2023 to May 2024. “It was the smoothest build we could have hoped for,” Halli says. The exterior’s twenty-eight corners posed a unique challenge, but careful coordination and the efficiency of New Energy Works kept the timeline intact.
“This is a high-performance home built with efficiency in mind,” she adds. “We wake up every day feeling lucky. It has a lovely energy. Cozy, like a hug. The warmth is remarkable. We use the wood stove constantly. Even if it goes out, the house holds heat.”
That warmth extends to the smallest details. “Light switches, dining area flooring—the details make a difference,” Halli says. Norbert notes that black walnut is used for the mantle inside and out, with plans for an outdoor table crafted from the same wood. Halli smiles at a personal touch: switches designed to resemble airplane controls, bridging her life in the sky with the one she returns to on the ground.
The build was led by Joel Diliberto, who coordinated a skilled crew and all trades efficiently, from earthwork and electrical to drywall, stone, and flooring, keeping the project on schedule.
The kitchen and interior woodwork were crafted by Craig Harrigan of Smith Valley Woodworks near Mecklenburg. Throughout the home, biophilic choices, rooted in a connection to nature, prevail, including unfinished reclaimed teak floors that carry quiet histories underfoot. Custom-finished Douglas fir timbers draw the eye upward, creating continuity and warmth.
Technical achievements support the aesthetic vision. The high-performance envelope combines off-site multilayer wall construction, wood fiber insulation, and carefully integrated vapor barriers, resulting in a structure that is both efficient and enduring.
Timberstead reflects a broader shift in Finger Lakes architecture toward environmentally responsible, energy-efficient homes built to last. Timber framing, off-site construction, and natural materials come together in a way that honors both craft and place.
By the lily pond or beside an evening fire, Timberstead offers something rare: a sense of belonging. Not wealth but inevitability, as though the landscape itself guided every decision. In Burdett, the Steigers have built more than a house. They have built a conversation with the land, one that continues quietly, beautifully, and with care.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2026 issue of (585).
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