Tracy Mitchell Griggs is a writer based in Annapolis, Maryland. Gwin Hunt is an Annapolis-based photographer.

To behold the furniture crafted by Vicco von Voss is to understand the soul of a tree and the spirit of its maker. Von Voss shapes tables, desks and stools from salvaged cherry, walnut, gingko and curly pear to reveal the outlines and grain of the tree trunks and logs from which his designs are made. “My responsibility as a craftsman is to build something that lasts as long as it took the tree to grow,” says the 38-year-old designer who is based in Chestertown, Maryland. It is an attitude clearly evident in his sculptural, contemporary furniture and the post-and-beam house he recently built to overlook Island Creek, a tributary of the Chester River. And like his carefully crafted furniture, the timber-frame home was built by hand from logs salvaged from surrounding counties.

A native of Hamburg, Germany, von Voss found his way to the Chestertown area in the 1980s after his family had settled in the United States. “About the time I was graduating from high school, my parents bought land near Centerville, 15 miles from here,” he recalls. “I was researching colleges and my parents’ real estate agent suggested that I take a look at Washington College in Chestertown.” Once enrolled in the college’s art program, von Voss continued the woodworking that he had learned as a child from his grandfather, Fritz von Voss. After graduation, the artist apprenticed with Heinrich Myerfeldt, a top cabinet maker in Germany, before returning to Chestertown in 1994 to open a furniture workshop where he still makes and sells his designs.

 While growing his fledgling business, the artist built himself a tiny cabin on the five acres he presently calls home. The eight-by-12-foot rustic dwelling, assembled from salvaged materials, was lit by candlelight since it had no electricity. Copper coils wrapped around a potbelly stove supplied hot water. The furniture maker points out that his environmental sensitivity drove the creation of the small building, which still stands on the property, and he adopted the same principles in building his larger house. “The trees—they’re the reason I’m here,” he says. “Their shapes and forms inspire me and I feel fortunate I am able to live and work in an environment that expresses my relationship to nature.”

In designing his new house, von Voss began by placing the building “according to the best views of the water.” Another starting point was the architecture of Maryland’s barns. “I love the shape of these structures,” he says. “But they’re better suited to open fields. I knew I had to modify the design in order for the house to blend into a wooded landscape.” Research turned up a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building in Hawaii that provided a model for configuring the house on the site. “My property has a similar landscape as the house in Hawaii. It sits on top of a rolling bluff by a quiet creek and a half-moon design focuses the occupants toward scenic views from anywhere within the structure,” he explains.  

 In translating the Wrightian design, von Voss divided his house into three bays with vaulted roofs, which he felt best suited the site. “The trees that surround the house create a rolling canopy and I wanted the roof line to blend in with the surroundings.” Recalling barn silos, two glass-encased towers—one encloses a staircase and the other houses a small dining area—adjoin the home’s north and south faces. According to the designer, these structures play a key role in warming the house during the winter through passive solar heat gain. A curved oak deck wraps around the eastern edge of the house, providing sweeping views of the creek and a huge exterior living space.

Von Voss spent more than four years framing and finishing the house with the help of friends and community volunteers. “I built this house the same way I construct a piece of furniture,” he says, noting the mortise and tenon joints. “People are amazed when I tell them that there are no nails used in this structure.” The similarity between his furniture and the house is immediately apparent upon entering the post-and-beam dwelling where exposed struc- tural timbers are carefully detailed. “The big challenge was eliminating a need for a post in the middle of the room,” the designer explains. “To keep the space open, I used two pairs of book-matched maple crooks [naturally curved timbers] that support a 20-foot-long red oak summer beam.”

 The heart of the open layout is a cooking island that separates the entrance and sitting area from the kitchen. A cherry bar on one side, flanked by several stools, is used for informal entertaining and a dining area in an adjacent corner offers views of the waterfront and wooded lot. The sitting area at the front of the house, simply furnished with a small contemporary sofa and chairs purchased in Afghanistan, is oriented toward the deck and majestic water views.

Slate in muted colors is applied to the floors and kitchen countertops, while appliances and under-counter cabinets in stainless steel offer a modern touch to the otherwise earthy space. With the exception of a few of his own designs, including a meditation bench and a high-back chair, furnishings are kept to a minimum, focusing the eye on the natural timbers that support the structure while providing visual appeal.

On the opposite side of the kitchen from the dining area, a steel spiral staircase with custom cherry railings and brass spindles leads to the second floor. At the top of the steps, a long open room with tree-top views separates the master bedroom in one bay of the house from a bath and laundry area in the other. Von Voss uses this airy retreat for meditation and yoga practice.

In the master bedroom, a sliding glass door leads to a narrow deck made from sassafras that faces the creek. Slate floors and a vanity countertop in soothing gray-green tones complement the exposed timbers in the bathroom.    

Reflecting on the hand-hewn house completed last November, von Voss says, “Compared to my life in the cabin, this house is like living in a castle. But most importantly, the experience has made me a better craftsman.”