Salt Lake Fall Home Show – Speaker: Laurence Bunker, President, Western Timber Frame

A four season pavilion changes the way you think about winter. Cold weather is only a problem if you don’t have the right space to enjoy it.

cozy backyard patio with timber pergola fire pit hot tub and lush plants — gather under a handcrafted timber frame pergola with a warm fire pit relaxing hot tub and colorful garden plants

For sixteen years, I’ve helped families design spaces that make the outdoors part of their everyday lives. And in that time, one truth has become clear: cold weather isn’t the enemy—poor design is.

That simple idea drives everything we build at Western Timber Frame.

“The home improvement project that will have the most impact on your family life isn’t the one inside your home—it’s the living space you create outside.”

Here in Sandy, it’s always great to connect with people who appreciate craftsmanship, quality, and design that lasts. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned—from the Arizona desert to the snowy peaks of the Rockies—it’s this:
there’s no season you can’t live outdoors—only spaces that weren’t designed for all seasons.

Why Most Backyards Go Into Hibernation

The End of the Season Mindset

Every fall, we stack our chairs, cover the grill, and say, “See you next year.”
But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There’s a group of women in my neighborhood who walk together every morning, rain or snow. They’ve made the outdoors a ritual. Every week they remind me that extending your season isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifestyle.

Living Outdoors, Year-Round

I’ve adopted that same mindset myself—ice fishing, hunting, sitting out on my deck under a pavilion with a natural gas heater when the temperatures drop. That joy of being outside year-round is real—and contagious.

Still, enjoyment depends on design. You’ll only go outside if your space pulls you outside—if it feels inviting, warm, and alive.

Two women walking arm in arm on a snowy path at sunrise, smiling and enjoying a peaceful winter morning together. — Two friends walk arm in arm through a frosted landscape, their laughter and warmth standing out against the quiet beauty of a snowy sunrise.

The Real Problem: Spaces Built for Summer, Not for Life

Most outdoor living areas are built for July and August, not December and January. Umbrellas flip, decks freeze, and doors stay shut. Meanwhile, we spend 90% of our lives indoors, where pollutant levels are often 2–5 times higher than outside.

58.8% of Americans spend one hour or less per day outdoors.
18.3% get less than 15 minutes daily.

And yet, even a few hours outdoors per week lift mood, focus, and relationships. At Western Timber Frame, our goal isn’t just to build shelters—it’s to create spaces where families reconnect, breathe better, and live deeper.

Because houses shelter families, but outdoor rooms bring them together.

Timber frame pavilion with wooden shutters softly lit on a snowy evening, showing warm interior lighting through the slats. — A timber frame pavilion glows with inviting warmth on a snowy evening. The wooden shutters add privacy and shelter while allowing filtered light to spill across the snow.

The Three Elements of a Four-Season Space

Family gathered under a timber frame pavilion with an outdoor fireplace, surrounded by snow-covered trees. — A family enjoys warmth and connection beneath a Western Timber Frame pavilion — a handcrafted structure built to endure every season.

To design a backyard that works year-round, we focus on three essentials:

1. Cover

Protection from snow, rain, and harsh sunlight—the foundation of year-round design.

2. Comfort

Integrated heating, ventilation, and thoughtful design that keeps you warm in the cold and cool in the heat.

3. Light

Natural and artificial light that keeps the space glowing long after sunset.
Warm light doesn’t just illuminate—it heals. Infrared heat, for example, counts as light exposure that supports mood and wellness during darker months.

Nearly 38% of Americans report a decline in mood during winter, and 5% experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Design can change that. A pavilion with proper cover, comfort, and light isn’t just a space—it’s a wellness tool.

Connection shouldn’t depend on the season.

Stories That Warm the Coldest Months

Dr. Kendall Grose – Alpine, Utah

“When I’m sitting out here in the winter, it feels like I’m in the front room.”

Dr. Grose, a spinal surgeon, spends his days helping others heal. For him, his pavilion became a place of recovery—a retreat. Wrapped in a blanket, with a book in hand and fire flickering nearby, his outdoor space gives him warmth in more ways than one.

Dan & Melodie Lawrence – Ogden, Utah

Dan and Melodie Lawrence relaxing beneath their timber frame pavilion at sunset, sharing how their outdoor living space has become the heart of family gatherings. — Dan and Melodie Lawrence’s timber frame pavilion became their family’s favorite gathering place—so loved that their granddaughter wrote a school essay called “My Grandparents’ Patio.”

Their granddaughter Ashlyn loved her grandparents’ timber frame pavilion so much that she wrote a school essay titled “My Grandparents’ Patio.”
She described it as “soft, squishy chairs,” “beautiful chocolate-colored wood,” and watching the sunset together.

It’s proof that the best structures aren’t just admired—they’re lived in, loved, and remembered through generations.

Ed & Aubree Conner – Utah County

Ed and Aubree Conner sitting beneath their timber frame pavilion, sharing how their outdoor space became a peaceful place for healing and family connection. — Ed and Aubree Conner share how their Western Timber Frame® pavilion brought warmth, privacy, and restoration to their family after loss.

After losing their daughter Cadee, Ed and Aubree’s lives came to a halt. Their doctor urged them to get outdoors—to breathe again—but they needed privacy and a sense of safety.

We built them a pavilion that became their wellness center. It offered sunlight, shelter, and quiet restoration.

“While you can never truly ease the pain of losing a child,” Aubree said, “having this beautiful space gave us a way to honor her memory.”

Listen to their story here: Ed & Aubrey Conner

Good design doesn’t just shape wood —it reshapes lives.

The Craft of Permanence

Every beam that leaves our shop is precision-cut, hand-fitted, and built to outlast a lifetime.
Our Dovetail Difference® joinery conceals hardware and locks wood to wood with timeless strength and heirloom beauty.

One craftsman once told me, “I check every joint twice because someone’s great-grandkids will stand under this one day. I want them to wonder who built it—and how it’s still perfect.”

That’s legacy.
Wood weathers. Memories don’t.

You can’t buy back this past summer—but you can build what’s next.

Your Invitation: Make Winter Your Favorite Season

So let me ask you:

What would it be worth to make your home the place your family never wants to leave—not in July, but in January?
Maybe your favorite room just doesn’t have walls yet.

Timber frame pavilion with warm lighting and fireplace on a snowy winter evening, surrounded by bare frosted trees and a covered pool on a stone patio. — A handcrafted timber pavilion glows warmly against the cool blue tones of winter. Even with snow on the roof and trees, the dry paver patio and covered pool create a cozy outdoor retreat for year-round enjoyment.

During the Salt Lake Fall Home Show, we’re opening twelve exclusive Priority Consultations—45-minute sessions to visualize your four-season outdoor room. Once those fill, we move to a waitlist. Like our timber structures, we never rush what’s worth doing right.

And here’s the secret: the colder months are the best time to build.
You’ll be ready for spring—and enjoy more days outdoors than ever before.