Tim Gates has been building for a “long, long time.” As the owner of Bluewater Post & Beam, Tim Gates specializes in hardwood flooring and post-and-beam construction. Gates explains to Maine Home+Design how he navigates significant design challenges to meet clients’ desires.

Q. Why did you choose to specialize in post and beam construction?

A. I like natural wood, and I think it’s attractive to a lot of people. Post and beam construction develops a space that feels warm, and we also concentrate on superinsulation. Post and beam gives us a little more freedom to express ourselves that way.

Q. How would you describe your aesthetic?

A. We’re about simple and clean lines. Light is very important, as are open spaces.

Q. What do you like about what you do?

A. When we design a house, we’re working in three dimensions. It’s an environment. It’s not just a photograph or painting that makes a statement. When you’re working with a space, and you know it’s going to be somebody’s home, there’s a whole host of things that you have to consider to make it aesthetically pleasing. That’s the challenge. And it’s always interesting. By and large it’s a lot of fun, too. That’s why I like it. I like to make a space where there was nothing.

Q. What is the ultimate satisfaction that you get from building?

A. I’m always looking for gratification. Everybody is. I want my work to be something. I want it to mean something. That’s why I do what I do.

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Maine Home+Design’s MH+D Inside Out series features interviews with creators from our community and gets inside some of the top minds in the design industry. Read on for their stories, tips, and sources of inspiration.