God Made or Man Made Materials?

What Makes a Home Stand for Generations?

Have you ever driven through a historic neighborhood and wondered, “How are these homes still standing—and still beautiful—after 100 or even 200 years?” It’s a powerful question, especially as you consider building your forever home.

In this article, we’re exploring why certain homes have stood the test of time, what makes them different from today’s houses, and what you can learn from them to create your lasting legacy.

Homes That Last: What’s Their Secret?

When you walk through neighborhoods filled with historic homes, you’ll quickly notice certain common traits:

• Quality Craftsmanship: They were built by craftsmen who took pride in their work.

• Timeless Design: They weren’t chasing fleeting trends; their beauty remains relevant through the decades.

• Natural, Durable Materials: Solid wood framing and floors, real brick and stone, lime plaster walls, and roofing made of slate, clay, or cedar shakes.

  
  

These materials weren’t chosen by accident. They were selected because builders knew these homes weren’t just for one generation—they were for many.

How Real Materials Age vs. Manufactured Products

One of the key reasons these older homes remain appealing is simple: natural materials age gracefully.

• Wood floors develop deep, rich character from generations of footsteps.

• Stone steps slowly wear down, beautifully capturing history.

• Brick and stone exteriors gain texture and warmth as they weather.

Contrast that with many modern, manufactured alternatives:

• Vinyl siding fades, cracks, and warps.

• Engineered flooring or luxury vinyl plank (LVP) can’t develop character—only damage.

• Hollow-core doors and vinyl windows degrade over time and must be replaced, not restored.

Natural materials don’t just “wear out”; they “wear in,” becoming more beautiful over time. Manufactured materials, unfortunately, often just degrade until replacement is necessary.

Today’s Furniture: Tomorrow’s Antiques?

Consider your furniture. The antique pieces your grandparents treasured and passed down were crafted from solid wood, carefully built to last multiple lifetimes. But will your particleboard dining table or MDF end tables from modern stores become cherished heirlooms?

Probably not.

Real wood furniture can be restored, refinished, and maintained indefinitely. Manufactured furniture typically breaks down, destined for the landfill once damaged or worn.

This principle holds true for homes. Choosing real materials means investing in the future of your home, something you can proudly pass down to your children and grandchildren.

Why Choose Real Materials for Your Custom Forever Home?

Building your forever home isn’t just about today, it’s about generations to come. Choosing real, natural materials offers:

• Durability: Homes that stand strong, year after year.

• Timeless Beauty: Materials that enhance, rather than fade with age.

• Maintainability: Homes that can be repaired or restored rather than replaced.

• Long-term Value: Homes built with real materials retain or even increase their value.

  
  

At Six Arrows, this is exactly how we want to build your custom home, not just for your family today, but for your family a hundred years from now.

Your Home, Your Legacy

Homes don’t last a century by accident. They last because someone decided they should because builders and homeowners chose quality and craftsmanship over shortcuts and trends.

If you’re ready to build a legacy home that your grandchildren can someday treasure, it begins with choosing real materials.

Let’s build something timeless, together.

In the next article I would like to explore the economics of why we build the way we do. If all these newer materials were invented to make building faster, cheaper, and easier. Why are our homes less and less affordable?