Matt Davis enjoys working with clients to create their dream homes. In Idaho and previously in Illinois, he has built homes that meet his clients’ needs and then some.
“Building should be fun,” he said. “We’re good at pulling all of these things together.”
So what happens when the builder also becomes the client?
Great things, of course.
Over the last two years, the longtime builder and owner of Matt Davis Custom Homes been working on his 7,201-square-foot home overlooking the Cougar Gulch area. Set on 30 acres, the rustic, elegant home allowed the Davis to get creative. Things at the top of the wish list included plenty of space, amazing views in every direction and a place to show off his impressive hunting trophies.
The front entry of the home leads to an atrium with formal living space below, bedrooms to the left and the dining room and kitchen areas to the right. There are five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, plus a five-car garage. The primary bedroom includes access to a spacious covered deck with two seating areas and two grills.
Davis said he was able to include some items in the home design he hadn’t tried before, such as a vapor fireplace at the entrance and heated floors in the garage and hunting room. Other features of the home include an optimal HVAC system, starting with a central boiler with forced air and a propane backup. There’s also a stone fireplace that can provide additional heat, and an impressive water filtration system.
The two-story home was designed to provide the best view possible of the countryside. With plenty of large windows, Davis’s home does just that.
The home includes a bar area with an extended counter with similar stone as the kitchen. Guests can sit in chairs in the lounge or come to the bar.
The main entry area can take visitors downstairs to a great room with a stone fireplace.
The bedrooms include a variety of textures on the walls.
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The sizable kitchen includes plenty of counter space and an oversized island.
A large covered outdoor patio includes a dining area and a seating area.
A classy dining room includes a wooden table that seats eight.
The home includes an emphasis on windows which allow the homeowners to see much of the countryside above Cougar Gulch.
By: Joe Butler
Photography by: Joel Riner
As seen in the 2025 Winter/Spring edition