Pretty in Plaid

“The ceiling is the only surface that doesn’t have to function, so it can contribute a lot to a space,” says architect Mark McInturff. For the dining room in this Laurel Mills, Va., house, taking advantage of the ceiling meant sheathing it in maple plywood to match the floor. “It’s a maple sandwich,” laughs McInturff. Two widths of trim form a three-dimensional grid across the sheathing. The narrow trim joins the 4×8 plywood sheets while the wider trim outlines a 6-foot grid, which serves as the module for the home’s floor plan. A matching ceiling is found in the screened porch, reached via a narrow loggia flanked by two outdoor courtyards. Builder: Bob Etchells, Washington, Va.; Architect: McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Md.; Photographer: Julia Heine.