Twin Peaks

Two symmetrical and subtly peaked ceiling treatments, finished in stained fir bead-board, run parallel along the length of the first floor in this Potomac, Md., home. The wood spines serve as visual directionals plus they saved the square footage and cost of adding a traditional hallway to the plan. A conservation easement between the house and the adjacent Potomac River meant a shallow site, so “we had to create rooms that are flexible enough to function as their own intended space but also incite flow into the next space,” says architect Jim Rill. Periodic drywall coffers create a rhythm that breaks up the long detail and draws the eye to cross views. To neatly insert the textured wood panels, Rill had the drywall turn a corner to form a clean transition. Rill also used the sculpted wood sections as an opportunity to elevate the 8-foot ceiling slightly in the center of the room, giving the fireplace more presence and making the lower sides read like cozy nooks. Builder: Hopkins & Porter Construction, Bethesda, Md.; Architect: Rill & Decker, Bethesda; Photographer: Lisa Masson Studio.