post and beam collage

Arched trusses

Vaulted ceiling adds old-world elegance to a new home

Project Details

Client Need:

This brick house, a secondary residence on a Long Island estate, was designed for the client's mother. The architect, Oliver Cope, called on us to build  a timber-framed cathedral ceiling for the formal living room.

What We Did:

Timber framing can be incorporated into the design of a conventional building. To support the roof for the high-ceilinged room, we built a handsome set of arched trusses that rests on conventionally framed walls and supports the roof, providing beauty and functionality.  On each timber we added a requested chamfer detail called "lamb's tongue," hand-carved with our smallest framing chisels. The finishing touch was the rich, dark finish on the beams.