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Timber Framing in Non-Vaulted Spaces

Posted on Apr 23, 2013
non vaulted Kitchen space with Timber Framing

A vaulted ceiling soaring overhead, adorned by an intricate web of timber framing – this is the image many of us conjure when visualizing a timber frame home’s interior. In fact, vaulted ceilings and repeating timber trusses are almost the standard in timber framing. However, they don’t have to be in your home design. The benefits offered by non vaulted ceilings may lead you to prefer them in specific spaces within your home.

Benefits of Non-vaulted Ceilings

Many timber frame homes have open spaces in main living areas such as kitchens, great rooms, and dining rooms. These open spaces display vaulted ceilings with heavy timber influence. However, the advantages of non-vaulted ceilings are undeniable. For starters, non-vaulted spaces create a completely different look and feel for the layout. This is because they open up alternative ways in which the timber framing can be incorporated into each space.

flat ceiling in a Revelstoke kitchen
This Revelstoke home’s non-vaulted kitchen ceiling is adjacent to its great room’s vaulted one

For example, some couples prefer the added privacy that results from the layout separation created by non-vaulted ceilings. This additional privacy exists because non-vaulted ceilings allow the incorporation of more interior walls. And those walls, of course, create private spaces.

Choosing flat ceilings also provides more flexibility to every individual space and the way in which that space interacts with the home’s timber framing. Further, a non-vaulted ceiling does this without the space being impacted by the neighboring room. For instance, the great room of a home may display robust post and beam framing while its adjacent kitchen reveals more subtle timber accents, taking on a more conventional look.

non vaulted Entry space with Timber Framing
Flat ceilings allow timber elements to subtly distinguish individual spaces

Some Riverbend clients prefer seeing their timbers included more as decorative pieces, or as elements incorporated to subtly highlight and break up rooms, as opposed to flowing through each space. For example, the transition between a home’s dining room and its kitchen area could be embellished by a truss or bent system acting as a grand entryway.

The incorporated traditional timber framing within your home can happen in many ways, whether you prefer vaulted or non-vaulted ceilings. Speak with your designer, or ours, to discuss the different options for your home’s interiors.


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