A Place All Their Own

While renovating their 1835 Virginia farmhouse, Stewart and Diana Hinckley centered much of the planning around their active family. They decided to enlarge the kitchen and add a new family room and breakfast area. But their was still precious little space for retreating upstairs, particularly in the master bedroom.

Thus the Hinckleys’ master suite came into being. By raising the attic of the ground floor addition, the couple gained just enough room for a master bath. This extension offers the private, secluded feeling they desired. “Keeping the roofline consistent with the original house also prevents this new portion from overpowering the original structure,” notes builder Mason Hearn. For added height, Mason used scissor trusses instead of conventional rafter framing. This allows the ceiling to measure a surprising 10 feet from the floor in the bath’s center.

Along with this crowning feature, Mason built a subtle 1-foot-deep window bay that gently frames a beautifully restored claw-foot tub. Further attention to detail is evident at the windowsill, which continues around the projection, capping the beaded-board wainscot. When soaking in the tub is not in order, a glass-enclosed shower is also available.