Timber Homes Illustrated, August 2008 issue

WORTH THE WAIT

Wisconsin homeowners create a dreamy master suite

By Cheryl Kenny, Photos by Joe Paskus

For 25 years Tom and Donna Thayer have loved their 1970’s ranch home on 80 scenic acres just five minutes from Tom’s commercial construction company in Madison, Wisconsin. But a time came when they wanted more, including an expanded guest suite, an updated master bedroom suite, and space to display Donna’s collectibles.

The couple hired an architect to draw up plans for a traditionally styled and constructed addition. “We actually started digging for construction, then decided that we didn’t like it,” Donna says. “It was going to block too many views from the main house.” Construction ground to a halt. In 2002 the couple tried again, hiring Bouril Design Studio, an architectural firm Tom knew from his business. The Thayers’ dream then began to take on a new shape: octagonal.

Design Revision

The couple wanted to create an addition that would capitalize on views of their wooded property and surrounding federal wildlife preserve, but not block views from their existing rooms. After a year of working with Bouril Design’s president, Bob Bouril, the ideal design emerged: a connector hallway that angles back and away from the main house to keep existing views intact, leading to a new space in the space of an octagon with windows–and more fabulous views–on all sides. The two-story addition, 1,300 square feet on each level, includes the master suite on the first floor and a bath, laundry and recreation room on the lower level. The former master bedroom was modified to become a guest suite in the existing structure.

On the main floor, the 33-by-33-foot octagonal addition has four distinct spaces–workout room, room-size master closet, master bathroom and master bedroom–that emanate from a foyer in the octagon’s center. The foyer rises 20 feet to a large cupola with functional windows that provide air flow and natural light to the interior space. The central foyer, which is accessed via the connector hall through the exercise room, opens to all four master suite spaces.

The addition is timber framed – a novel idea that appealed to the Thayers. “It was enticing for us,” Tom recalls, “plus Bob had suggested it because it would work well for the large span with the octagon and cupola.” On Bob’s recommendation, the couple chose Hearthstone of Dandridge, Tennesee, for the timber framing; Tom’s company would tackle the general construction.

“The Thayers chose Douglas fir because it’s stronger than Eastern white pine for such a large, open span,” says Tommi Jamison, Hearthstone’s marketing manager. Hidden steel plates reinforce the timber’ mortise-and-tenon joinery. Hearthstone created the timber plans using its 3-D design process, which Bob says, “did assist the owners in visualizing the frame and helped all the contractors in construction and integrating with the frame.”

Much more about the addition ran in the August 2008 issue of Timber Homes Illustrated.