Hi, great question! The original ceiling beams were actually 12" tall! The client loved them, but in feng shui ceiling beams can create agitation. So as a compromise, I lowered the ceiling between each beam, only revealing the last 3 inches. This way you see the beautiful beams, but their effect is minimized. In the bedrooms, I completely hid the beams under sheetrock, since sleeping under beams is not great for health. Thanks for the question!