Hi All,

I am currently in the framing stage for a remodel/addition project for a single-level, 4000 sq. ft home, please see attached plans which also includes lighting and furniture layout. The master bedroom, adjacent sitting room, and master bathroom are the new additions. Everything else is a push-out/remodel of the existing 1960s structure.

My question is I'm not sure how to frame the hallway leading to the master bedroom. The original hallway was 3' 6" and too narrow for my taste. So what we did in the remodel is to create a 10' 6" x 7' 6" foyer area to shorten the hallway and to add drama. The green arrow is the hallway I'm talking about and the red arrow is the foyer.

The small red rectangles are openings from LR and Main Entry (couldn't fit these into the picture, sorry) into the Kitchen and FR, respectively. The large red rectangle is a 16' opening we created to open the wall between the Kitchen and FR. I live in LA and wanted a 'contemporary' Mediterranean style, so these three openings are going to be arches going from 8' on the side walls to 9' 6" at the top of the arch.

The master bedroom foyer and the hallway can both have a maximum height of 11'. I was thinking of a groin vault in the m.b. foyer to create height and also allow for a large hanging ceiling fixture. Something like what's shown in https://www.houzz.com/photos/shady-canyon-7-mediterranean-hall-orange-county-phvw-vp~5180891 The arch from the vault will also complement the other openings previously mentioned, as well as the 3' x 8' arch door into the master suite (green rectangle).

My first problem is that I'm not sure if a groin vault will work for the foyer I have. I cannot find any literature on the geometry of such a design to understand how it would look. My GC and architect are not familiar with it either so I'm hoping someone here can shed some light.

My second problem is that assuming the groin vault is a go in the foyer, the hallway is quite a bit narrower so I'm not sure how the ceiling will transition. Would I do a barrel vault for the 3' 6" hallway that match the groin vault arch, or a simple high flat ceiling, or something else?

I also attached a picture of how the entry looks from the center of LR. The FR is to the left, the kitchen to the right, and the hallway is in the middle.

Thank you very much for any insights you may have!!