Hello,

I'm not sure if we raised the ceiling on this project, but below is the "before" photo, the designer visually enlarged the kitchen by creating a wider, arched opening at the dining room wall

These are the before plans: With doorways interrupting valuable space at three of the kitchen’s four walls, the original layout lacked a work triangle, functional storage space, and work surfaces. Both the refrigerator and range were sequestered in corners—opposite the sink wall---and lacked landing zones for everyday kitchen tasks. The narrow opening from the living spaces limited the interaction with dining room guests. The kitchen’s only cabinetry and countertops were at the sink wall.

And after plans:

By closing off the doorway to the bedroom hallway, more wall space was created for cabinetry, countertops, and a built-in pantry. A drawer microwave keeps countertops clear and is conveniently adjacent to the new counter-depth refrigerator. Shifting the laundry room doorway toward the sink wall created space for landing zones at the range. The wall between the dining and kitchen was expanded into an arched opening, opening the kitchen to the home’s living spaces and creating an additional work surface and eating bar. Functional storage solutions such as pull outs, roll outs and corner inserts were specified to make every square inch of the kitchen easily accessible.