Too small a great room?

4 years ago

Our architect suggested making our Kitchen 23'x13' with a 8' flat ceiling and the combination family room/dining room 23'x20' with a cathedral ceiling (~13' tall). This arrangement is the cheapest with regards structural work required to vault the ceiling. I am very concerned about the size of the family/dinning room combo. Can I get some feedback on the size, furniture layout or see examples of projects with similar dimensions?

FYI incase this is relevant :

[1] The great room will have two 11' bifold doors on either side connecting the entry courtyard and backyard/pool.

[2] I think we need to seat 6-8 people comfortable on the dinning table

Thanks.

Featured Answer

Mrs Pete

4 years ago

I think the area is fine but the shape doesn’t seem to work well. The island seems awkwardly long, then there is an unused space, then the dining and living are squished together at the opposite end.

I was going to say something similar, but I was going to say "problematic proportions".

In answer to the original question, the great room dimensions are acceptable for a small house, especially since the layout allows furniture to be placed against one wall /doesn't require that space be given up for walking aisles.

However, the kitchen is quite large ... and the dining /great room is small. This discrepancy will be jarring to the eye.

If you stick with this layout, I'd say definitely lose the round table /go with a rectangle table to better mirror the great room shape.

I'd also consider the placement of the fireplace in the room. You might even want to place the fireplace in the dining room, which would leave more space in the great room.

IMO 8' ceilings are great

Yes. 8' ceilings can still be found in the majority of houses, and they are certainly practical. The mania for higher ceilings adds a great deal of cost -- not just in building, but in taller windows, window treatments, doors, decor, and the biggie: heating and cooling.

In a kitchen, as you're considering, they particularly make sense because it means avoiding the question of whether to build expensive cabinets to the ceiling, where they can't easily be reached. You only have so many Christmas dishes to store up high.

8' ceilings also make sense in bedrooms, where you're asleep most of the time.

If you want-want-want a higher ceiling a higher ceiling or vault in your mail living space only makes sense. The variation of ceiling height makes more of a statement than high-high ceilings throughout.

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Comments (8)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
4 years ago
I think the area is fine but the shape doesn’t seem to work well. The island seems awkwardly long, then there is an unused space, then the dining and living are squished together at the opposite end. I would make it narrower and longer with the dining between the two spaces (of course this is all relative to site and context which is why you have a local architect)
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chispa
4 years ago
Is this a new build or a remodel? Style of house?

I would not build a new house with 8 ft ceilings in a main living space. Even the cheapest spec houses in my area have 9 ft ceilings throughout.

The way your architect laid out the furniture is awful. Are you using a round table?
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felizlady
4 years ago
The dining area should be more conveniently located near the kitchen.
lucky998877
4 years ago
8' ceiling in a new built is a big no! Your kitchen will look like a squished cave next to a room with a vaulted ceiling.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
IMO 8' ceilings are great I have them all through my house and my heating and cooling are 1/2 of what our neighbor pays with his 10' ones I think vaulting a ceiling next to an 8' one will have all kinds of issues even with how sound travels not to mnetion the heating and cooling issues. I have a 25 x15 LR we could I guess put a dining table at one end but we have 2 seating areas since we entertain a lot. to seat 8 at a round table you will need a 60" table then 3' allaround for chairs to move in and out so that is 11 ' so now the LR is 9' wide not going to work Maybe a 36 x60 table with a leaf but even that is only allowing 11' for the LR IMO not working. If you kept all the ceilings 8' then the kichen space would blend into the living room / dining space and all would be fine since then the dining table could rum parralel to the island at the kitchen end but to be honest a 13' wide kitchen barely handles an island I would seriously rethink this design and for get the vault. This is my 8'ceilinged LR certainly does not feel or look low
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User
4 years ago
That is not an optimum layout. If it is the amount of space you have to work with, would get rid of the island (?) replace it with a big farmhouse table that can be used for preparation or dining, but move it further from the back wall cabinet run.

Check out this kitchen Hub of the House - My all-time favorite kitchen which makes such great and spacious use of a relatively small area.
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visit
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Would this be a better option? Smaller kitchen (10'x 18') off to the side, separate dining room (12'7" x 13'11") the South side of the kitchen open up the vaulted ceiling family room. the green dotted line running E-W is the transition from the 8' ceiling over kitchen dining to 13' cathedral ceiling over the family room? Unfortunately this is a remodel so the 8' ceiling and off centered fireplace are what we have to work with. I would love your suggestions on how to open the kitchen to the dining room as well, perhaps a small island facing the dining table and the peninsula facing the family room? Is this layout kitchen too small for a 4000 sqft SFR?