Is there any way you can not do such tall ceilings? If you don't even like the look, you'll hate the echo and heating/cooling problems even more. Not to mention if the paint/wallpaper/lighting needs attention. (I hate my two story foyer, but we bought existing....would even build a room over it if the layout made sense.)

Baring that, a dark color on the ceiling may bring it down visually.

You really need to show the design of the house to get useful advice.

yeah, I don't understand building something you don't like.

but you don't need to make the ceilings feel lower -- just decorate and furnish down at human level, and let the heights be for light and open feel above. you should be able to hang a neat chandelier, if desired! :)

Add that second floor space to the second floor space, or all you heat will funnel right up that chimney.

I agree with acm - if you fully decorate the people level - rugs, lamps, art, etc. the space above will look light and airy and not bare. Eventually, you might want to add a tapestry or a piece of wall sculpture but it won't be a necessity to make the entry look finished.

In addition to the moveable decor at human level, you can paint, paper, or grasscloth to a normal height, add a bit of molding, and paint above that. If you change paint or paper some day, you don’t have to do the entire wall, just that lower part.

Divide the height of the walls with paint and or wainscoting.

I think "farmhouse style" with a "18-20' flat noty cathedral" is an oxymoron, but I am still trying to figure out what a "flat noty cathedral" is.

If "farmhouse style" now includes 2 story entry spaces, the term truely has no meaning.

The best way to make ceilings seem lower is to lower the ceiling. The second best is to raise the floor.

From a decor standpoint, I think farmhouse style means an uncluttered traditional look with lots of natural elements. It's obviously not really farmhouse decor but Joanna Gaines did it in her farmhouses a million years ago and the name stuck.

Others may have different interpretations, to each his own.

It's the 7 foot dimension of floor space which seems especially problematic with a 20 foot ceiling. That's triple the height almost, of the width. It's going to feel like the bottom of an elevator shaft. It's not going to look like those larger entries above .

Forget the doublr height ceiling it never happened in any farmhouse modern or not. I wonder what drove this at all. Add that space to the upper floor and be done This is going to look like atunnel as it is now . No amount odf wallpaper with fix that. Where is you architect in this ?