If you add a beam to the vault, will you continue it to the outside?

Yes I was thinking something similar to this- as well as a space divider between the dining room and living room area

Yes, if you can afford and like the way it looks, it will look wonderful.

I have faux boxed beams and I like them ... but their location and sizing was figured out with our architect during the design process.

Your beams won't have a wall, or cased opening, to "tie into" on the right side ... they will just be floating on the right side?

@Chispa, if we do it, we would put one down the ceiling here as well

It will be gorgeous.

IMO this was something that should have been done before now and fake beams always look fake when slapped on after construction .

Patricia are you suggesting we don’t do it at all then? It should have been done prior to insulation? Or during framing?

For a beam to look realistic, it should appear to have proper support. Dead ending over a window or door doesnt do that.

Yes, I knew you would have to do a "support" beam, but it will make the space look like it is cut in half and not at the correct spot. If you had planned ahead, I would have move the sliders/doors over a few feet or made them a bit smaller.

Is there anything we can do at this point to make it look as realistic as possible?

Was there an architect involved in the design? I would be talking to him/her. Or find a local Interior Designer, who has experience with construction design, to visit the site and give you some options.

" Is there anything we can do at this point to make it look as realistic as possible? "

Not really because of window and door placement and the open concept with the room next to it with different ceiling heights. As chispa mentions it really needed to be considered and planned out as part of the whole home, not as lipstick at the last moment.

View from the other side.

Agree with @chispa - for me personally, I don't think this is something I would add at this stage - usually it is factored in from the beginning

Maybe skip the beams and do just one beam along the ridge and a wood finish on the ceiling. You still have the issue of the slope on the right running right into the flat ceiling without any separation.

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I think it may be fortunate that the beams were not installed. Exposed ceiling beams are really not a desirable thing, from a Feng Shui perspective. If they don’t have to be there, I personally would never install them.

That said, there are people who have them and like them: and if you want to add them in at this point, I don’t think it matters if they don’t exactly look like they are holding up the place. A lot of people install decorative beams, and the beam police will not be coming to your house.

I don't think you can run a beam to the outside of the house. But you sure can run beams inside.

What about trying a different direction or configuration?

I have seen some faux beams that actually look really nice - you would have to order samples.

Here is one my customer did

The space looks great!

Good luck

Beams are doable, and a competent designer can easily figure it out. (You could add small columns at the wall edges, running them long-ways at the ceiling and wall line, then up to the peak.)

In this case though, I think you get better, cleaner use of the height with a textured ceiling like wood or painted wood. I'd do that. It keeps your lines clean and simple, and it puts the focus on the window (especially if you run boards toward the window)