Need more pictures. What do you want to do with the spaces?

Hi Angela, Congrats on your remodel. Agree with Anne -- remove all walls and arches that are not load-bearing.

None are load bearing...after removing should we put column or some type of separation rather than having one large room?

Dining room set going where wood floor is now and family room will be on tile floor (all flooring will be grey distressed wood).

does that mean you are replacing the dark wood with the gray?

Yes...all the flooring in that room will be replaced with the gray

Before you remove any walls the saying "None are load-bearing" and "bebt the farm" may have the same meaning. The load-bearing beams would have to be in the attic if this is a one story home. Double check before tearing any walls down.

be aware that if you remove all the walls you will have some ceiling repair to do and it looks like you have textured ceilings.

fred is right--unless this is a 1 level with trusses for a simple roofline, you may have a hidden situation. that being said ( 3 times, so far :) ) let's look at what you want to do in the space:
---is there a kitchen table area? --i see a glass door near the kitchen area, so if this is a used entry, that space should be kept clear -- although it would allow for chairs/stools to the peninsula counter.

---do you like a bit of formality for the dining room? or is the intent a big country style area? it appears you have 8' ceilings. you haven't mentioned your design preferences but one possible configuration would be using columns along the hallway 'wall' bordering the new dining room; i feel it would be nice to have some delineation of the foyer. the columns could sit on a 24" high wall and go to the ceiling, 'raising the roof' visually.

family room in my area is the tv watching, curl up on the couch, eat pizza area--same with you? or is this a slightly more formal area --what we call the living room?

are there any architectural features existing -- like fireplace, bookcases etc or is the unseen wall barren? i have a rough sketch drawn from your pics and it appears that you will need to create a focal point around which, or, in front of which to place your furniture. the back wall doesn't appear to have a view . . . so that would mean something inside the house

Someone must love arches :) I would remove the wall and keep the outside arch on both side going like a rainbow to give you the idea ,no need of of these ,no need of pillars if you don't need support beams ,keep it open and arrange the furniture in vignettes .

Lots of potentail, consult with a structural engineer and make sure there aren't any issues with removing the walls.

I love the arches, add character, but I have eclectic taste! Will your dining area 'formal?' I did open a wall between our kitchen and dining area, but our dining area became an extended area to the kitchen. We have two comfy chairs and our eating table is off to the side centered along our window.

Arches add grace to an average box design, leave them - remove the "pony" walls and beef up the the two supports into actual columns, add crown mouldings in both rooms.

Any thoughts on going Craftsman style? It can be simple or complicated, but it is very classic. You can see this simplicity on Houzz at

or it can become a wood filled wonder like this

If possible get the walls and arches out. Use a uniform floor covering through out. Define the dining area with an area rug and great chandelier.

I wanted to do this in my home. It is a load bearing wall. My uncle is a contractor and said it can be done with adding some columns or removing and put a metal beam on the top and covering with sheet rock. However my husband has not give in yet lol I don't see the point in us having a den and formal living room we will never use . Oh well lol

Why is there a drain in the floor? If you have water issues, wood flooring may not be a good choice.

Not a drain (though it looks like one in this pic)...it's an electrical outlet for lamps, etc ;)

Some ideas...

I don't know if this was said, but you could cut out the door entry way of the arch.. and have one big arch.. with that said .. I know we took a load bearing wall, but up in the ceiling it was re-inforced with a 3x10xhowever long 12ft I think.. load bearing thick board..

I agree ahelton, I for one have never felt the need for a "formal" dining room.. I feel it's wasted space best utilized into both Friend and Family fun/gatherings.

I can't see very well but it looks like on the right side is an entry door.. you could arch that too, if you can't take the wall down..

Like this idea

Celery girl -that is exactly the pic I was looking for! Thank you;)

one more https://www.houzz.com/photos/2802-circle-dr-transitional-dining-room-orange-county-phvw-vp~185125

Love this, very striking. What style would you call this?

I think you need to still define the dining space from the living room. To have proper support and load bearing specs for that area check with an architect and or builder to see if you can make alterations. If they approve, I would put columns up in the corners to replace the walls and if you have to add some iron beams covered with sheetrock, that is okay. It would create a definition to the area without being to intrusive. Best wishes.

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