I would be tempted to do that - how far do the windows come down?

A recent thread that might inspire you: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6541912/step-down-living-room

I don't see sunken; I see step down. What is original to the build? Basement under? Or is it all slab?

Slab or crawl space? I would worry more about your windows than your fireplace. You have a raised hearth and will essentialy be raising the floor and losing the two bottom rows of bricks. However your windows if a standard height of about 24" from the floor will go to around 18-ish. That means your are standing 6 inches higher so where does that put the top of the window and header? The ceilings are vaulted but how tall are the outside walls of that room? They don't look overly high. Lets say they are 9', those would possibly look stunted if you took them down to 8.5'

I would, if at all possible. i hate those sunken or step downs, whatever you want to call them. They’re tripping hazards. Neighbors of mine had their’s leveled.

Nope. It's a feature of the architecture.

Plus by having the wood on a different plane it won't have to match the existing wood floor exactly.

Finally, any windows less than 18" from your finished floor have to be tempered glass. We cannot tell from your photos if your windows are short of the floor or extend to the floor.

I would address the brutal appearance of the brick on your fireplace. The appearance doesn't fit with the rest of your room. I'd paint or limewash the brick.

Unless you really want to use an area rug, I'm not sure I'd spend the $$$$ on a wood floor.

Do a search. Not a month ago a poster finished such a project. Possilby you can get in contact with them and get real life insights.

ooops I see someone already searched for you. It was a great end result.

The post added by @mcarroll16 above is a perfect example of where someone did the same exact project that you are considering. They also had a fireplace w/ a raised hearth + floor vents. You will notice that the FP looks fine with the raised floors and the vents were raised to meet the new floor level.

+1 to all of the above. If you have the budget to do it properly, go for it. If you’re lucky, you live in the same area as the OP of the other thread and can call their contractor for a quote as they did a fabulous job!

Have you measured to see whether the raised floors on either side of the sunken room are level with each other? The desired end result is one level floor across all three areas.

I would raise it. I’d also use the opportunity to makeover the fireplace at the same time. I’d be tempted to do it even if you had to install new windows if budget allows. I think it will make a huge difference to the home.

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All, thanks so much for your comments!

Sorry I didn't include a better picture of the windows in the step down area. The window sill height is 24 inches above the floor.

mcarroll16, thank you for the link. I did find the thread informative and inspiring!

arcy_gw and dani_m08, so helpful to see a similar project. If I lose two bottom rows of brick on the fireplace, that is fine.

oncape, thanks for clarifying. the step down is original to the build. There is a crawl space underneath the house.

Designer Interior South, the outside walls of the room are 8.5 feet.

BeverlyFLADeziner, the family room at the rear of the house has an identical fireplace with a gas insert. If I paint the living room fireplace, should I also paint the one in the family room? The color throughout the house is Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. Would you use the same color for the fireplace?

Design Fan (NEz7a), the raised floors on either side of the step down are level with one anohter. The wood floors extend throughout the house.

You will need a permit.

You walls will be taken down to roughly 7'11". That is really low. Depending on your window size which I am guessing at again that could put the top of your windows at roughly 5'6"

Something to take into great consideration.

102" wall

-6"

=96

window new distance from floor

18"

=78"

estimating a 1 foot head above window

=66" high window

this would put the top of your windows at 5'6" roughly.

IDK the height of the residents in your home but it would be rather strange to have to duck to see out the window from a standing position.

Design Interior South, thanks for your feedback. The window height is 73.5". Because the ceiling is vaulted, the room feels more open. Attached are two photos of the ceiling.

Painting brick on the outside of a home or on a fireplace is very controversial. Be sure it's what you prefer as there is no going back. I rather liked the "brutal" look juxtaposition in your room. Tomato tomatoe.

I would raise it if possible. We have a step down living room and so many guests have walked off it or tripped going up. We put in a guardrail but didn't help much.

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