To have or not to have? I couldn’t find a house at a location I chose. I cave in and decided to build a house to retire to. It will not be a big house somewhere between 1,400-1,800 s/f. The architect suggested a vaulted ceiling. From what I understand it makes space look bigger. I like a simple boxy house and am reluctant to a vaulted ceiling. Any thought?
Our vaulted ceiling is the difference between a run-of-the-mill ranch and a grand space. It makes a normal-size living room look huge and airy. The light that fills it (we have a wall of windows) is amazing, and is great for heating in the winter - it faces south.
You need to think about those costs/benefits, air conditioning and heating, depending on where you live. We live in the NE, the house faces south, and we have a ton of forest around our house. So in the winter, when the trees are bare, the south-facing vaulted ceiling room helps heat the entire second floor, because of the expanse of windows. In the summer, the trees keep the room cool. In other climates, windows in a vaulted ceiling room might make things worse, depending on the direction your house faces.
If you decide to go for it, make sure to get a ceiling fan for the room, suspended low (ours has, like, a 10-foot metal rod to bring it down to normal ceiling height). It is very important for air circulation, winter or summer.
I don’t know how I could go back to a house without a vaulted ceiling in the living room now. Every home I visit without it seems cramped to me now.
I insisted on a vaulted ceiling when we built our house, even though people told me it wasn’t practical to heat it in Maine. I’m so glad we did! Really does make a difference. We have huge windows in the living room, and it’s such a pleasant space.
Vaulted ceiling, times TEN. As long as it’s not too steep, you will retain your homey, cozy feeling, but will improve the aesthetics and resale value over low ceilings.
Another option, if you like the boxy feeling, is to go with high ceilings in your living room. We have 11 or 12 foot walls in our family room, with beams in the ceiling laid in a coved pattern. It provides almost the same airiness as a vaulted ceiling, but still allows space above it in the second story.
If I were building from new, I’d want a vaulted ceiling.
^^That. If you are building, make sure that at least the living areas have high ceilings. At least 10 feet.
I also built a modest home with a vaulted ceiling in great room area. Because I had never lived with a vaulted ceiling, I did not extend it to the master bedroom but if I had it to do over again, I definitely would.
The light was wonderful. I particularly enjoyed being able to have curtains closed for privacy and uncovered high windows for light (my house did not look out on another house but had people going by).
Since I didn’t have the high ceiling in my bedroom, I sometimes enjoyed sleeping in the living room, again in total privacy but waking to natural light.
I had a pretty significant roof overhang which pretty much kept direct sun off the high windows except very early or late in the day and in deep winter. The overhang varies by locale but definitely something to research if your wall of windows will face south as mine did (or probably any direction other than north and maybe east).
I had a ceiling fan suspended lower as mentioned above. I had propane boiler powered radiant floor staple up heat and my heat costs were low in a northern state (something else I highly recommend if appropriate).
You can see that for me the big benefit was natural light but I’m sure the feeling of openess contributed too.
If you personally prefer a boxy or cocoonlike environment, maybe a vaulted ceiling is not for you. I am guessing vaulted ceiling will enhance resale value if you care.
I like vaulted ceilings but since it’s a retirement home think about when a light bulb goes out–don’t get higher than you can handle.
Our house has vaulted ceilings in: the master bathroom, master bedroom, foyer, living room, family room, and upstairs bathroom. We have 6 skylights. We love all the light and the open feeling, although I felt like a dwarf when we first lived there. In the living room the high side of the vault is 18 feet. It was a bear to paint up there, but otherwise they are great. Newer homes I have seen recently just had 16 foot ceilings, which just seems like a status symbol to say you can afford to enclose that much space. If you do get vaults, highly recommend skylights as well.
As far as light bulbs, the only ceiling fixture I had was on my ceiling fan. Reachable with a stepladder and/or extension gripper. I had some wall sconces at a traditional height.
I remember now that I had a traditional ceiling in the kitchen portion of the great room. I liked that, sort of helped set off the kitchen, maybe helped smoke or steam from cooking go out the exhaust fan.
I love the vaulted ceilings … but if I couldn’t vault for some reason I would push for 9-10 foot ceilings. Possibly clerestory windows. It’s about the natural light – but also about not feeling cramped.
I think you would like a simple tray ceiling painted all one color. It’s a nice look and not as high as a vaulted ceiling. In my opinion, vaulted ceilings work better in warmer climates. In colder climates, the heat will rise into the vault.
I’m always amazed at how much difference just a tiny bit of extra ceiling height makes. We live in a 1920s house. It’s quite traditional, but the main floor ceilings are 8’-7". You wouldn’t think that extra 7" really makes much of a difference, but I am always astounded how much less like a cave our house feels than ones with standard 8’ ceilings. (The area that is vaulted is only about 9’ x 15’ by the way.)
When we did our kitchen addition we had the opportunity to put a higher ceiling in the half of the room that is the breakfast area. It’s more half a vault (shed roof). It peaks at 11’-6" inside and it has a skylight. We put a wide opening between that area and the old living room. I love that space and it makes the living room feel lighter and airier too with all the borrowed light.
My parents had a huge vaulted ceiling in the house I designed for them. They used to hire students from the local university to change bulbs. If you put LED bulbs in, with any luck they will last your life time.
Anyway, put me on the yes, vault your ceiling bandwagon.
I have vaulted ceilings in our living area and bedroom.
Yes, they are very nice, but, if you live in SoCal, your AC bills will be huge.
@chercheur My vaulted ceiling was in a very northern locale and as I mentioned above my heat bills were very low. The ceiling fan helps a lot plus the ceiling slope helps the air circulate. Vaulted ceilings are very common here.
A ceiling fan is a very good idea. The vault does not have to be very big to make a difference. I have done projects where we opened up the ceiling in old split levels because of the way they were constructed we could only add 4 feet at the center of the room, but it completely transformed the spaces. I think you’ll like it. I also think it will make it easier to sell your house when you are ready to move on.
We have vaulted ceilings on the upper floor and in the kitchen nook on the ground floor. The rest of the ground floor has 11" and 12" ceilings, so the basement with its standard ceilings height feels claustrophobic at first every time I go there.
I have to say that walls of windows make a huge difference for me. Being able to see the trees all year round day and night is very de-stressing. In the previous house we had a beautiful backyard, but we could not see any of that beauty in pitch dark.
Sometimes I could see the moon through the upper windows.
For changing light bulbs, you can buy telescoping poles with gadgets on the end to do the job very easily.
I wish I could post photos of the views through our windows. 
They make me happy.
Another vote for a vaulted ceiling. We live in a very boxy, circa 1802 Federal with high ceilings in most rooms, but our favorite by far is the 2008 addition with the vaulted ceiling. It is filled with light. You will need a fan to push the warm air down in winter and to circulate it in summer.