Is there a floor above this kitchen? Could you put in the skylights? If so, I would save up for them and do that. What is the black line in the center of your drawing?

Can you pry loose part of the existing beam to see if it conceals wiring or hides a rough surface?

RE: ceiling beams. We had two decorative beams in our old breakfast room ceiling (on the left in this photo) and when we removed a supporting wall between Breakfast room and Kitchen (on the right), we had to add a third, slightly larger beam to span the distance.
We decided to keep the old beams to unify the look of the room, but I would have preferred not to have any at all, especially above the cabinets.

The new supporting beam is on the right:

This shows two of the old decorative beams and the new supporting beam to the back.
{{gwi:2137404}}

This photo shows the way the beams extend the beamed design of the family room (a garage conversion by a previous owner.)

Again, my personal preference. I would prefer no beams if they are not functionally necessary. I would never install decorative beams that serve no purpose.

Edited to add: But I do like the use of blue ceiling and white beams in your inspiration pic.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 11:31

Thanks for the responses!

@practigal - the black line in the drawing is the wall that currently separates the living room area from the kitchen. It holds our TV right now. And yes, there is a second floor above the kitchen, unfortunately. My home is an old Cape Cod, and the previous owners converted the attic above the kitchen into a bedroom. To further complicate my "dark kitchen" problem, they also built a 2nd floor balcony...which conveniently blocks every bit of light into the window over my kitchen sink. I have to just shake my head and laugh at this point at all of their terrible design choices. haha...sigh...

@Bellsmom - I agree that I would prefer no beams at all! I think I'm just nervous about what I may find when I attempt to remove the existing beam, since I'm pretty sure that it only exists because that is where the addition begins. I've confirmed that there is no issue of load on the beam. I suppose if I remove it and the ceiling is terrible beneath, I could always build a new faux beam. The beams in your house work because they are consistent throughout. I think mine makes me nuts because there's just one!

Are the ceilings the same height on either side of the beam? Measure both sides at several points along the beam. It might have been installed to disguise the fact that the new ceiling didn't quite match up with the original. I have that problem with floors in my house.

Your inspiration picture with soffits is lovely, but most of us would like to get rid of our soffits, rather than add them. Bellsmom's pic is a good case for adding more beams without adding soffits. If my ceiling wasn't already so low, I'd add beams and beadboard, without hesitation. (And btw, I always enjoy pics of the glug jugs!)

Elisabeth0326, forgive me for questioning, but how did you confirm that the beam is not (or should not be) load bearing? Several years ago, we added a 12x24' room across one side of our house. The framing contractor did not want to make the opening from existing kitchen to new room wider than 42", and only then with doubled 2x10 header over doubled jack studs. (Our house is a story-and-a-half, with bedroom over the kitchen. The new addition also has a sloped-ceiling bedroom above it.) Maybe that was overkill, but it seems that the span you have would have required at least as much. Is there sufficient support above the decorative beam? The quality of the previous owners' finish work would make me question the structural work, too.

@mama_goose - Tonight, I will measure both sides of the ceiling at several points and see what I come up with. I wouldn't be surprised if you're right about that, specifically because the other finish work throughout the house (they built 4 additions in total...it's a circus) is questionable. But, I did have a contractor come out last year and take a look at everything (he found no major concerns), and I also asked the home inspector when we purchased the home 4 years ago if the kitchen beam specifically was load-bearing, because I wanted it gone the moment I saw it.

That's good--I'm sure you were very relieved. Yes, when I saw 'decorative' beam, I thought, "Really? Whose idea of decoration was that?!"

I live in an old house, so I understand the quirks.

FWIW, I'd make sure a structural engineer tells you the beam isn't load bearing before you make any major decisions.

I wouldn't rely on the judgement of a home inspector or GC. Although plenty of inspectors and GCs are extremely competent, plenty are total yahoos, too. I wouldn't want my house falling down based on misinformation.

I just had several load bearing walls changed/opened up/etc . . . and a beam at the header of the removed wall is exactly what they do to take on the load. In my case, for one wall, we had the new beams stuffed up inside the ceiling (time consuming, awkward, extra cost) and the other is a below-the-ceiling beam (as that one is at a natural break point between living and dining room, so I was OK with the visual, so I saved a thousand or two dollars by letting them leave it below the ceiling).

Anyway, I'd just likely not trust a home inspector or GC to tell me if a beam was load bearing, especially one in such a "suspicious" location as yours, as it is so critical.

Also, FWIW, my structural engineer had no problems removing/opening up multiple load bearing walls (bearing lots of load, full second story above) . . . just takes an engineer to be comfortable making the plans. It was pretty simple process, actually. He told me he could open a 30 foot span using steel beams. My spans were more like 15-18 feet max, and he used some sort of engineered wood beams (two coupled together) -- still very expensive, but not quite as pricey as steel. I think they'd have had to use steel if they were a lot longer.

What about putting a shallow hutch down on the rust colored wall where you have your "Sorry about the Mess but we Live here" sign (Love it! LOL) The bottom half of the hutch could be used for toy storage if it's not needed for kitchen stuff, and the top half could be for "pretties." Sometimes these hutches can be had inexpensively from thrift stores and Craigslist, and you'll be well prepared for painting it and making it your own.

[{{gwi:2137405}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/designer-cottage-shabby-chic-style-entry-burlington-phvw-vp~186307)

[Farmhouse Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2114) by Burlington Architects & Building Designers TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design

Another option could be a very small cozy couch down there where people could come hang out and sit in the kitchen while you're working, or you could sit and read the paper and half a cup of coffee, look up recipes, etc. A rocking chair and little side table or a couple of petite chairs with a little side table between them might work, too.

[{{gwi:2137406}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~1021897)

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Locust Valley Interior Designers & Decorators Deepdale House LLC

A painting or mirror could go behind the chairs in place of the window:

[{{gwi:2137407}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-wingate-2012-eclectic-family-room-louisville-phvw-vp~1346790)

[Eclectic Family Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2104) by Louisville Home Stagers Home Staging Specialists

A small desk could go there if you need a "command center" for the mail, phone, keys, calendar, charging station,cookbook storage, etc. Here's one example. You could check Houzz, pinterest, or google images for many more.

[{{gwi:2137408}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/laundry-mudroom-traditional-laundry-room-detroit-phvw-vp~1192450)

[Traditional Laundry Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-laundry-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_753~s_2107) by Milford General Contractors M.J. Whelan Construction

Or a shallow armoire could go there to hold brooms, mops, cleansers and so forth if you don't have a dedicated place for them.

If you really wanted to get fancy, you could do a little electric or gas fireplace down there to cozy up to (Craigslist?)

Good for you tackling this project. I bet you'll love it when it's all done (and I hope you'll come back and show us pictures!) : )

@mama_goose - I measured last night at several points, and it seems like the ceiling is pretty consistent (no more than 1/2" difference between points measured). Should I be alarmed about ~ 1/2" difference? There wasn't any difference between the ceiling height directly on either side of the beam, and there also wasn't a difference in the ceiling height across the wide opening to enter the dining/living room area from the kitchen.

@szruns - I love all of your ideas! A big part of this will be to try to unify the spaces, so these are all great ideas. I LOVE the last photo of the "command center". I could really see us needing that for sure! The other thing that I considered is to add something like this on the other side of the kitchen for my sweet husband, who is losing his current "tea station" (it's the awkward top and bottom cabinets that are sticking out just before the entry to the back hallway). There would be enough clearance between the island and that wall to add a unit that is about 13-14" deep, which would give him enough space for his vitamins, herbs, oils (he's a little bit of a hippy...haha), and space to make a cup of tea. I think he's feeling a little left out since this remodel is technically for me. I also have a large cookbook collection that I'd like to display again after many years of living in boxes, so I've considered adding built-in shelving on the "sorry about the mess" wall. I was actually stalking this sideboard at IKEA a couple weeks ago...

{{gwi:2137409}}

Sidebar--My cabinet painting phase is finished! I got all of my doors and hardware back on last night. I'm pretty excited about the results...although it looks kind of "lipstick on a pig" right now (haha...).

{{gwi:2137410}}

Here's a pic when we bought the house vs. now with the painted cabinets and some of the window-side cabinets down (they're all coming down eventually and I'll have open shelves and a fancy range hood).

{{gwi:2137411}}

There wasn't any difference between the ceiling height directly on either side of the beam ...

That was my concern--if the ceilings were two different heights, more repair work would need to be done. As long as the wall is supported correctly, 1/2" difference is like no difference at all, especially in an older home! In the original part of my house all the ceilings (and floors) sag in the middle ... like me. :[

Lookin' good! A tea and vitamin/herby station is a great idea for the blank wall. I bet with some creativity that you can make it do everything you want it to: hold cookbooks, hold your dh's stuff, and be a command center. How nice to have that space to work with! : )

Elisabeth

I only have a comment - the cab doors look really good in your photos.
How did you paint them - brush/roller or spray gun? (It looks like you used brush?) How did you prepare them before painting? And what paint did you use?

(I have same kind of cabs in the kit & really don't want to replace. Considered painting them, but worry about the results.)

TIA. Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Wed, Jan 14, 15 at 13:06

@rina - I am beyond happy with my results on the cabinets, and like you, I was really nervous going into it. I did a ton of research on home improvement DIY blogs, and there was some debate between Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore...or using Kilz primer, and a few other options, but it seemed that the "gold standard" was Benjamin Moore. I ended up using Benjamin Moore "Stix" primer (tinted to my paint color), followed by Benjamin Moore Advance paint. I used mini rollers for everything--primer and paint.

I can't lie though--I painted during most of my free time for the past 6 weeks. I work a full-time job and have 2 toddlers, along with a husband who works evenings, so admittedly I don't have as much free time as some, but I would bet that it took me around 120 hours total painting time. That was 3 coats of primer and roughly 4-5 coats of paint. It was not quick, that's for sure. But, it dries pretty fast, so there's that. =)

Process-wise, I sanded all of the surfaces with 180 and 220 grit sand paper, tack clothed, then wiped clean with a damp cloth. After that, I began applying about 3 coats of primer. I was extra careful with the primer portion of the process because I was instructed by the people at Benjamin Moore that the reason why it's called "Stix" is because it literally helps the paint stick to the surface, which helps eliminate cracking and chipping down the road. After letting the primer fully dry, I then applied as many coats of paint as they needed for full and even coverage (this was about 4-5 coats, but after the 2nd coat, they go on very quickly).

This post was edited by Elisabeth0326 on Wed, Jan 14, 15 at 17:19

Elisabeth

Thank you for your answer - clipped & saved.
You put lots of time into it (second job!). Good luck with the rest of reno, hope to see more photos.
Rina

No problem, Rina! I'm sure lots of photos to come! My stainless steel island top was delivered on Wednesday, so lots of demo (backsplash and "brick") happening this weekend!

I look forward to hearing about what you decide regarding your possible cabinet painting!

Yes, we want pictures. My kitchen remodel was very similar, and I have a pic of my kitchen-in-progress with plastic bins under the island--almost the same as your work table.

Although I'd always had a small work table there, the island, with seating on one side, has become the social, as well as physical, center of the kitchen. My grandson often sits there while I'm working on one end. A few days ago, he hung out while I rolled tortillas--very convenient for nabbing a couple of hot, buttered goodies straight from the griddle. :)

@mama_goose That is so sweet!! My husband and I have a 1 and a 2 year old. We bought this house when I was newly-pregnant with my 2 year old. About a month after we moved in, I cried about the kitchen:

"There's nowhere for our children to do their homework while I cook dinnerrrrrrrrrr!!! They need to be able to push up stools and help me bake Christmas cookiesssssssssssssss!!! Wahhhhhh!!"

We crack up laughing about it now, all of those hormones raging at the time--but there was a sliver of reality in that overly-dramatic episode. After my hormones subsided a bit (and now that the kids are slightly more independent), I'm getting my island. Well before they have any homework, thankfully. lol.

This post was edited by Elisabeth0326 on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 13:47