A clarifying picture that shows what parts are open:

From a visual standpoint (assuming that construction strength will be the same), I agree with you. It looks less weighty to me and a bit more classic. Is that the look you are going for?

Yes, construction strength is the same either way. The goal is for the space to look most open, so yes that's the look we're going for. Thank you for your input!

I don't understand why you need a post at all. Maybe you don't want to increase the size of the header to carry the load? That would mean the opening would show the header.

We had a wall here between the dining room and kitchen. We did the same type of thing and supported the larger header on each side of the opening. Even though we see the header, at least it feels more open without the post.

It's an area you walk by all the time, right? I'd do Leah's and move the post in a few inches-the top surface of your wall there-butcher block, granite, orwhatever?? take thosse ends tha are revealed by moving the post over and sculpt some nice corners with an edge of your choice-sassy up the look.

I think you should try drawing a picture of what the two walls will look like from the doorway looking at the pony wall. This isn't a cutout on a piece of paper, it's a three-dimensional object. I can easily imagine a post sitting on a pony wall that is wider than it is. I can't see how you would resolve a narrower post standing next to a wider wall. Will it look like door casing? A pillar? How will it relate to the wall? Remember you have to be extremely detailed and specific, since a carpenter actually has to build the thing.

la jan - We would prefer to have the header supported on the ends and no post. Unfortunately, the beam that is supported by the header does not run all the way to the wall (stops a foot or two before the wall), so we also need the post.

herbflavor - Yes, it's an area we walk by all the time. In fact, it's the first thing you see when walking into the kitchen. I completely agree with your idea!

marcolo - You inspired me to try to draw this from another view. I'm not a great drawer, but here's an idea of the 2 versions from the view of walking into the kitchen:

My husband's answers to your questions would be that the post would be wrapped in molding which would be the same molding as the header, and the edge supports of the header. He thinks it keeps truer to the styler of our house (arts and crafts). I think it will end up looking like a door casing but connecting to the header.

My experience with posts and corners in walkpaths is that people put their hands on them as they pass through. Think about what it will feel like for each of these. How likely that someone will swing around each to sit at stools or stand at counter? Will post be painted or bare wood (fingerprint issue)?

From a practical point of view, Leah wins.

From an artsy point of view, assuming a beautiful solid post true to the A&C ideal, Erick wins.

Is it true that with Leah's plan, you get less counter but more walkway? Depending on the dimensions, I'd probably go by what functions best in that regard.

Not to second-guess your carpenters, but in the same scenario, we actually added a newer, stronger header to avoid the post-in-room scenario. This meant we had to add a new post on the foot of the peninsula by the wall, and it juts out into the counter space. But it's behind our faucet and this way we could avoid a post where we didn't want it in the center of the room. Something for you to consider maybe?

Post position aside, is there a reason you need a pony wall at all in that spot? We put shelving on the back side of the peninsula cabinets and got a wider peninsula and a ton of extra storage out of it.

Florantha - Very helpful points - thank you!

Fori - Yes, there would be less counter space but more walkway (which is my preference). About 6 inches less counter space, on a raised counter.

Circuspeanut - Our layout is very similar to your pictures but much smaller. Does the beam resting on your header reach all the way to the edges?
Our main problem is that the beam above our header does not go all the way to the wall and then a perpendicular beam rests on that beam. It's the foundation for a couple walls in upstairs room, so support is highly necessary. We are already having posts on the edges of the header (like the one you mentioned in the corner). We also need one in the middle because the beam resting on the header would only be supported by one edge if we didn't (since it doesn't reach the other wall). If we don't have the middle post, it may be fine for several years, but eventuallly we might have problems (especially in a 1915 house in so cal/earthquake territory).

The pony wall is not absolutely necessary, but just another way to provide support in place of the wall we're tearing down. We have gone back and forth on whether to have it actually!
By the way, I love your kitchen! It's pretty much our dream kitchen, but that will have to be in another house in the future for us!

Well if you need the space to walk, you definitely win. Nothing as bad as banging your elbows on a post whenever you go into the kitchen.

unless you have somethign that runs through the post (like a pipe) I'd get rid of it all together. Does not look liek ther eis any reason the whole ceiling can't be braced up and that split header removed and a solid one put in it's place that is supported on both ends like others have done.

It looks like the ceiling joists run the same direction as the wall so it's hard to see where the support is needed, but I know with old houses, you never know what you'll find.

Our 135 yr old house is a series of additions, so almost all interior walls are old exterior walls and supporting the peaks from the original roof line that the new roof line sits on top of - so they are still very much support walls - what fun!

I agree that you should take a second look at getting rid of the beam altogether. Is there a structural engineer on the project? One should do a site visit for a couple hundred bucks.

In any case, I was struck by this:
He thinks it keeps truer to the styler of our house (arts and crafts).

I grew up in an Arts & Crafts house. It is not only common but nearly the hallmark of A&C houses to have a post sitting on a knee wall. We had one. Most houses do.

{{!gwi}}

Just echoing comments from lajan, circus peanut and macy baby: If you can find it in the budget, I'd replace your current beam that doesn't meet the wall with a longer one that does so that you could bury your support posts in your wall or at least next to the wall (and then case them out with door casing.)

I don't mean to be nosy, but have you consulted a structural engineer? I suspect for a couple hundred bucks, he/she could spec out what you'd need to support the space without a post at all. (My contractor & the structural engineer he works with said "there's always a way to make it happen, it's just do you want to pay for it!")

We had a 10" deep steel I beam installed in the ceiling so we could take out part of a wall to have an uninterrupted 7' expanse. They can build temporary walls to hold up the house while they remove and relocate a beam. In the end it will cost us a lot of money (in excess of $5K, because there were pipes and electrical that have to be rerouted now-ugh) but it has made the whole space feel SO much bigger. Honestly, it is one of the best decisions we've made in the remodel.

Oops, guess I'm also echoing marcolo, as I didn't see this post when I posted and we said some of the same things :)

Little smokie - You're not being nosy and I don't mind. Yes, we have had a structural engineer out. Having a post is pretty much the only feasible solution for us in order to open the wall.

I understand what your saying about the beam, but I don't think it's really an option for us. The beam that does not go all the way to the wall meets another (very long)beam that is perpendicular to it. They are both foundations for upstairs walls (that have electrical, and even gas), so the wall we're tearing down is actually load bearing for both (we did not know this before opening it up but knew it was a possibility.) I'm sure there are much more expensive ways to not have a post, but I don't think it's something we can do.

Marcolo - I made the same point to my husband! He didn't think it was the same thing because our post would be sitting on the counter and not wood or built ins. IMO, having the post coming up from the counter would not be incostistent with A&C...it would at least have the same feel as the pictures you posted.

Whups, sorry, I wasn't really clear in my post. Our wall is the main load-bearing wall for the whole house, too -- what we did is put in a supplemental new header without taking out the old one. Yes, it took a few inches out of each side and the top, but that might be worth it to you, as it was to us? (Pictures deceive -- my kitchen is really not very big, it's 11' x 11'.) I trimmed it out just like a doorway, and folks often assume it's original to the house.

And thanks for the love. :-) My kitchen reno came in at around $18,000, so it can be done for less than a fortune!

Circuspeanut,

You know what I like most about your kitchen!?! Every time I see it I think to myself "hey, there's circuspeanuts kitchen". I like the you did a kitchen that is recognizable as you!

It's great! I like the style and etc as well but my favorite part is definitely the uniqueness of it. It's not that same old magazine kitchen!

Circuspeanut's is my favorite suggestion, but if you go with a visible support, I'm a big fan of the arts and crafts posts sitting atop cabinetry/knee walls. We dropped our ceiling from 10' to 9.5' to hide the huge beam that was needed when we opened up our kitchen walls, but our original plan (since changed) was to include a cabinet with a column in the opening, simply for aesthetics.

Here's what we did in our master bath. In this case, it was done to provide separation between the toilet and tub, but the paneled portion against the wall hides some plumbing that couldn't be moved. No one guesses that's the reason for the column - they just think it's a cool feature. :o)

From Last Import

bummer you can't easily get rid of the support, but with old houses it works out that way some times. Our house is balloon framed which adds to the complications -

Since the post has to be there, I'd choose the option that results in the widest walk through. Seems like the A&C look goes with a rather heaving looking post. I do love the look that Marcolo posted.

We had to run the main vent stack up the corner of our den, so to balance it out we made a fake column on the other side. It sort of looks like the both support something - but they don't.

This shows the stack in the back corner, and the "pretend" support in the front - that room is about 80% of our "original" house - those pioneers were some hardy folk!

Stack covered up

And the decorative "matching" side.

We did the same thing. Took down part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Everyone thought it wasn't a load bearing wall, but it was. We put a beam along the top and a smaller one along the side and dry walled them in. Here it is during and after.

I definitely vote for Leah's--practically, aesthetically, all around appealingly.

Either will probably look gorgeous--but that's my preference!

We are doing a similar thing in our kitchen or at least in the area between the great room and kitchen we are calling it a pass thru. Inside our kitchen we took down a load bearing wall and put in a laminated beam, but couldn't do it between the other two room since there is too much load. Here is what I came up with for the post that needs to stay in place:

From kitchen design
From kitchen design

I'm of the opinion that if the post needs to stay in, then your idea is the cleanest and will hide the post better. Worldmom's picture shows how well the post will blend in.

Thank you for all your input and for the pictures. It makes me feel better about our situation.

So, the post must stay and it looks like we are going with the option I want. It will be more open, which is really important in our small space. My husband is ok with it because he's going to put a little trim at the base and where the post meets the header that is similar to the molding in the rest of our house.