Vaulted ceiling? Yes or no?

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

The home we're building has an option for a vaulted ceiling. The east-facing view will be amazing. I've never had a home with a vaulted ceiling before, and I love the idea of one. The home is supposed to be very energy-efficient (a requirement for this neighborhood).

 

Potential problem is that people outside could see into the high windows at night when the upstairs lights are on, with possibly a good view of our family walking along the hallway, etc. Is there a way to increase the privacy there? Without installing blinds on very high windows?

 

Also, my husband would prefer to forgo the vaulted ceiling and build another upstairs bedroom in its place. Which would eliminate the "hello neighbors" problem at night. Then the fortunate child who occupied that bedroom would have the spectacular view, and the upstairs hallway would be...extremely dark. I visited the same home plan today, and it was very dark.

 

I can't decide. The extra bedroom would be very nice! But the vaulted ceiling is a dream come true! But we need some privacy! But the view and the light! Back and forth.

 

What is your opinion?

[SJ.]

My ILs have vaulted ceilings and the sound carries in a terrible way. When we spend the night we can hear everything from downstairs no matter how quiet they are trying to be.

[StephanieZ]

I'd take the extra bedroom -- and I'd plan for it to be my study/sewing room/whatever when lucky child moves out . . .

 

I'd add a couple "sun tubes" to the hallway for awesome light. :) 

 

I don't like vaulted ceilings in homes. I love a 9 or 10 ft ceiling, but 10s as high as I like. 

 

The privacy issue would be HUGE. I love windows, and I don't even put any window coverings on our living spaces, because they all face our very private yard. The few windows that face the neighborhood are covered 99% of the time (even though our lots are very large and there's probably only a non-family human within spying distance for minutes out of the day. It jus feels too exposed to have it uncovered. So, if I had big windows like yours facing neighbors, it'd drive me nuts. Why bother having windows if you always have to cover them? If you do get the windows, I'd get some sorts of very expensive remote controlled window coverings with both sheer (for daytime use) and opaque (for night times) coverings. 

[IfIOnly]

Yes, Sun tubes in the hall. https://www.google.com/search?q=sun+light+for+roof&client=ms-android-att-aio-us&sa=X&biw=534&bih=240&noj=1&tbs=vw:l,ss:44&tbm=shop&srpd=7904430304361572360&prds=epd:12325762279183521488,cdl:1,cid:16601257293222670836&ved=0ahUKEwiQy_aDk6jTAhViYJoKHQCXBksQgTYIowQ

 

I'm not sure how energy efficient, as far as letting year escape, they are though.

Edited April 16, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[PeppermintPattie]

I love our vaulted ceiling, but I love privacy more. Can you make that bedroom the master bedroom?

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I'd go for the extra bedroom. 

[Splash]

We have vaulted ceilings, heat does rise and isn't as efficient.  I love them though.   I love all the light they let in and the view so I'm not sorry we have them.  We put a window film on that blocks some of the sun/heat and gives a little more privacy.  It's like looking through sunglasses.  We are west facing though so that afternoon sun was hard on furniture and wood floors.  My husband didn't want to put up window coverings.  you can also order windows with the tint already in them but we didn't think of it at the time.

 

 

 

Kimberly

[Bluegoat]

I don't generally like them in residential homes, and a lot of people who had them when they were trendy found they didn't like them.  They aren't always easy to eat and there is the sound issue, but more intangibly, they can sometimes be hard to furnish in a way that looks in scale and they can feel to "open" above your head for a living area.  Especialy if the room isn't big enough they can feel like sitting in a whole.  And if they are big enough, that is a really big room, it will need big furniture.

[Bambam]

We've always elected to have the extra room. We are very practical and had several reasons listed below - the main one being the climate control issue.

 

Vaulted ceilings look nice in pictures. In real life = spider webs up there and heat goes up, so that room is typically much colder. This is also true here in TX where our winters don't get that cold, but it is still cold (cool for most of you!) several weeks. Dusting that ceiling fan and light fixture is difficult as is replacing the bulbs.  And privacy - well that depends upon neighbor placement, etc. If you get window treatments, they will probably be pricey. And sometimes you have to get them down for cleaning, right? Not to mention that you need remote control so you can raise & lower them. 

 

But I do hear you about dark halls.

 

Another factor to consider - if you get the extra room, you lower your cost/square foot some. So you get a room for not as much money as adding a room later. Who can't ever use an extra room? 

Edited April 16, 2017 by Bambam

[Pawz4me]

We had one house with a vaulted ceiling and that experience made them a strong "NO!" from then on. The acoustics are terrible, Cleaning is difficult and DIY painting is a big challenge. They look nice but the wow factor wears off very, very quickly. Go for the extra bedroom.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Pawz4me

[Lady Marmalade]

I'd take the extra bedroom -- and I'd plan for it to be my study/sewing room/whatever when lucky child moves out . . .

 

I'd add a couple "sun tubes" to the hallway for awesome light. :)

 

I don't like vaulted ceilings in homes. I love a 9 or 10 ft ceiling, but 10s as high as I like. 

 

The privacy issue would be HUGE. I love windows, and I don't even put any window coverings on our living spaces, because they all face our very private yard. The few windows that face the neighborhood are covered 99% of the time (even though our lots are very large and there's probably only a non-family human within spying distance for minutes out of the day. It jus feels too exposed to have it uncovered. So, if I had big windows like yours facing neighbors, it'd drive me nuts. Why bother having windows if you always have to cover them? If you do get the windows, I'd get some sorts of very expensive remote controlled window coverings with both sheer (for daytime use) and opaque (for night times) coverings. 

 

This sounds like it would quickly become my favorite room in the house.

 

My issue with a vaulted ceiling would 100% be the noise.  There's no getting around it. 

[JFSinIL]

My second childhood home had vaulted ceilings and they collected dust bunnies in the high corners, it was very hard to clean the high windows, and heat rose so folks paid to heat a lot of air up there.  I vote for the additional bedroom/study instead, too.

[kewb]

Vaulted ceilings look lovely.  We had a family room with a cathedral ceiling.  Stunning every time you walked into the room.  However, always cold in there all winter long. Even with the fireplace and the ceiling fan. They are expensive to heat and cool. A ceiling fan helps but you are still spending money to heat space no one is using.   I would go for the additional bedroom.

[gardenmom5]

if the vaulted ceiling is about a view - I'd go for the view.

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

How is your house oriented?  Would the sun be shining through that view most of the day?

 

Pros of having a vaulted ceiling:

 

1.  Lovely view

 

Cons:

1.  Lose a bedroom

2.  Potential for serious acoustic issues.

3.  Area hard to clean/paint

4.  No privacy

5.  Harder to regulate the temperature

6.  May have to spend a lot of money to heat/cool a space that no one actually is in.

7.  Depending on orientation of the house and what is exposed to the sunlight you could be facing a lot of sun fade on furniture.

 

 

 

Pros of not having the vaulted ceiling:

 

1.  Get another bedroom (which gives you more usable space and increases the value of the home for WAY less than the cost of remodeling after the home is already built).

2. No issues with privacy.

3.  Much easier to clean/repaint the area.

4.  Much easier to provide proper climate control so saves money over the years.

5.  Gives more flexibility for how the rooms are used.

6.  A picture window might be able to be added to the bedroom before construction is completed to capitalize on the view for whatever purposes the room eventually gets used for (think long term).

 

Cons.

1.  View is now only in that bedroom.

2.  Hallway might look dark (but there are many options for adding light to the hallway).

 

 

I guess you have to ask yourself how much is a view worth?  For some it would be worth it 100%.  For others, not so much.  Good luck in your decision.  I know when there is something I am really attracted to it is hard to think through everything rationally.  However, there is something to be said for going with the thing that makes you happy even if it isn't rational.   :)

Edited April 16, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[PrincessMommy]

I have a vaulted ceiling.  Never again.  Even with a pellet stove and ceiling fan it is COLD in the winter.

 

It does look beautiful and ours backs up to the woods.   Stunning views... but not worth it when I'm freezing. 

[Farrar]

Another vote to forgo the vaulted ceiling and look into sun tubes for the hallway.

 

ETA: Ifionlyhadabrain questioned if they're energy efficient and my understanding from when relatives have had them put in is that they definitely are. They're better than windows, for sure. And they can eliminate the need for lighting much of the time, which means they're energy efficient in that sense. Plus, if they're helping you forgo a vaulted ceiling... even if they do things to make it more energy efficient, it's going to be less efficient to have that space, so they would be a good trade off in that sense.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Farrar

[Garga]

I adore light in a house.  Just adore it.  I spend most of my life here in this particular room in my house because it's soooo sunny.  

 

But tall ceilings...meh.  How do you change a lightbulb in a vaulted ceiling?  And as another person said, you've got to be so careful with the furniture.  It can look dinky and silly in a big room.  And heat.  I must have my heat.  I can't stand a cold room.  And the noise. I also don't like a noisy house. 

 

Will those things bother you?  Perhaps you guys are a noisy family and are ok with it.  Perhaps you run hot all the time and would like to feel cool in your home.  Perhaps you have big furniture already.  Perhaps you're handy with ladders and it's not a big deal to climb one for a lightbulb.

 

If you're ok with all that, then get the view. 

 

But the thing that would most influence me, would be the extra bedroom.  If you go with the extra bedroom, I agree with getting those sun tunnels.  I don't have one yet, but I expect we'll get one in the next year or so for our dark livingroom (faces north and never gets light.).

 

Also, if these windows face east, you'll get the morning sun but not evening sun.  Will they face a bit south?  If they face south, you'll get more sun throughout the day (if you're in the northern hemisphere, that is.)  The south side of my house gets brilliant sunlight--the rooms to the southeast get the light in the morning and then the sun makes its way to the west, and the southwest side of the house is filled.  The cats track the sun as it moves from my bedroom to the bathroom to this sunny, schoolroom where I am now.   If the room is more to the northeast, then you'll run out of light as the day progresses.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Garga

[solascriptura]

Without a doubt, I would forget about the vaulted ceiling and opt for another bedroom. It can be used for an office or storage too , but as a vaulted ceiling it's just empty space.

[Liz CA]

I would also go for the bedroom instead of the vaulted ceiling.

We built in 2005 and had a very high ceiling - perhaps higher than standard vaulted. It was like a log home style with a loft and the ceiling had to be rather high. We were all cozy up in the loft during winter time because the heat from the wood stove went there. In the summer, it was very hot upstairs and more comfy downstairs.

 

To me, it is wasted space and I feel I sit in the airport when I am downstairs. I like cozy. :)

[AngieC]

I'm in the minority here. We moved last year and sold our house with a vaulted ceiling and large window. We loved that room! I never had issues cleaning it and my husband painted it and it wasn't too terrible to do.

[HSmomof2]

I like my room with a vaulted ceiling....it's nice and bright. But, I would definitely choose an additional room over a vaulted ceiling.

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that proportions are crucial in making this decision.

If the extra room is always going to throw the whole house 'off', it's a false economy.

I have relative who have those light tubes, and to me they are very cold-looking, and kind of like something you'd see in Star Trek, even though they bought special covers for them to try to make the light look more like warm sunlight.  I would never want them in a house of mine.

 

If you have vaulted ceilings, get a remote controlled light/fan, and remote controlled window coverings, and you'll be all set.  Also, those cobweb brushes come with extension handles for a reason!  And a great view is immensely cheering and valuable.

 

OTOH, if the sun is going to be blaring in for half the day so badly that you have to keep the windows covered to be able to stand to be inside, that's not great either.

 

Bottom line--either one is doable, with very site-specific considerations in making the decision.  

[wonderchica]

I'd never heard of sun tubes until this post... Now I'm plotting how to get some!!

[prairiewindmomma]

Our current house has a sun tube (we did not put it in). I would not put one in to a new house.

 

Vaulted ceilling---if you live in a warm climate, go for it.  It helps keep our ac bills under control.  Our "winter" is usually three weeks long.

 

Otherwise, no.

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

Thank you for your thoughts!  It's great to be able to hear from people who've had experience with a vaulted ceiling.  I hadn't thought about the sound issue!  With 4 kids, we're pretty noisy!  We're meeting with our builder today to make a final decision, and all these these thoughts are so helpful!

We're building in Salt Lake City, so we've got cold winters to contend with.  Our house will face the south, but the vaulted ceiling's windows will face east, so morning light as the sun rises over the mountains.  I guess the privacy issues can be addressed, and I'll talk to the builder about that today, to see if he has a good answer for it.  We most likely will have the builder finish the basement, which will add 2 bedrooms.  That will give us a total of 5 bedrooms, even if we do the vaulted ceiling.  So we will be fine, bedroom-wise, that way.

 

Still thinking...

[Janie Grace]

I hate them. Noise, energy loss, waste of space, cleaning issues (window, light fixture, high ceiling corners). A vaulted ceiling would be a deal breaker in a house for me, so there is no way I would opt for one!

[school17777]

I would go for the extra room upstairs instead of the vaulted ceiling. If you don't need it as a bedroom, could you leave it open and use it like a kid's den? That way, you still have the light upstairs. If you need to turn it into a bedroom in the future, it shouldn't be too hard to add a wall and door.

[kathkath]

Yes to the kids den. Make a half wall if need to be separate the space. Maintain the view and have windows with window treatments. We had one with a sofa, bookshelves, and a space for board games.

[IfIOnly]

I'd never heard of sun tubes until this post... Now I'm plotting how to get some!!

 

My MIL put them in her dark entryway, hallway, and laundry room and LOVES them.  She added them to an existing structure and the process when smoothly for her.

Edited April 18, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[Mbelle]

We had a 2 story vaulted living room in our first home.  We had remote control blinds so that was easy to deal with.  We live in the South and the summer sun shone all afternoon through the windows making the upstairs hot, even with the blinds.  There was a balcony upstairs overlooking the room.  The kids were little then and the tv noise seemed to amplify as it rose.  Their room was right there and it was too loud to watch tv after they went to sleep.

 

We did not have a view worth looking at then.  If there was a nice view and not scorching sun I would consider it though for the beauty.

 

 

[Katy]

Extra bedroom = more square footage = more valuable home forever.  I adore high ceilings but they're not worth the home value.  You can always make kids share rooms and make the awesome view your school room/office.