I thought I better include an updated floor plan, too. We had a very nice, larger floor plan, but it turned out to be too expensive and too difficult to incorporate into the existing house, so this is our smaller version. It's not as big, but still very much our style :)
{{gwi:1426159}}From Fairy tale cottage

Cool house!

I have beams in my kitchen and foyer. In my upstairs playroom I have v-groove in order to continue the theme. I think it's all about what you can make room for in your budget. If you are able, I think it would be great to have some kind of beam detail in all of your public areas. If you have to be more selective then I would choose the kitchen, but that's just my opinion.

bb- Thanks for the response! The farmhouse has kind of evolved over time and I like the idea of making parts of the house, look older than others.

Do you have any pictures, of your beams? And what did you do for the doorways, between the kitchen/foyer and other rooms? What kind of ceiling do you have in the other downstairs rooms?

I'm just full of questions...hope you don't mind :)

Where is the load bearing wall that you are taking down to open up the space? Will you be putting a beam there that you can expose? We have load bearing beams that we didn't cover up. It looks natural because they necessary beams, not just for decoration.

The load bearing wall is between the kitchen and the rest of the space...it's the former porch. The dining room/sitting area has a non-load bearing wall, so we should be able to just open up that space. (Of course, we'll be talking to an engineer, before we get that far.)

Good idea about using the beams for function, as well as style!

ll,

My home isn't complete yet so it's still a little "raw" if you will.

Here is a photo of the kitchen from the family room.

picture looking from back hall at opening to foyer through kitchen

upstairs playroom

{{gwi:1426161}}
By bb19 at 2011-12-06

All of the other rooms downstairs are painted sheetrock. I used reclaimed beams so the cost was too much to place the beams on all of the ceilings. dekeoboe is correct in that if you can use load bearing beams it would be best.

Wow! Those beams are beautiful!

Thanks for sharing the pictures. It really makes it easier to see how the beams help with the transition, between spaces. Very nice windows in the kitchen, too :)

bb19, how big is your load bearing beam? is it 12x12 or 8x8?

Where did you get the beams? we're looking to add beams to our family room and are trying to find something that would look good with our reclaimed elm shelves and oak mantle.

pps7,

The beam is 12x12 and the cross beams are 3x6. We got them from a supplier out of Jackson MS who got them from New Orleans.

We are still under construction, but here are our beams. (It's dusty there - the blotches on the beams are just dust particles.) The one in the foreground is load bearing as are the two that run perpendicular to it. The short ones are not load bearing.

Hi Lav - I have to say your project warms my heart and soul. I love old house and follow your project with great interest. How far are you from starting "reconstruction"? Here are a couple of places we looked at for exterior and interior items.

www.prowoodmarket.com
www.fauxwoodbeams.com