What style is your home? How do you plan to decorate the interior? What style of columns would you use?

It's best to know how you plan to decorate the finished home, so you can specify what details will work best. I'd look online at different types of columns, how they divide the space and what 'feel' you want in the home.

Personally, I would want some separation, but if I had columns, they would be the more simple type. And not double columns on each side. But that's me...decide what works best for you :)

I agree with LL - it depends a lot upon the style of your home & the feel you're going for in the dining room. Separating it from the hallway w either a header (which looks like it would coordinate nicely w the header across the hallway) or columns will certainly provide a more traditional, possibly formal, space. Leaving it open seems to lean toward a more modern or casual look. HTH

Thanks for the input.. we figured we would go with something simple.. Just a single column on each side, however I am also concerned that the header would take away from the "open" feeling and turn the hallway into more of an actual hallway.. I know that sounds weird.. but right now I feel as though the hallway is its own space that merges with everything.. Not sure if we add the header if it will close everything off too much an make it just this long, narrow hallway.. And I dont think we could pull the columns off without the header unless we do some kind of header just above the column or from the column to the wall and leave the space in between open...

I agree about the style of your house guiding this decision. In our area, it would be very, very common for the columns to be used with an open space and 9' ceilings. However, our style of house (farm) that isn't appropriate at all, so we are doing a more traditional cased opening to define the spaces. A header will create more of a defined sense of space, so if you prefer it open you may want to keep the columns with no header.

How about a transom window? I love the look and plan on using them in our build.

Or just change the ceiling treatment to something like coffers to distinguish the space.

I think a header will differentiate the room without decreasing the width of the opening. I sometimes think open plans can backfire a bit, because the lack of differentiation allows spaces to bleed into each other. Is the dining room? Is it the hallway? It's both.

Here is the treatment from the hall.

Wow, just froze up again and had to reboot. Somebody somewhere does not like that pic. Anyway, you get the idea. I will try again. If the pic doesn't show on this post, you know I've been "helmed".

I tried again and it shut me down completely. Wierd.

I feel that a 12" fur down to an 8' tall cased opening would look best. We used this concept in our house and I cannot imagine it being any different.

I like the idea of a separation of some sort -- something to signal, "Hey, this is a different room". I like the idea of just a simple cased opening.

I also like the idea of a transom window. It could be a real, functioning window or just a stationary window.

I can't work up any excitement for columns inside the house.