Don't feel strongly about the walls -- depends on whether they will impede your layout of furniture or whatever will be on either side. For sure, though, no trim -- just a drywalled pass-through. With the angled ceiling et al, I think any extra mouldings (including crown!) seem out of place.

Well, I am probably biased, because I have a similar opening. I like the side walls because otherwise I am not sure how I would layout the furniture in the living room area, vs. the fireplace (family) room.

I do not have the vault, and tend to agree with acm not to do the cased opening. I have a cased opening, and I am fine with it.

Also, if you did not have the walls, the beam would still come down just as low, right? So for me, that would not look quite right. I think the way it is looks more like a doorway, and one expects a doorway to be lower than ceiling height. If that makes sense :)

I would keep the walls and consider them good places to put bookcases or perhaps a curio cabinet for collectibles.

I like the walls and the cased openings. My parents' weekend house is a more open floor plan (but not full blown open concept) and the rooms are separated by similar super wide cased openings and it works really well to visually define spaces while keeping everything airy and open.

Leave the opening the knee walls, and lose the casing. I think the larger issues are the awkward proportions of transoms over french door, and the incongruous curved "bay" distinctly reading 1970. I;d have done the french doors minus the divided lights, and .........ONE size for transoms , no matter a lovely sky view. You didn't ask, I realize : ) Just seems a contemporary/traditional /elevation conflict (as is) with double hung window elevations, and doors, unless more is planned ?

I agree that those walls are proably structural, the transoms look silly and no casing just drywall, the doors should all be the same since you see them all at once and I have no idea why you would do a bay window at all.I would not have done grids in the doors or windows but that is just me.

I am pretty certain the bow was pre existing. But based on that, one size single lower transom, no divided lights. .............and the double hungs needed a different size, or to be a casement...or just single fixed panel at the french door, and still no divided lights.

Sorry, apologies...... but there are some visual disconnects on all counts. More opinion here I do realize than you asked about.

Looks like an airplane hanger. Need visual breaks.

One question. What is with six panel doors? Left overs or new? I will pray not new. : ) A two panel, at most is all that is needed. Please note, that nobody is beating up on you, but some "flavor clarity" here may help you to be happier with a final result.

Tough crowd! The doors including the bowed door were pre-existing. The mullions will be removed from the patio doors. The windows flanking the patio doors have mullions to match the other pre-existing windows in the house. It makes sense when viewing the house from the rear elevation. If we had a money tree, we would have replaced all doors and windows and been consistent with mullions or no mullions, but unfortunately, the tree hasn’t started growing yet. We will enjoy the natural light.

Thanks for your views on the casing.

Hey, when you find that tree, can you take a cutting for me?

Good luck on the remodel:)

It's a beautiful home. Love all the light. Massive rooms. It looks like your remodel works and takes it out of the 70s. I don't mind the bow. I think when everything is put in place it will look wonderful. I thought to take out the grids on the windows in the house we recently bought but can't because they are built in between the panes of glass. I didn't know because I didn't look close enough and didn't know they made them that way. Wish I could but not enough to change the windows. Keep the walls AND trim. We just bought a house that has minimal trim with rounded corners in the main living areas. There is no logical place to change a paint color in my house. Every room needs to be the same because it curves into the other. I like trim I guess. I also like open concept to a degree. It's nice to sit in our living room with a wall behind us so you don't know the kitchen still has stuff on the counters. There is an open doorway but I don't have to look at it or be reminded I haven't cleared things yet. The kitchen dining and breakfast area are open to each other and that is enough for me. Love what you are doing to make and old house your home.

Agree with those saying no casing. Unless there is a door, there is no need for casing.

I like the division and I like the casing. It will be beautiful when you are finished.

You can't remove the walls because they support the beam.

Keep the casing. The casing gives the room a more finished look. Plain drywall looks cheap, IMO, like you had to cut costs and axed the trim package.

We agree, the walls are most likely there for support and are probably what is holding the beam up. So we would keep them unless you want to try to just have the beams, and work around that. Below we include many unique and different design features we have added, or have already been added, into houses.

My opinions

- I like the side walls, but not the casing. Looks clean and architectural. Without the side walls the space could look like the beam is dropping down (which would feel weird!)

- like @JanMoyer, I also don't feel good about the transom windows. The central rectangle window can't convert into a triangle since the ceiling peak is cut off. So it just looks wrong. You have loads of light, so make them all the same height. It will feel calmer.

- Keep the mullions in the doors if you have them in all the windows. Consistency is queen. anything that breaks flow draws attention. So only do that where you want attention!

- which brings me to the bow window. Since the bow window is in another room, it can have a slightly different character. However, since it is quite noticeable, and without not knowing what the function of that room is, I'd suggest trying to make the bow into a feature, maybe as a location for an oval table with built-in seats under the window, or a romantic window seat, or location for a curved or oval desk and chair, or even a center table with a piece of sculpture or beautiful flowers if that space aligns with and it visible from the main entry. Possibly just different fabric for window treatments, if you are doing that. In other words, play off the curve so it looks intentional, not like a 40-year old left-over!

Goregous space!