Okay, I had to chuckle over the "10'ceilings". Most people I know only have 10' ceilings. It's the newer builds that have these high cathedral ceilings. Just think of the money you'll save with heating and cooling because you won't have that extra space to take care of :) 10' isn't really all that short, unless you're like an 8' or 9' person... We live in a mobile home and have for the last 8 years and will until the time comes that I get out, go to the two year business school and get a job (I've been a SAHM for 9 years tomorrow, exactly) because we need the second income. Our trailer is twenty years old but it doesn't look it because we have replaced and repaired and painted nearly everything. It's a 16X70, which means we have a little over 1100 sq ft, three bedroom, one and a half bath, 8ft ceilings in every room but the living room and kitchen. We have two kids, so lots of toys and 'junk' that comes along with them . :) Sometimes I wish we had a bit more room, like we only have the closets in the bedrooms and that's it for storage (we have an Amish shed outside for the seasonal things and whatever else we need to "store" but I have also learned to make use out of every avaliable space like under the beds) but we've made it work. We're not on top of one another. There aren't little walkways through the rooms. And even with the 8' ceilings and ceiling fans that hang lower, nobody has hit their head on anything (DH is 5' 10" and I'm 5' 5", so we're not anywhere near hitting our heads...but DH's cousin is 6' something and they bought an older house with low archways and he's still able to walk through and skim right under them with no problems. He's not complainging) I often think the problem is that people think they need more "junk" than they really do to make a house a home. You really just need the basics. I will admit that the reason I wish I had more room was really just to have more cupboards and shelving and more space to display my Primitive antiques, not because we're lacking space to move around and properly function. Just look back at the houses from the previous generations. Some really tiny homes were big enough for families of 5, 6, 7....I know people that lived in smaller mobile homes than we're in and raised 4 or 5 kids! My grandparents first house was about the size of our trailer. It was a Cape Cod style so they had the slanted roof in the bedrooms upstairs....they had 5 kids in that house. It can be done! One tip will be to definitely measure spaces and the furniture you plan to fill it with. A lot of furniture today are these massive, overstuffed pieces that may not work so well in the smaller spaces. However, you will be able to find things that work! Enjoy your new home!

A quick scan of your photos shows some critical elements: 1) As shown in your photos, the ridge beam is supported by posts, which in turn are supported by the horizontal ceiling joists; 2) The horizontal ceiling joists also act to keep your roof rafters and exterior walls from "toeing out" and distorting or failing due to the roof load. Said differently, your horizontal ceiling joists are playing key structural roles and should not be removed without an appropriate new structural scheme for your roof framing AND stabilizing your exterior walls. No one here can give you a new structural scheme. You need an architect or structural engineer, on site with you, to fully review all relevant conditions. Good luck!

60% of a room is comprised of wall space and large anchor pieces 30% of a room is accent furniture, area rugs, wood trim, textiles, etc. 10% is variety via decor, artwork and smaller items And here's what it equates to with regards to color: 60% of a room's color is achieved through a dominant wall color—either paint or wallpaper, as well as flooring or large rugs, and large-scale furniture (this should be the main color you want to build your palette from) 30% of color will come from furniture, textiles, lighting, etc. (the key here is to vary the tones of this accent color to keep the room interesting) 10% is the place to play around with a variety of color families, patterns, and textures (i.e., mixing metallics and wood). Keep in mind that 10% is not a hard-and-fast rule, but rather the idea that a few bold choices can go a long way to adding depth and sparkle to a room, but you don't need to do more (unless, of course, you want to!). Once you start thinking in this way, have fun playing around with these ratios! Here are some examples in action to give you an idea of how this rule works.

can't picture current kitchen or eventual space from glimpses through doorways. also, not sure what you are asking -- how to design the whole kitchen, or how to deal with cabinets on a wall with a sloped ceiling? 1) ignore the slope, and let it just be far above the cabinets 2) fill the extra space with shelves 3) Stagger cabinets but don't fill space to vault 4) pick a height and soffit down to it 5) fill the vault to ceiling with custom cabinets So, the right answer depends a bit on the size of the vault, the style of your kitchen, budget, and personal preference. Hope this helps!