Super helpful conversation everyone! We're deciding between centered and off-center for a slightly different reason... we're off grid and the room in question has some large passive solar gain windows and also that's the part of the room with the highest ceiling area. Our primary use for the ceiling fan is to circulate that heated air back down into the living space in winter. We're not going to have much if any use for summer cooling (I'm writing this on April 27 and just yesterday they were enforcing snow chains on the main road to our place!) I also don't like the sensation of air blown at me by a ceiling fan because it dries out my contact lenses. So the whole purpose of the ceiling fan, really, is just for winter circulation of warm air. In that case, would people agree that we should put the ceiling fan as high up the sloped ceiling as we can and as close to the area of hot air, even though that means it won't be centered in the room? That same area will also be an "area" in terms of space layout because it's where our guests who like to be warm will likely congregate. Thanks!

Ladies, the wall is built, the plumbing is being run, the electrical is in and there was no other way to lay out the room that I could afford. I had originally wanted to add-on but that would have added $15k minimum to the cost, so it wasn't in the cards for me. I'm trying to finish my home renos before I retire in September - December at the latest - and been working on them for 2 years now. Weeping tile, eaves troughs, new porches and new exterior doors, some window replacements are complete. This, plus replacing the siding / insulation / weather wrap and a couple more windows to replace or add-on to the south side of the house still remain. This house hadn't had any improvements the past 30 years so i got it cheap and I've been saving since I moved here to do them... I'll be broke and living on social security and a pension, but my house will be in good shape and I'll be able to pass it on to my kids, or sell it if I wind up in a rest home. This is a photo of my backyard, facing west... yeah, I want to keep the view. I'm thinking to go with the idea of 3 windows evenly placed across the wall, no longer trying to lay anything out in line with the vaulted ceiling. Thank you so much for your input!

My husband and I purchased a 1971 ranch that we're renovating a year ago, and we have the same problem with the lack of natural light. Even though we do have what would seem to be plenty of windows in the main living areas, they all open up onto covered porches or patios, a garage (used to be a carport) and a patio converted into a sunroom that isn't all that sunny, lol. So I pulled out my bag of tricks that I use when staging to visually brighten my rooms. Lighter furniture/accessories, white drum shades on my table lamps, light natural linen drapes, etc., all make a difference. You will find that removing the popcorn and painting the ceilings white will make a HUGE difference in how much lighter/brighter the rooms feel. Even though we didn't have popcorn in this house (we've removed it in the past) we did have a flat, swirly texture that we removed because we know how much flat white ceilings can brighten a room. While I often advise clients to wrap the wall color onto their ceilings in their cavernous two-story living rooms, yours will probably benefit most from just keeping the ceiling white as your slant doesn't appear to be huge. Accessible Beige is a lovely color, I used it in my mother's home. Good luck, from one ranch lover to another! :)

This is why we changed the fireplace to the side wall in our plan. It's between the French doors on the outside wall instead of at the end of the room. The "hallway" is part of the room. The coffers will hopefully line up perfectly. It looks perfect in the plan. What I am concerned about is how to get cans lined up in each square when we have no idea what will be in the way (ceiling/floor joist, plumbing, electrical, etc.) I think I like the idea of putting lights in the actual coffered trim work. That looks expensive! Thanks for that idea, Beth H!