Talk to "them" about your options. The air ducts could be eliminated, but it probably would not be a comfortable house to be in.

I would suggest using the money saved by not moving the ducts to purchase higher quality art that do not have to cover the grills.

I'd just work around them - they won't be easy to move - and art is usually placed too high anyway!

I assume they were placed that way because that was the best place for them to function. I think you can use large pieces of art that just come up to the bottom of the vents. Your fireplace gives you the vertical height you need in the space.

Where are you located? The returns are too low for a 16 foot vaulted ceiling. Hot air will accumulate near the ceiling. The floor vents may not be able to keep the supply an even temperature. You could raise the two adjacent to the fireplace, and leave the third one where it is. Painting them the same color as the wall will make them less noticeable.

I’m in Iowa, and we have hot summers. I’ve always had a problem with the way this house regulates temperature since the day we moved in- and now I’m beginning to think it’s because the ducts are too low based on comments.

The vents are already painted the same color as the wall- and are still unsightly. I’ve been to 4 designers who all have issues with working around the placement of these. They are too close to the fireplace to center anything or work around. Same with entry placement. They are 18 foot ceilings and every piece recommended to me partially covers a vent. Not to be too dramatic, but a quality art investment doesn’t pair well with half a vent sticking out from it or over it.

The image I attached is just painters tape, where I taped out the art piece I was going to purchase. Every visitor we’ve had has made a comment about them so I’m thinking this isn’t a normal placement. What about up to the ceilings? Is that a normal place? How many return air vents should I have for maximum comfort?

Returns vents should be placed so that air flows from one end of the room to the other. If the supply registers are in the floor, then the returns should be near the ceilings. The returns are not determined by a number, but rather an amount of air flow. In other words it could be possible to remover two returns by the fireplace, and replace them one one bigger return in another part of the room that is not attracted to your eye.

On a hot summer day, do you notice a difference in temperature when you walk up the stairs? If you do that indicates the hot air in the room is rising to the ceiling and the returns are not doing a good job of circulating the air. I suggest you have an HVAC contractor do an assessment of the duct work and advise you what can be done to relocate the returns. He should also look at the supply vents to determine if there are sufficient for a space of this size.

I’m in Iowa, and we have hot summers. I’ve always had a problem with the way this house regulates temperature since the day we moved in- and now I’m beginning to think it’s because the ducts are too low based on comments.

There's a bit more to it than you realize. Big open, high rise ceilings for grandeur looks followed by some walls made up of walls of glass windows. It looks pretty on paper when you go thru the design phase of constructing quite another thing to like it when it comes to comfort.

The more air in those big huge spaces that need temperature regulation the harder it is to regulate that temperature. Thermostats only sense temperature from about 5-10 feet around where they are placed. That creates problems for large open rooms. Especially when you have walls of glass windows.

Architects often build homes for beauty, then put the problem of comfort off on HVAC contractors. Due to architectural design of the home it may be the best it can be. Big open areas are a challenge to cool properly. The more harsh the climate the worse it will be.

Iowa location and these troubles would be mostly minor I think as I picture this location as a more moderate type climate.

Shorten the size of the art to just below the vent, then find some smaller art pieces to place above the vents. You're eyes will likely to be fooled to think the vents are no longer there.... because your eyes will be drawn to the art.

My return vent is behind an open wine rack. The rack holds 30 bottles and is built into a string of cabinets. The bottles get dusty but there is no vent to see.

I have never seen cold air returns up on a wall since cold air falls they make no sense up on a wall but low to the floor . I think maybe this is a US thing I have lived in many homes in Canada and never have seen cold air returns on a wall. I think Klem might be right so I guess we need to know where you live . I now have hot water heating with rads and IMO so much better than foreced air and not returns to deal with and I set the thermostats at one temp and that is how thew rooms stay all year since rdas heat mass not the air

I'm in the southeast and my returns are all as high as possible to remove the hot humid air back to the unit... Speak to your HVAC company to see if moving them is an option

Generally unless your HVAC was designed holistically - you are likely to have suboptimal placement of most returns, and very little ability to change the location without major structural changes and trashing a lot of drywall.

My returns will be 10' off the ground in 2 placed for about 3700 square feet. However - we'll be moving a ton of air with the HVAC blower and HVLV fans in a very open design. So return placement can be quite variable - but should be accessible to change filters.

Iowa, you must have a basement and returns could be "easier" to relocate. Hopefully, those are just returning the CFM required for that room and not the entire house. Be aware that with 18' walls there will be blocking somewhere above those vents or something framing in from whatever's on the other side of that wall which might prevent you from raising the vents up higher (at least easily). A well-advised HVAC designer (not equipment tech) can review the size of both stud space openings through the floor for each vent and possibly find another location/combine a couple if you can meet the CFM flow. The location to the left of FP is too close to the floor register IMO anyway.

Don't move the vents. Perhaps you are not imagining the standard size of items in your room. The vents line up with the 8' opening off the foyer. That is a logical placement.

If you place cabinets on either side of your FP they will likely only be 30"+/- in height. Then if you add some type of wall decor that could easily be 48" tall. Any drapes you mount will be placed a bit higher on the window wall

If you decide you want to place panels on the wall similar to what you see below, then you may have an issue with the vents, but until then you have no problem.

I think vents are located for function, secondarily for ease of installation, but not at all as elements of design. I think the balanced placement is thoughtful.

You can hang art if you orient the items in landscape mode rather than portrait mode.

That wall looks good to me. Live with it and enjoy your new home!

Apart from having to look at ugly return vents, the Original Poster is not enjoying the home due to the uncomfortable indoor temperatures. Iowa can have extreme hot and cold temperatures. For example the outdoor summer and winter design temperatures for Sioux City are 90F and -6F degrees. Whoever installed this duct work was not thinking about how to condition a big space and certainly not thinking how the vents would detract the look of the focal point of the room. Hopefully there is a good local HVAC contractor who can fix this at a reasonable cost.

I have found that typically people only notice the vents when there isn't something else in the room to focus upon.

High ceilings and open balconies to a second floor present a challenge no matter what. If the house has a separate system for upstairs, that will help. If not, a big, variable speed ceiling fan might be useful to have for both extreme weather seasons.

I agree with Elmer J Fudd with installing a ceiling fan and using on a low speed. Just enough to keep the air moving to distribute the warm air through the entire room. Second, I would install a wide art lights just below the vents which the eye will be going towards anyway but give an intention to be there camouflaging the vents.

Possibly opening the vent size on just the outer sides of the fireplace ( making the vent wider) so vent placement is more centered on the artwork

Or

Torture the AC installer.