We have a vaulted ceiling in our master bedroom and I'm deliberating between recessed downlights or the Tech Lighting Bolts (the thought being with the Bolts, I could light the ceiling and have reflected light back into the room). The intent is to light the perimeter, not have focused downlights for tasks. Anyone done this before? https://www.build.com/tech-lighting-700mpblt06/s1619369?uid=3847558#overview

@cpartist Thanks! Also thank you for the comment about the dining area. It will be tight, but thinking 22 inches for the built-in bench with a 36-inch table that overhangs the built-in bench by 5 inches. So that is a grand total of 53 inches and the whole width of the space is 89 inches - that leaves 36 inches for the opposite side of table. When chairs are in use, yes - there won't really be a walking space behind them. Maybe I could make the eating bar 24" wide rather than the current 28 inches wide to help?

It is a pre-finished knotty pine ceiling. The pictures in the picture I attached are the only ones I can choose from. When you have a home build budget in this economy you have to somewhat go with what is offered. Unless you want to up the budget and we do not. This is a second home for us. The natural finish might be okay but the knots in the pine may show up more and I think that is why the builder usually suggests the almond color. I will of course have to make a decision by end of this week and will somehow do that. :)

You can't make the room cozier by putting the TV over the stone fireplace. So give up on that idea. Beverly has some great visuals that show how to make the scale of the room seem more friendly. Open concept, especially with tall ceilings, does make a room noisy and visually over stimulating in some cases. Here are some ways to make the space cozier: --Keep the sectional for the rest of your family. Kids usually love them. Move the sectional back a foot. Then get a womb chair on a swivel to put across from the sectional over by the window. That will be your own personal chair. Put a floor lamp behind it for reading. This will cast light down on "your" chair and "your" space. This is a knockoff of the famous "egg" chair by Arne Jacobsen. --You might also do a search for modern wing chairs. But make sure to add a swivel so you can watch TV, turn it to look out the window, or just turn it to read, check your phone, and so on. Here's a tall back, deep modern wing chair from Crate and Barrel--in that cozy boucle fabric. Add a personal "blankie" as needed. I don't have OCD, but I think open concept design and ridiculously energy sucking high ceilings aren't for people who like peace and quiet in their homes--too much noise, too much, too little privacy. --Add more layered lighting to the room and stop turning on the overheads. Strategically place table and floor lighting of different heights in zones around the living room area. At nighttime this will light up zones instead of the entire space, which is too bright for many people. Here's a Houzz article on how to layer lighting: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/a-beginners-guide-to-lighting-in-layers-stsetivw-vs~60963736# Here's another Houzz article on how to create zones in a big, open space: https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/16-clever-ways-to-create-zones-in-open-plan-spaces-stsetivw-vs~27282063 I don't think you need to get a wood ceiling, though do bring down the drop rod and get a new, interesting fan. Find the best possible swivel chair and think strategically about lighting the space closer to ground level. And no TV over fireplace!