I agree with Mattypies! I LOVE our 2 story great room, despite having a "small" house (1350 sq. ft.). Ours faces due south with 7' tall (4' wide) windows going up 2 floors and a vaulted ceiling to boot, but with a good supply of mature trees that leaf out beautifully in the early spring, protecting us from the UV and heat. We actually don't even have A/C and even with summer temps in the 104 degree temps in the summer, it's been super cosy. The key for us is that all of our windows open and we have TONS of great cross ventilation. The deciduous trees are leaf-less in the winter, and that means that we don't have to start heating the house until late in the year and get to turn the heat off in the early spring. We of course, went with high efficiency windows that are designed to improve heat penetration during the winter, and reduce it in the summer (sun angles). We don't have children yet, but the noisy even when all the nieces and nephews are over isn't very noticeable. We did Roxul Safe 'n Sound in all of our walls and floors, which I think made a huge difference, along with solid doors with a minimal gap under them. Plus rugs and plush couches. We *love* the way it feels like we're outside even when we're inside. The sun shines in during the winter, the birds sit on our window sills, and the breezes flows through in the summer. It's like being a part of the outdoors, instead of being in this little box of wood and drywall. Ick. Our heating costs have been LESS than our friends who have bungalows of the same size, and I'm certain it is because of the passive solar heating. A big fan in the middle of the vault, and using high quality insulation and proper attic ventilation, we haven't had any issue in the summertime either. We keep the 2nd floor doors closed during the hot days, and that helps keep the heat from entering. Not that it matters because one bedroom is on the north side and is quite cool year round, and the east-side master bedroom has 3 windows and a balcony door, so the evening breezes and a ceiling fan cool it down right quick. I think you REALLY need to think about the placement of all the rooms, and if you can capture the heat/cooling in the house. Go with what you love, not with what "everyone else likes". That's my biggest pet peeve; we build a house for someone else, not us. Why bother?? Just buy a used house and live with what everyone else liked.

Engineered wood and steel can span all kinds nds of distances. It isn't even that expensive. The labor is what isn't cheap. Contact a structural engineer if you haven't met the right contractor. 15-25K and you can have a second floor room. Pretty cheap construction, actually. Be careful what you wish for. Now all those windows will be too close to the floor to not get changed out to safety glass. And you'll need new electrical up there. Etc. Add another 5-10K for associated scope screep.

In order to ground your furniture and make this high room look cozy and inviting, look for a large area rug that should fill most of the floor space with about 1 to 1 1/2 feet of wood showing at the perimeters. Make it something lively and colorful, in tones of terracotta, green, blue, beige. An Oriental rug would look great and will warm up this room and reduce the impression of height. Put a table lamp on the white table and move the sectional a little bit away from the wall. I would not replace your new drapes, that seems really wasteful. Do get a large coffee table, a square one would probably be best. If worried about children running into it, then perhaps a large square ottoman which has long wooden legs so that it has a more airy look. If you place two chairs at the open side of the couch that should help to stop children from running into the table. Do lower the clock in the dining room and the pictures in the living room, and also the TV. Additional colorful pictures on the wall will create interest at eye level and decrease the feeling of too much height. After you buy the rug choose pillows for the couch and chairs that borrow colors from to create a harmonious whole. I see now that the chandelier in the dining room is also too high. It should be much lower over the dining table. Your drapes are beautiful!

@casey I'm not much help with the design of your room, but I'm very interested in hearing more about your Mantel Mount. My TV is too high above my fireplace and I have been researching the Mantel Mount. Are you still glad that you purchased this, does it work as you expected, and is there anything you would recommend when choosing which Mantel Mount model? I really appreciate your input. Thank you.