If you've never been in a room that was badly proportioned due to too-high ceilings, you may not really believe there is such a thing. But there is, and it feels awful. Just very wrong -- but hard to put your finger on why. As a general rule, 9' is safe and comfortable for just about any room size. Higher ceilings can be are nice in large rooms; and 8' ceilings are wonderful for cozier spaces. One trick we've learned in this house is that a small area with lower ceilings at the entry to a larger space really 'opens up' the room with 8' ceilings. Our downstairs hallway has 7'6" ceilings, which we thought was a problem until we lived there a while. But now the 8' ceilings in the kitchen and den at either end feel much nicer, and the 'transition spaces' really function as transitions.

Both too big. You already have three styles in one space, and too much going on, Best would be REPEAT the schoolhouse pendant idea and do two nine inch inch over the island.,,,,,,,, flush over sink Two nine inch over island. Try Restoration Hardware https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2700425&categoryId=cat11600024 a single flush over sink https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2700367&categoryId=cat11600024 save the barn idea for the nook at 26 inchesMultiple finishes all https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod690967&categoryId=cat5700257

I'll answer since I had proposed the console table: I'd vote for wood color, yes, to balance the desk. As for the size of the frames/mats/photos, in your shoes I'd have to feel that out a bit, but roughly, I like something like a 50 cm square frame, within which the photos could be about 20x20 cm? One nice thing about consistency in the frame (and mat ) size and style is that you can somewhat vary the size of the photos if you wish to. Even if some are portrait orientation and some landscape, with the consistency elsewhere in the grid it still works. As for size of the picture "to be seen" that would depend on what's in the photo, and at what height you've hung the frames. And of course at what distance someone would be viewing the photos. If I actually want pictures to be looked at closely, none are far off from eye-height, and I try not to have furniture in front preventing someone from getting close if they wish. I'd suggest you cut out paper starting with the 50x50 perhaps, and tape a grid on the wall. That will help you visualize exact position, and also the spacing you like between the frames. Frames can be nice in black or wood, or matching the mat. Photos could be quite tiny, or could even be fairly large in proportion to the frame. They can all look nice. Here are a few links I found on Houzz (I'm sure there are many more -- I searched for "grid frames"): https://www.houzz.com/photos/courtney-and-jamie-s-rowhouse-eclectic-dining-room-dc-metro-phvw-vp~23816273 https://www.houzz.com/photos/dining-room-transitional-dining-room-minneapolis-phvw-vp~85707 https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-dining-room-transitional-dining-room-toronto-phvw-vp~10589782 https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-photography-traditional-dining-room-los-angeles-phvw-vp~1008395

Worthy, when we relocated to CA for work many of the older (circa 1920s) homes we saw while house shopping had high ceilings. It isn't a new concept, specially in warm climates. You get the usual half dozen people who hate high ceilings chiming in and making it sound like high ceilings are evil !! Previous house had vaulted kitchen, dining and game room with 9 ft walls and 14 ft peak. New build has 12-13 ft ceilings in public areas and 10-11 ft in private areas. Love the higher ceilings, specially in warm climates. OP, search Houzz photos for examples of similar sloped 14 ft ceiling heights and see how you feel about them. Some people are claustrophobic and love large open rooms and others have altocelarophobia ... the fear of high ceilings! Don't design your house based on other people's preferences or phobias! ;-)