Archway, Help please...I'm out of ideas

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V1rtu0s1ty

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Good morning folks. My wife wants me to do a similar project and that is the archway or maybe something similar. However, the area where I need to put an archway has a problem. It has an air return. I need to put an archway or whatever they call it so I will be able to separate the kitchen(where I am standing when I took the pic) from the family room.

Here is the family room where I ran out of ideas in solving the issue.

livingroom_issue.jpg


I put an outline so you will have an idea on what I was planning to achieve. It's similar to my archway project in the living room/dining room.


Oh, the other vent is also an air return. I am not sure why they put 2 of them.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Neil
 
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FloridaOrange

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Where does the ductwork go? Up or down in the wall?
If up just move the duct and put in a ceiling grille.
 

hj

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backsetting the archway would create an awkward set back. Make the arch/wall flush with the wall to the right so it becomes an extension of that wall and the register will not be a problem. If you intend to make a thick archway as you have drawn it, then cover the return and extend it to the surface of the archway.
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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FloridaOrange,

It's going down to the basement.

hj,

I like your idea about extension. Can I make it just a little narrower like 1" down?
 

Jimbo

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It would seem that it could be moved around the corner, under that picture, fairly easily.
 

Lakee911

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It probably just uses the empty stud and joist cavaties. As long as you have room in the wall and below you should be able to put it anywhere.

Nice sketch on the photo. How did you put that together? Drawn in sketch up?
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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I think it will be hard if it's sketchup. I used Photoshop. I also used Photoshop in my first arch project. I also printed it first, then write over it, then followed it with Photoshop since the paper was getting messy. :D

I also use sketchup but there was no picture. I think I still have the original skp file.

Thanks!
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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Here is the air return. I'm going to print this picture and go to home depot tomorrow. Hopefully, they have an oval shape duct.

airreturn.jpg
 
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Dgold

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As I look at your picture, I wonder why you need the column to come down and interfere with the duct (or switches) at all. Why not just have the radius end into the existing wall that's already there? I would suggest creating that in Photoshop to see how you like it. Also keeps the passageway as wide open as possible.
 

patsfan78

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Make the bottom of the archway flush with the wall. That way you dont have to build out the wall and it will look better too. Not, to mention it would be a lot less labor.
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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Thanks to both of you.

The reason I wanted it with the kinda pillar effect is to separate the breakfast room with the family room.

Here is how it looks like right now.

familyroomleftside.jpg


and here is what I'm thinking of achieving.


familyroomleftsidemodified.jpg


So if I am not going to make a pillar effect, how will I separate the 2 rooms?
 
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FloridaOrange

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I like the "pillar" idea to separate the rooms. Your options are pretty obvious, you need to figure out where to put the other return grille. You could move them both (or just the one depending on the ductwork below) over one stud bay. You could also turn the one so it faces the hall?. One other option is to move it into another space that isn't in the pictures, a space that the wife will not object to and as long as it's part of the open rooms it shouldn't matter much. Just don't put it where it will be directly behind major furniture (china cabinet or the like).
 

Randyj

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Not sure what the intention of this project is. Most remodeled homes and new homes I've been in lately tend to knock out walls to create larger room atmosphere and give a more "airy" feel to the house. At most, just a column here and there with no dividing walls anywhere except for obvious places like bath & bed rooms. I even prefer an open bath in the bedroom...easy access and thinking of those wheel chair days to come...
 

Dgold

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I still think the archway alone would visually separate the two rooms without having the vertical element on the wall. It may be somewhat more subtle, but visually, it creates two ceilings - which the eye will pick up. It also looks like you intend to install crown inside one or both of the ceilings. Great idea - as it further creates more lines which "wall in" each room. Since the archway will visually break the crown of the other room, it will be quite obvious that there's a separate room on the other side of the archway with or without the vertical "column" element. If you want to paint the rooms separate colors, just make a plumb line from one side of the archway, tape it, and you can achieve a color break too.
 

Lakee911

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I vote for no chair rail under the archway...

I think that just lowering the ceiling a bit w/ the arch going to the existing walls may provide enough seperation....especially with crown moulding and different paint colors.
 

FloridaOrange

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I vote for no chair rail under the archway...

I think that just lowering the ceiling a bit w/ the arch going to the existing walls may provide enough seperation....especially with crown moulding and different paint colors.

Agreed, chair rails look out of place in "doorways" or "entryways". 45 the rail to the opening edge.
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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I still think the archway alone would visually separate the two rooms without having the vertical element on the wall. It may be somewhat more subtle, but visually, it creates two ceilings - which the eye will pick up. It also looks like you intend to install crown inside one or both of the ceilings. Great idea - as it further creates more lines which "wall in" each room. Since the archway will visually break the crown of the other room, it will be quite obvious that there's a separate room on the other side of the archway with or without the vertical "column" element..
I'll try to take a picture of the column I saw on the tv show Heroes. I would like to know if that will work here.

If you want to paint the rooms separate colors, just make a plumb line from one side of the archway, tape it, and you can achieve a color break too.

Oh, I have never seen something wall separated by just paint. How would I make the separation if I will be putting a chair rail?
 

V1rtu0s1ty

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I vote for no chair rail under the archway...

I think that just lowering the ceiling a bit w/ the arch going to the existing walls may provide enough seperation....especially with crown moulding and different paint colors.

So no chair rails? I created a plan around March this year and showed it to my wife. She likes it. So I am not sure if she's going to like if we are going to remove the chair rails. Now I'm more confused. :D LOL

familyroomplan.jpg
 
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