House Plans with High Ceilings

High ceiling house plans make houses seem more significant than they actually may be, making them somewhat of an optical illusion. A highly desired feature in homes today is a 9-foot ceiling or higher on the first floor, according to a survey of builders by the National Association of Home Builders. This is a significant change from when the cost of heating a home was considered a more critical requirement than high ceilings.

When space is at the top of the priority list, plans with high ceilings deliver exceptional levels of openness and freedom. Characterized by ceilings higher than 8 feet in at least part of the house, these home plans are available in single-story and two-story designs and a range of modern and traditional styles.

Our selection of homes spans an impressive array of architectural styles, giving you countless options that speak to an eclectic range of aesthetics and designs. Whether you want the rustic feel of an Arts and Crafts or bungalow home plan or prefer the modern sense of a California or Texas style design, you can always find a plan with ceilings over 8 feet to match your personal preferences and needs.

Characteristics of High Ceiling House Plans

Homes with high ceilings (over 8') range in overall square footage from the modest 1,000 square foot range to the luxurious 3,000+ square foot varieties, giving you even more flexibility to choose the perfect plan to make the most out of your available space. That means many of these plans also include three or more bedrooms – and multiple bathrooms.

Homeowners choose home plans with high ceilings for various reasons, with one of the most common being the added sense of space, depth, and openness they impart. Homeowners from apartment living – or older homes built on smaller lots – are familiar with the cramped feeling of living in a smaller house. That’s why these house plans with ceilings over 8’ are among the most popular features for new homes: they allow for a greater sense of space without being forced to expand the home's square footage.

Frequently these houses place the most significant emphasis on the living room to create a stunning first impression whenever one enters the home, often using vaulted ceilings. Finding a Great Room in these homes is typical, allowing for an even more stunning use of the space. These homes are often built around one central room – an open floor plan – that combines the traditional living room, dining room, and kitchen in an uninterrupted flow for maximum use of the square footage and easy access to all occupants. The high ceilings allow owners to feel the room's grandeur in stunning detail, with some including windows that stretch the full height of the home.

Design of High Ceiling Houses

Two-story house plans with high ceilings commonly stretch the ceiling in the main living room up to the top of the home, resulting in upwards of 20 feet of space. To accommodate these vast spaces, the second floor is shifted above the other rooms on the main floor. This results in smaller bedrooms on the second floor, which can function as offices or media rooms. In some cases, the second floor includes an open landing that can overlook the living room, further enhancing the open flow of the entire home floor plan.

High ceilings also allow oversized windows, giving more natural light and making the entire home more cheerful and bright. Some high ceilings house plans are single stories, though many are actually 1.5 stories – meaning that there is a second floor (which typically houses bedrooms and perhaps a bathroom) that covers a portion of the house. The high ceilings are in the living room and dining room, giving owners the best of both worlds regarding high ceilings and extra bedroom space.

As mentioned, homeowners can typically expect three or more bedrooms and a similar number of bathrooms, as house plans with high ceilings often – but not always – fall on the larger side. These home plans may also include dormers, resulting in the one-and-a-half story home that maximizes the space while remaining somewhat economical in construction.