It will look beautiful. I would go to 10’ if possible.

I dont think itd that weird to have a change in ceiling height.

I don’t think it does much. If you were going to do a cathedral or vaulted ceiling then it would make a nice statement. But a one foot difference could look like a mistake.

What red box?

Your pictures/drawing didn't upload. I agree with Diana, that if it just jumps up one foot (flat ceiling to flat ceiling) that could look odd, but since it's architect designed I assume there is something else going on that we don't know about to finesse the change. Friends of ours added on to the back of their house to enlarge their kitchen. The whole kitchen moved so it was all under the new roofline, which is vaulted since there's nothing over it. This is commonly done and looks fine.

We can't assume anything. Pics/renderings are necessary.

Couple questions. 1) Where does the raised ceiling end? I’m not bothered by the pantry location, but if the red box is the boundary for the 9 ft ceiling, what does that do to the fridge? 2) How many people will you regularly seat in the kitchen? Five seems like a lot, particularly when they are getting into the pathway to the pantry. Best of luck with your project!

Why and for sure why in the kitchen .

Just because an architect drew it doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea.

I used an architect for a project once and didn't like a lot of what he proposed. I changed architects and had a much better design.

A tray celinig might be nice: 8 feet around perimter of kitchen and 9 feet at kitchen center.

I think it will point out the shortness of the rest. Tray ceiling was a good idea. Or...if possible a taller cathedral ceiling would make it look intentional. The new foot difference will not leave you wanting so much for more height in the rest...I think.

since the kitchen is quite large I would work that into a detail for the space. Gather some inspiration pics and start working on the design of the kitchen .....details for cohesiveness. Do you have an actual kitchen design team? Large kitchens are not that simple to get right. I dont care for the position of fridge...but anyway...

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Nothing to do with ceiling height, but is your fridge really going to that far from the kitchen with a barrier island making it even more difficult to reach? I’d be more concerned about thr kitchen layout than ceiling heights.

I think the raised tray over island is a good idea. The whole thing being raised would be strange - it would make that area have an identity as a separate room, which I don’t think you want.

What do you think about the dining table extending into the walkway? Will there be a chandelier over it? And do you have to scooch around the table to get to the deck with the grill?

The fridge location is really bad.

Without understanding the rest of the floor plan or the constraints, it’s hard to know if the layout can be improved.

I don't think it adds anything, particularly because it's not over the entire kitchen footprint.

I know there's a higher ceiling fetish where people do them even when they make no design sense, but this makes no design sense.

I would not be at all concerned about the kitchen height. I have seen it done beautifully and it helps keeps the steam and heat further from the cooks! Not part of your question, but why is the fridge not in the rendering...?

The whole thing is a terrible design. Kick the architect to the curb.

This is a poor design idea. Continuity should exist between spaces. Additions should not be an obvious discontinuous blob. They should look as though they were part of the original home. Plus, that kitchen layout just reaffirms that 98% of architects cannot design kitchens.

To H. Falls' comment, the refrigerator is in the rendering, but it's across the walkway aisle out of the work area. I would move it to the end of the run where the range is now, and move the range to the opposite side of the "U." Possibly add a prep sink in the island.

I would also eliminate the two seats at the end of the island--there isn't enough room in the aisle for those two seats. On the plus side, I like the long bank of windows at the sink, and the U-shaped kitchen. Nice dining area with the sliding doors to the deck.

Yes, it will look weird. And it will cost you thousands of extra dollars in cabinetry, if you want cabinets to the ceiling. An addition should look seamless to the rest of the house. Proportionate, with similar characteristics. What that looks like is that you want a different, bigger, house. Which, you should probably explore. That is not going to be a cheap change.

I just came across this article about a ranch renovation. Scroll to the photos of the kitchen to see a change in ceiling height that makes sense and looks great:

https://www.theglampad.com/2024/05/from-drab-to-fab-a-dated-ranch-transformed.html

@Diana ~ WOW! What a stunning ranch makeover!

Isn't it--I want to live there!!!