The new arch is up! When we decided to open the wall up between the kitchen and dining room we knew we wanted to find a solution to maintain the coved ceiling in the dining room. Lance suggested we mirror the arch between the dining and living room (the living room also has a coved ceiling). It was a great idea because now we have a more open flow while maintaining the original character of the home. Scroll down for progress pics!

Also check out the exposed brick chimney on the left! During the inspection we found out there was an old brick chimney in the corner of the kitchen, hidden behind a wall of plaster. Back in the day it was likely used to vent a coal burning stove. We considered removing it, to gain some extra space in the kitchen, but the water heater is now venting through it, so that would’ve needed to be rerouted. Also to get the chimney out, you raise it through the roof, which would have required roof patching. All in we were looking at around a ~$10,000 project. Then someone suggested it could be a cool architectural feature so we decided to keep it. We weren’t sure what the condition would be under the plaster but it’s perfect! And really it only takes up about an 18″ square of space in the corner, so we aren’t losing a ton of kitchen square footage. I’m so glad we decided to keep it!