Decorating and Design - Contemplating adding knee wall + column

This is somewhat of a style question but I figure people here are aware of trends etc.

I have a typical CA home built 10 years ago. It's a nice design but had no character so I have been changing the flooring, adding wider trim throughout etc.

Right now my kitchen and den is essentially one room with dimensions of 30' x15'. The den is 15' in length as designated by a change in flooring and an existing knee wall that juts out about 2' from one wall (so the den is 15'x15').

What I would like to do is - essentially complete the knee wall on the ceiling and the other side of the room to form a framed opening like you typically see in east coast homes. For more pizzazz, I would make the new knee wall jut out only about 12" and build a 32" high pedestal to support a round column from pedestal to ceiling (one side only). Of course this new opening would have a painted jamb and casing. Likewise the pedestal would be a classic painted frame and panel design. I have a book which describes the typical dimensions of the pedestal and how to build it.

So I have 2 questions -

1. Is this type of detail too "old fashioned"? I actually saw a similar house in my neighborhood where they simply installed a column from floor to ceiling next to the existing knee wall and it looked horrible because for one it was not done properly and secondly it looks way too formal for something that is next to a kitchen IMO. The only reason I mention this is because I don't know if people just have to have a column but they cannot find a decent carpenter or cannot afford the pedestal work or because a floor to ceiling column is more appropriate for a modern home. The other issue is that I will probably have a couch next to the pedestal and thus the pedestal will hide the end of the couch.

2. If I do this, are there any proportions that I should try to achieve? I don't want the knee wall + pedestal length to be longer than 4' or so. The ceiling is 9' tall, should the horizontal space from wall to column vs. vertical space from pedestal to ceiling wall be a golden section ratio? How about the distance from knee wall to column vs. knee wall length?

Thanks

Structurally speaking, it would be best for the column to extend from the floor to the ceiling. With that said, you can make it look good by using a turned porch type column readily available at the big boxes or lumber stores. Attaching the knee wall to the column will keep the wall from having a weak end, because, as you know, people will tend to use the end of the wall for a handle or swinging point. Of course, if a turned column is not your thing, a 4x4 cased in a good oak, poplar or yellow pine would look just as good, and alot less formal.
It may help us, also if you could post a pix of the area on a site such as photobucket, etc. That way we can see what you see. Good luck with it.

Open floor plan is the way everyone is going. I see them tearing out knee walls on HGTV all the time. It was my first instinct, when reading your post, to rip out the knee wall. A 2' knee wall is awkward. It's like someone started a wall and ran out of material.

Columns tend to evoke formality and classicism, noting that their origins go back to the Greeks. An important question is what is your decorating style/theme? Is your decor formal? Contemporary? Country? French? Other? Would columns enhance the decor and your style? Would they look like an after thought like the knee wall?

Without seeing the picture of your room (the link did not work), it is difficult to envision what would work. Depending on decor and if you really desire to provide definition to the den as a separate area from the kitchen with columns, you can do informal 'posts' as rustic as you would see in a cowboy western movie. Too, would French doors enhance your decor?

In today's popular open floor plans, different areas are defined by furniture arrangement. For instance, sitting areas with furniture grouped for conversation and defined by an area rug and placed to define the area separate from adjacent are in the open plan.

If you could post photos at www.photobucket.com and provide a link here, then others can chime in.

Thanks,

Photos here - I also added a couple of shots from pictures of pedestals I have.

http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/alexh1000_photos/

The house is a typical CA home, high ceilings but devoid of any real character. The interior trim was pathetic (2.5" baseboard ,square profile and butted inside corners. Can you believe it!). I did a lot of cosmetic upgrades such as upgrades of window and door casing trim, base board and added some fairly wide crown.

Also, added real wood floors, some marble flooring in the entryway and rebuilt the stairs with solid Brazillian Cherry treads/railing and generous paint grade skirts. So I guess that main thing that sets the interior apart is the trimwork and that knee wall does not fit in at all as you noticed. It's like a half hearted attempt to divide the space and I don't like untrimmed bullnose corners at all.

I agree with you on the trend being really open floorplans but the opening will still be very wide - probably 8' or so from column to opposite knee wall. Also, the current knee wall blocks the end view of the TV and/or entertainment center.

Admittedly, it's partly trepidation on my point because this will be my largest project so far and I have not done much framing. Of course none of this is structural or load bearing. I will get as much advice/help as necessary on the framing.