How are ceiling designs made?

Start out with ten foot ceilings he had.
Added after the fact could be done. If you don’t have a light with wires in the ceiling you may have to add it. Remember the adage, “It always takes longer and costs more to do after the house is done.”
Trey / tray ceilings need to be done at time of construction. But adding beams and boxes can be done later.

I know that as a coffered ceiling. It can be added after a house is built. Here is one in the making.

Lots of labor=lots of dollars.

@Tropical_Willie I can’t do it now because I am beginning to hate my builder, and especially the salesperson they want me to work through.

If you have flat ceilings you can add it later. Heck, even if you don’t!
“This house had vaulted ceilings and if you look at the third picture you will see that we lowered it, added similar detail and put mirrors in the recess.
I miss that ouse. We sold it when the market started coming back after the recession :-(
@Tropical_Willie, Considering what she’s gone through with this builder I’m sure he would gouge her and this project would probably throw him for a loop anyway.

@Judi I am really worried I will feel the ceilings are too tall. It’s a long story, that I don’t think I have bored you with yet. Since I like false/drop/coffered ceilings it could be the solution if I wind up hating the very high ceilings. All in all much more expensive than simply having the ceiling height I would have preferred, but at least it probably will add some value and is beautiful.

When we lowered the ceilings we used metal studs and suspended it from the higher ceilings.
Yo will probably need an electrician to lower the light, a framer to do the detail, a drywall guy to hang and finish the drywall, and a painter to finish it.

I won’t have to lower the ceiling if I put deep coffers (maybe a foot) or some other type of drop ceiling. The ceiling is 12’ and flat.