The thought crossed my mind to install a craftsman style coffered ceiling in my dining room. After checking out this Fine Homebuilding article by master carpenter Gary Katz, I have come to the conclusion that it is definitely doable. Especially when you consider that Craftsman is one of the least elaborate finish styles. Gary has outlined a simple way to install a coffered ceiling that doesn’t require a solid frame bolted to the joists – he uses U-shaped supports.
And then there is this article from woodworkingtipsfrompop.com that includes some excellent photos of the build process. They even recommend visiting the same article I mentioned above.
I’ll be looking more into this to see what the cost will be and how easy it will be to do it on my own.