Our house has an opening now and I want to close it off and add french doors. The Thickness of the bit of wall coming out for the opening is 8.5 inches. Wife really wants it flush on both sides so I could frame the wall with 2x8s which would be a pain. But the french doors would be inset a good bit into the door jamb because of how thick the wall is. How funny would that look?

I could demo those little in walls which i think are decorative but could be load bearing for the 2nd story above them. That would require me to install wood flooring to match what is in there now.

What would you do?

Here is a picture of the floor and the wall that's there now.

How wide is the opening compared to the french doors?

Opening is 8 feet wide by 9 feet tall. Still debating between 4 and 5 feet wide french doors.

I think I'd just make the wall that same thickness. I think it will look fine. I would just have the doors flush on the outside of the study and have the inset side inside the study.

but then I would have to open the doors out and not into the study? There isn't really room for that.

Order a 48 inch unit with a wider door jamb
Or frame it 3 1/2 inch but you will have to put stops on each door or base. Is it exactly 96 inches on the wall inside the office ? A lot of times those columns are false for support but hard to tell without opening it up or looking above in attic.

I would try and avoid messing with the existing wall and the can of worms it could open up with flooring, drywall patching and all, but at the same time I've never seen prehung doors that fit 2x8 walls. It can be made though, give Baird Brothers or your favorite local place (not Lowes/HD, an actual lumberyard) a call. Baird can make prehung doors with whatever size jamb is needed but you may be able to get the same thing done locally and not pay shipping. With the right trim it may actually come out looking good without the thickness of the wall attracting attention.

I agree with this.

I am going to do a 48 or 60 inch door and frame the rest and sheetrock it in.