Photo by www.Getdecorating.com This stairway shows how decorating was carried from the floor to the tall ceilings. Without decoration, this area would appear blank and uninteresting. But, the tall wall scene and beams on the ceiling carry your eye all the way up.
Putting Attention and Interest on the Ceiling
Looking eye-level is the norm in most households, but as new homes go up, the trend is going that way too. Yes, ceilings
are quickly becoming a subject of interest for today’s homeowners. Adornments for the “fifth wall” are now an important part of décor.
Castle, Tuscan, Hacienda, and other specialty design-themed homes are incorporating more interest in ceiling adornments, such as painting, frescoes, inlays, wood, lighting, and beams. Ceilings are also rising ever higher with nine foot ceilings being the average ceiling height in many new homes, and many custom homes have ceilings soaring ten, twelve, and fourteen feet high or higher.
To raise your sights to the ceiling, consider putting interest in what’s above you. Even simple techniques can transform many ceilings without a great deal of effort. Plus, ideas for ceiling adornment are endless. Perhaps more importantly, putting interest in the wall above you can help make your eight-foot ceilings seem higher.
If you want to add interest to your ceilings, here are some ways to bring your eye upward on both standard height ceilings and on tall ceilings.
Add crown moulding.
Crown moulding is a wonderful way to add interest and make a room look more finished. There is even a crown molding with special corner pieces to enable you to join the ends without cutting special angles.
Add beams.
If you have tall ceilings, beams can be added easily. Go to websites such as http://fauxwoodbeams.com/fauxbeams.html and foamimprovement.com to buy faux beams that are lightweight and easy to install. Or, make your own beams with rustic wood.
Make a scene.
Ceilings, especially lower ones, benefit from having something to help draw the eyes upward. A faux sky can be painted easily and quickly with some blue, white, and gray paint. Or, you can purchase sky-theme wallpaper and wallpaper the ceiling. Draw or cut out a branch of a limb crossing the ceiling for a look that appears as though you were dozing under the tree. Apply inexpensive white lattice over your ceiling sky and it will look like you’re outdoors in a gazebo.
Get mouldy.
Apply small pieces of moulding on the ceiling to create a pattern, such as a simple strip of moulding to frame an area around a chandelier. Or run it about twelve inches in from the wall. This type of moulding can often be applied with glue. Then, once it’s applied, paint the inset of the pattern to make the new design stand out. Or, paint the outside of the moulding.
Moulding such as this can also be added about six inches below crown moulding on the wall. Painting the area between the small moulding and the crown moulding the same color will make your crown moulding appear to be eight or ten inches deep. It’s an inexpensive way to make crown moulding look very substantial and expensive.
Light up the night.
Lighting is another way to add interest from above. Install crown molding six inches down from the ceiling corner. Run rope lighting inside the crown moulding. Have an electrician install a plug at the top of the wall for the rope lighting and wire this to a switch. This works well for tall and standard ceilings. In fact, in eight-foot ceilings, the lighting will make the ceilings appear taller – something really nice in an area where you’d like more space, such as the dining room or living room.
Get sconced.
Sconces are terrific additions to every room. They add wall interest and they project light upwards. Because of this, they make standard ceilings appear taller. But, they’re perfect in any room regardless of ceiling height.
Get a coat up.
Of paint, that is, or wallpaper. Paint the ceiling a dramatic color to create interest that’s inexpensive and quick to do. If your ceilings are low, paint the ceiling a dark color (such as blues, grays, greens) because these colors appear to recede. A good choice for high ceilings are bright or vibrant colors such as orange, red, yellow, or purple, which are colors that come forward.
If you have a bathroom or other small room, consider wallpapering the ceiling. The all over pattern of the paper will make the corners and the ceiling of the room “disappear.” I actually did this in a room with seven-foot ceilings and it really fooled the eye.
Next time you paint your walls, why stop there? Create interest and design in your home that goes floor to ceiling. Lift your sights by applying a ceiling treatment. It’s guaranteed to get your décor off the ground.
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