Did you know that the most overlooked design element in a home is the ceiling? It’s true! The ceiling of a space is usually the last aspect to be considered by homeowners when they are planning a remodel or redesign of a space.
As an interior designer, I always address the ceiling in a space. After all, a room is typically made up of four walls, a floor, and the ceiling! So it never gets left behind when I’m working on a project. I love to elevate the design of a space by addressing the ceiling too.
Addressing the ceiling in a space is a great opportunity to elevate the design. Not sure what sort of creative options are available for ceilings? There are lots of ways you can upgrade the ceiling in your home, and I’m going to take you through my four favorite ways to upgrade your ceiling!
Let’s explore the four ways to upgrade your ceiling!
1. Painted Ceilings
First up is paint! Paint is every interior designer’s secret weapon for elevating any room design. Use paint to your advantage by exploring different ways to add extra color to the space.
Painted ceilings are an underrated way to completely level up a space. You can easily take a room to the next level by painting the ceiling the same color as the walls (and trim while you’re at it!) or using a contrasting color.
In a recent project, I designed a bedroom for a boy who loves baseball. Using wall decals the end wall transformed into a baseball, and by painting the ceiling in a fun light blue color to match his favorite team, the entire space was a total hit!
2. Applied Moldings
Have you considered using wood on your ceiling? This can be a successful way of injecting both texture and warmth into a space! While shiplap or beadboard panels can add visual interest.
Applied moldings refer to a molding that is nailed on, or fastened to a surface to add a touch of elegance and interest to an interior. Moldings are typically applied to walls or trims around doors, however, they can be used on the ceiling too to add extra interest!
For the project shown below, we used beadboard in the basement bathroom and a dining area of the family room to help add warmth to the areas, while also defining the game area. This contrasted the wainscoting we designed on the walls perfectly.
3. Wood Detailing
Next on the list is wood detailing! This is particularly popular in modern farmhouse homes where chunky wooden beams have been added to the ceiling.
Adding chunky wooden beams to a space adds warmth and visual interest to an otherwise sterile area of the home. Wood detailing on ceilings is an underrated way of bringing character back into the space.
In our project featured here, we added chunky wooden beams to the dining area of the open plan kitchen and family room. This helped to define the eating area of the large space and break up the off-white painted ceilings. Plus – the visual interest of the beams add warmth and ambiance to the overall design.
4. Architectural Ceilings
Lastly, there are architectural ceilings.
In some properties, there may already be architectural ceilings in place because of the roof structure. However, you can add some architectural ceiling details to newer homes too! This is usually in the form of a tray ceiling where part of the ceiling is recessed further.
Adding architectural features to a ceiling is a straightforward way of adding visual interest to an otherwise dull room. You can get creative with tray ceilings in particular, by adding in LED lighting details to accentuate the detail further.
You can see from the project below that there are some natural slopes to the ceiling of the office (due to the roof structure) but we did put in some tray ceilings into the bedrooms to add visual interest and additional height to the spaces.
Always More
While there are many more ways to address a ceiling in a space, these are the more common ones we’ve been using lately. The bottom line is that when designing a space, it’s important to look at all aspects of the space. At Innovatus Design, we strive to elevate each design and ceilings are no exception. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a project you’d like us to help with. We offer in-person design services in the greater Chicagoland area and work on virtual projects across the United States.