Don’t Forget the Ceiling: Options for Gorgeous Ceiling Treatments

In an effort to follow-up on yesterday’s article about ceiling colors, I thought this would be a great time to post some inspiration for fabulous ceiling treatments.  Not only can you paint your ceiling a color other than white, but you can also add other design elements to the ceiling.  Take a look at just a few of the options for that very large space…

While ceilings are quite often flat, box-like planes created from sheetrock, there is so much more than can be done to make them interested design elements in the room.  One way to add interest to your ceiling is to install tongue and groove wood paneling to the surface.  This home features painted tongue and groove boards and exposed ceiling joists for a bright, beachy feel….

….while this one features boards with a clear finish for a more rustic appeal:

A very traditional ceiling treatment is the coffered ceiling.  A coffered ceiling features a series of beams installed to create a grid pattern on the surface.  This is most often done with wood beams and paneling for a rich, warm look, but it can also be painted as it is in the kitchen below.  This was done to keep the ceiling from feeling too low in the room; painting everything one color keeps the room feeling taller.

Tin ceiling panels are another way to add interest to a ceiling, and they can be fairly inexpensive and easy to install.  There are options for metal panels, but you can also find fiberglass or foam panels that are easier to install and can be painted to match any decor, like these I found on Amazon:

Decorative beams can be added to a room, as well, as you can see in this vaulted living room created by Landsted.  They need to be scaled properly so they don’t feel to giant or too puny in the space, but they add so much character to a space when they are done right.

Sometimes, paint is the right answer, but it may be a fancy finish that makes your ceiling really shine.  Metallic finishes add elegance to a room, and Venetian plaster finishes add richness.  This ceiling created by Kathy at KB Designs is a shining example:

Another design by Kathy shows a couple of ceiling treatments working to create a stunning ceiling which adds so much to the overall design of the room.  No boring white ceiling here!

These are just a small sampling of all the various ways a ceiling can become an integral part of the design of any room.  While ceilings are often forgotten by homeowners, taking a bit of time to think about how the ceiling design can add dimension to a room is worth the effort.