12 Chic Ceiling Details That Give a Room Instant Character
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There's a good reason why designers often refer to ceilings as "the fifth wall." The often-overlooked surface is a blank canvas for design possibilities that can add dimension and visual interest to your space. With the right ceiling designs, you can fake the look of more height, add a bold pop of color, or even transport your room to an entirely different setting with a lifelike mural.
Point being, if you aren't already considering how to dress up the ceilings in your home, now's the time to start. Whether you're undergoing a down-to-the-studs renovation or looking for an impactful weekend DIY project, there's a ceiling design idea for you. Below, we've rounded up 12 designer-approved ceiling treatments that range in scope, style, and price point. From a simple coat of paint to intricate molding, these ceiling designs will ensure your fifth wall is no longer forgotten.
Ceiling Design Considerations
As with any impactful design addition, there are a few important factors to consider when deciding whether to install a ceiling treatment—and what style to opt for. Below, we're detailing a few things to mull over before committing to a ceiling design.
Room Specs
The size and height of your room are some of the biggest considerations when you're deciding on a ceiling treatment. Because ceiling designs can have such an impact on the perceived size of a space, it's important to weigh the dimensions—and your desired effect—when making a design decision. A weighty treatment like raw wood planking can make a room with a sprawling vaulted ceiling cozier and feel more intimate, while molding or even simple paint can visually enlarge a snug space.
Budget
Depending on the materials and labor needed to execute a design, ceiling treatments can range from budget friendly to big investment. Before committing to an idea, consider how much of your design budget you want to allocate to the task. A ceiling design you can DIY, like paint, will run you much less than something that requires a special expertise, like installing wood beams.
Design Style
Good design doesn't exist in a vacuum, so you'll want to make sure there's synergy between your chosen ceiling treatment, the surrounding room, and the rest of your home. You should also consider what overall design style your ceiling treatment evokes. Some ceiling design ideas, like wallpaper, can easily cater to any vibe, while others (like coffered ceilings) tend to read more formal and traditional.
Tongue and Groove
For subtle texture and an innately casual feel, consider installing tongue-and-groove paneling on your ceiling. Because the feature can be painted any hue, it will seamlessly blend into your existing design scheme, allowing you to add a layer of depth to your space without a complete overhaul. In this Florida bedroom by Tom Scheerer, white tongue-and-groove paneling draws the eye up to the expansive vaulted ceiling.
Wallpaper
Any room can benefit from a pop of pattern—but textiles and your walls aren't your only options for incorporating it in. Instead, turn heads (up, that is) by papering the ceiling in an eye-catching pattern that ties the scheme together. For the study in this historical Massachusetts home, Corey Damen Jenkins hung a classic plaid wallpaper from Mulberry Home that plays into the moody hues.
High-Gloss Paint
Drenching an entire room in a single paint color makes a stunning statement. To ensure the effect isn't too heavy, opt for a high-gloss finish on the ceiling—it'll reflect all the natural and artificial light back down and lift the mood. For the 2023 House Beautiful Whole Home, Rasheeda Gray created a zen-like guest room by coating it—ceiling and all—in dusty Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue.
Wood Beams
In some homes, wood beams are a structural necessity; in others, they're an intentional addition meant to lend character, patina, and architectural detail. In this cavernous Los Angeles abode, Jeremiah Brent and his team used reclaimed wood beams to add dimension to the vaulted ceiling and bring some warmth to the great room.
Treillage
If your heart flutters when you see the work of Bunny Williams or Dorothy Draper, this ceiling design is right up your alley. Treillage—also known as trellis or latticework—is a unique treatment that takes what many assume is an outdoor garden structure and places it on the walls or ceiling. In this room by Cara Fox, panels of white treillage cover the ceilings, armoire, and custom bed frame for a subtle, textural twist that transforms an attic into a sunny escape.
Limewash Paint
You can never go wrong with adding texture, and that includes bringing a touch of grit to the ceiling. If molding or wallpaper seem too formal, try coating the surface in a unique finish like limewash paint instead. In her Florida home's primary suite, Whitney Leigh Morris used a Color Atelier limewash on the walls and ceiling for a timeworn, velvety look.
Coffered Ceiling
Beloved for its classic appeal, a coffered ceiling treatment refers to a rectangular, square, or octagonal grid made using molding or recessed panels. It's a means of adding visual interest while still keeping your design tailored and timeless, and can be a beautiful way to draw eyes up without monopolizing the design. Take this Jersey Shore living room as an example. In it, Joe Lucas relied on a coffered ceiling detail to echo the other traditional elements in the space, like the formal window treatments and built-in shelving.
Custom Mural
If your design personality has an adventurous side, why not commission a custom mural for your ceiling? That's what Isabel Ladd did in the 2023 House Beautiful Whole Home, tasking an artist with painting a proud tiger on the ceiling of the primary closet. Though a mural is a unique—and often costly—choice, it can bring a huge dose of personality to your space.
Wood Planking
For people who have a soft spot for organic or rustic design, nothing brings the outdoors in quite like a touch of exposed wood. While many aim to work it in via their flooring or furniture, there's one more opportunity to get back to basics: your ceiling. Here, Cortney Bishop brought warmth to a low country home by covering the ceiling in a midtone stained wood. Cozy bohemian details like a tassel chandelier and terra-cotta lamp complete the vibe.
High-Contrast Paint
We've covered painted ceilings a few times already, but this iteration is for people who aren't afraid to go bold. Instead of matching your ceiling paint to the rest of the room, bring the drama with a totally contrasting color. Case in point: the gutsy matte black in Shazalynn Cavin Winfrey's own luxe Texas dining room. It's the perfect foil to the feminine mural wallcovering and glam details.
Box Molding
Just like on your walls, there are near-endless iterations of molding applications you can do to your ceilings. For a space that reads as timeless but still very now, take a page out of Jeremiah Brent's book and apply box molding to your ceiling. He used it on the angular cove ceiling in this primary suite to accentuate the graphic structure and bring added depth (and an intimate feel) to the room.
Tray Ceiling
A cousin of the coffered ceiling, tray ceilings are another structural design that can bring dimension and drama to a room. Popularized in the late '90s and early 2000s and commonly seen in open floor plan homes, tray ceilings typically have a single-level inset meant to call attention to a certain portion of a room, like a dining area or living room. In this Southern California home, Brian Paquette used the ceiling treatment over a dining table, filling it in with a rich green hue that ties into the palette of the surrounding spaces.
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