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SHOW OFF YOUR CEILINGS
Most people chose to ignore it, but the white surface looming overhead
is actually a fifth wall. The idea is to incorporate your ceiling with
the rest of the room to create a more unified design. You can add
embellishments that actually steal the show.
White ceilings stop our eye moving upward if we have color on the walls,
and most whites have a grayish cast in areas that are not fully
illuminated. White on the ceiling is only successful if it is a
principal part of the color plan, and usually best is small, sunny
rooms.
If possible, remove the popcorn and heavy swirls, and start with a
smooth surface. Paint it a shade or two lighter than the walls, usually
from the same color strip. You will still get light reflection, which is
why we paint the ceilings white in the first place. But your eye will
continue to move up to the color, making the room seem larger. It’s also
a much richer transition.
Sometimes using the lightest version of the wall color is not the way to
go. If you have raspberry red walls, the best choice may not be the
palest pink. But the palest buttery gold, or the palest violet would be
a beautiful compliment that would not escape notice. Stone gray walls
with pale aqua, or sage green with pale yellow on the ceiling would also
give a desirable effect.
If your walls are 12 feet or higher, painting a dark color on the
ceiling will make it appear lower and therefore more comfortable. A
chocolate brown ceiling over tan walls would feel very warm.
To add some sizzle, add some crown molding that extends onto the
ceiling. This is the place that adding white semi-gloss paint can add
radiance and architectural interest. Dark stained molding against a
light wall is equally effective.
Add a fancy medallion in the center of the ceiling that matches the
molding. Plastic versions, intricately carved do the trick, and look
fabulous surrounding a chandelier.
Painting the ceiling a metallic bronze or gold will create a jewel-like
effect in a dining room if properly lit.
Style your own border around the perimeter of the ceiling using a wide
array of stencils. Amateurs can create high-end results with these kits.
Stapling straw matting overhead, and adding stained firring strips where
appropriate, will add a relaxed tropical feeling to a room.
For the adventurous spirits, think of adding a mural to the ceiling. A
faux finisher, of a talented amateur, can bring a blue sky and puffy
clouds into a garden room or a child’s bedroom.
For the bravest, and the wealthiest, think of applying a stretched
canvas to the ceiling, with a scene from the Renaissance. Or perhaps
shirr gobs of silky fabric in tent-like fashion over your bed or in your
dining room.
Ceilings boring? Hardly. Ceilings can, and should, make a statement.
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