Designers consider the ceiling the fifth wall. Many nondesigners, however, fail to consider the ceiling at all when decorating. But by neglecting your ceiling, or simply repainting it white every few years, you’re missing out on a chance to further individualize a space.
What’s more, enhancing a ceiling with a fanciful flush mount in lieu of a low-hanging chandelier or a pendant can make the walls seem taller, as can opting for glossy or metallic paint. Likewise, covering a ceiling with patterned wallpaper or a dark color can make a lofty space feel cozier. And introducing moldings or beams can make up for a lack of architectural elements in the rest of the room.
As far as we’re concerned, neglecting a room’s ceiling is like getting dressed up in a fabulous new gown or suit for a black-tie affair, accessorizing with gleaming jewelry, polishing your shoes till you can see yourself in them, and then forgetting to comb your hair. The rooms below will inspire you to take your style to the very top.
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Designer Courtland Stevens loves Pierre Frey’s Toile de Nantes wallpaper but worried it was becoming ubiquitous. Her solve: to include it only on the ceiling of her den. Find the fauna rug here. Photo by Kelli Boyd.
By papering the ceiling of the petite foyer in actress Nicole Ari Parker’s Manhattan apartment, designer Nikki Chu made the space feel like a room rather than a through space. Find the console here and the artwork here. Photo by Erin Kunkel.
Coffered ceilings like the one in designer Virginia Toledo‘s dining room can make a space feel airier. Painting the trim blue adds cheer and panache. Find the light fixture (also available as a flush mount and a semiflush) here. Design by Toledo Geller. Photo by Jacob Snavely.
Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates used 200 yards of fabric on the ceiling of this dining room for the 2021 Kips Bay Dallas show house for maximum drama. Photo by Stephen Karlisch.
Ceiling medallions were originally used to hide soot stains from the lanterns that hung from them in the 18th and 19th centuries. Now they bring bygone elegance to a room. Photo courtesy of Carli Alves.
As seen above and at right, choosing flush mounts over pendants or chandeliers keep the rooms from feeling cluttered. Above: Design by Lisa Hilderbrand; photo by John Bessler.
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