The Jewish Home n
M ay 3 0 , 2013
100
Room for Design Naftali Landau
Dress Up Your Ceilings I want to dress up my boring ceilings in my house. What are some ways I can achieve a nice aesthetically pleasing look on my ceilings? A.B. Your plain white ceiling might be very neutral and not obtrusive but can give your room and old and tired look. Your ceiling in the room can add so much style to your space and can very well be overlooked. Dressing up your ceiling is a great way to add interest to your room, and there are a few great ways to achieve that updated look. One way to really give some dressing up to your ceiling is to hang wallpaper there. Heavily embossed wallpaper can add an “Old World” look and feel to your room. Grass cloth and silk are becoming popular for ceiling coverings. Picking a design that complements your room will tie the whole room feel together. This treatment is great in a ding room or even a living room or den. Just be aware of how hard it will be to get that wallpaper off the ceiling should you want to later. Another way that really adds some pizazz to your ceiling is tin tiles. You can get them in real metal or in faux metal made from recycled paper with an adhesive backing or choose tongue and groove models which are easy to install. A popular choice in the metal is copper-colored and can give your ceiling an old vintage look while giving your whole room a fresh clean feel. Adding this type of ceiling in your kitchen can really tie in the existing metal in your kitchen and create a nice flowing design. An amazing idea to dress up a celling and give your room a whole new look is to do faux wooden beams across the ceiling. They’re made from polyurethane but look remarkably like wood because you never see them up close. Lightweight faux wood is about onethird the price of real lumber and is easily attached to the ceiling without any reinforcements. This look gives your room a whole new dimension because of the
fact that it protrudes so much from the ceiling giving off shadows and details on your ceiling. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t put beams on an 8-foot ceiling, as they will make the room feel too small but in a higher ceiling or even a cathedral ceiling it creates a remarkable look. Another idea that is popular in a lot of homes is medallions and appliques. These are standalone pieces of molding that can be attached directly to the celling to give a plain ceiling some detail. There is an array of styles and choices to choose from that range in sizes and diameter. You can choose from running some type of applique around the perimeter of your ceiling or placing a large oval or round medallion in the center of the room. You should reserve the round and oval medallions for the dining-room ceiling, and hang your chandelier from the middle so it looks framed. One last idea which is just a simple and easy way to dress up any room is crown molding. Using a detailed crown around the room is a great way to dress up any room. You can create a coffered ceiling with building boxes and adding crown molding in each square which creates a sophisticated look in a library or sitting room. Adorn the tops of your walls and the edges of the ceiling with ornate trim which creates a formal look, so it’s suited for a dining room. In summary, there are numerous ways to dress up any ceiling in your home. With each idea you create a different look and style which brings a beautiful and ascetic way to add interest to your plain ceiling. Good luck. Just a reminder: I am still offering 20% off on all orders to anyone unfortunately affected by the storm. Naftali Landau is owner and chief designer of Exclusive Cabinetry and Design and has been designing kitchens for the past 12 years. For questions or ideas for future articles, he can be reached at 917-468-7693 or at naftalilandau@gmail.com