As the long months of winter just keep rolling along I get the urge to change something in my surroundings to lift my spirits. But what do you do if you aren’t ready to commit to new furniture or even a new paint color for a room? Look heavenward for inspiration, you won’t have to look past your ceiling! Ceilings in modern homes are often a sad, neglected afterthought of a surface. Many of our ceilings are still the boring builder beige they were the day we moved in, or worse yet we repainted them but we redid them in white!
Adams Ceiling, Metropolitan Museum, NYC
On a recent trip to New York I was wandering through the design/decor/interiors section of the Metropolitan Museum when I was struck by the strong ceiling stories that have been told throughout design history. An Adams ceiling set you and your house apart as one of the culturally elite and are still copied and reinvented in new ways to this day. Tiffany glass, like the dome pictured here, added incredible color and light to a few lucky ceilings.
Tiffany Glass Dome, Metropolitan Museum, NYC
Frank Lloyd Wright with his attention to every detail always incorporated the ceiling into the overall design. He tied every element in the room together whether structural or decorative and the ceiling, a huge open canvas, was a key part of each design. Even the lighting is recessed and positioned to be a focal point rather than just a task light.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Metropolitan Museum, NYC
But we do not have to invest in stained glass domes or ornate moldings to refresh our ceilings. Try a splash of color. Use an accent color that is already in your room and put it on the ceiling. Or try something a bit different like what I did to my own powder bath. I found some beautiful paper at a local art store. It doesn’t matter what size paper you find because I then tore it up. I made sure there were no straight edges anywhere and using the paper, some matte glue (from the art store) and a sponge brush I basically collaged the ceiling. The effect here is soft because the paper is subtle in both color and design. I also painted the crown molding to match the paper in order to emphasize the ceiling and the rooms height. But you could let your imagination run wild with papers, drawings, postcards, fabric; the possibilities are endless.
For the cost of one gallon of paint (even a quart if your room is small), or some paper and glue your room can have a whole new sense of drama that will lift your spirits and your home’s style to new levels. That’s what I call a good investment!
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