12 Stunning Ceiling Design Ideas That Will Have You Looking Up All Day Long
Ceiling design is often, quite literally, overlooked. Design experts wish you would reconsider, pause, and look up to all the possibilities of this oft-neglected yet key element of home design or renovation. “Enhancing the ceiling with wall covering can transform a room’s visual dynamics by drawing the eye upward, creating a sense of height and spaciousness,” says Samantha Pratt, founder and principal designer at Samantha Ashley Designs in Chester County, PA, who shares that this addition effectively creates a captivating focal point. “The interplay between the ceiling covering and the walls redirect the viewer’s sight lines up and around the space, making it feel more engaging,” she adds.
When contemplating ceiling design ideas, Pratt urges clients to keep the following in mind:
Architectural features
You want to be realistic when embarking on any home renovation project, so “look at the room and take into account what cannot be moved, such as architectural features or structural elements,” Pratt says of this smart first step in your Mission: Ceiling Design Update MO.
Style and theme
Will design elements that attract attention above flow “with the overall harmony of the room”? Be intentional about the ceiling components to ensure that they do.
Height and Proportions
“Consider the height of the ceiling and scale of the room,” Pratt says, elaborating that only styles, objects, and patterns that complement and enhance the space should be implemented. “For example, we would not suggest a coffered ceiling in an 8' space, but perhaps a pattern of lines or woven texture to enhance it more, making it feel higher,” she says.
Acoustics and lighting
Decorative or recessed lighting goes a long way. “Think about how this would highlight and accentuate the design elements,” Pratt says, adding that in areas with higher ceilings, she suggests items that absorb or diffuse sound and create a cozy environment without echoes and noise.
Photo: Nathan Schroder1/12Settle on stripes
Ceiling striping can add a bit of unexpected fun to your space. “We custom-printed black and white stripes to match the width of the exterior canvas draperies and awnings,” says Eddie Maestri, principal architect, creative director, and founder of Maestri Studio, noting that there is a lot of glass in the house, so this is a striking element that can be seen inside and outside throughout it. “I wanted to make the otherwise dull long hallway a focal point that lures your eye down the hall with the stripes, as well as tie in the cabana theme displayed throughout the house,” he adds.
Photo: Tim Lenz2/12Arrange areas
Swirls of color above? Ooh la la. “Sometimes the ceiling is the last to be considered but can truly [level up] a space, especially in a foyer where it creates a dramatic sense of arrival and hints at the spirit of the rest of the home,” says Joshua Smith, principal designer and founder of Joshua Smith Inc. in Dorset, Vermont. “We added a coffered treatment to the originally plain ceiling to give definition and architectural interest. It also allowed the opportunity to define three areas. The center got the statement pendant light—like a necklace—and the two others got smaller decorative flush mounts, like earrings.” As Smith highlights, three pendants would have been overwhelming, and while they could have simply painted the insets of the coffered areas, a dose of patterned wallpaper creates a greater wow factor. “The colors in the marbleized paper are the colors we pulled for schemes in the rest of the home, tying it all together perfectly,” he adds.
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Photo: Jenifer McNeil Baker3/12Find a focal point
We love how this “perfectly symmetrical” foyer ceiling designed by Maestri is trimmed with layered molding to build a focal point around the entrance. “In this case, we used a Candace Olsen wallpaper from Kravet on the ceiling to bring the leafy outdoors inside, create visual interest on this charming ceiling, and accentuate the traditional detailing and interiors,” he shares. The subdued color palette also draws in your attention without being overwhelming.
Photo: Ryann Ford4/12Play with pattern
This apartment above a garage (which the homeowners lovingly call “The Cottage”) in Austin nails the ceiling game. “We wanted something that had an interesting yet quiet pattern since this is to be a place of rest,” says Sara Malek Barney from Bandd/Design of the patterned ceiling wallpaper, noting that maintaining a modern traditional aesthetic was also important. Designed to be a luxurious space for extended stays, vintage trunks, two queen beds, and a sitting area complete the inviting digs.
Photo: Courtesy of Little Greene5/12Complement or contrast with color
“The ceiling is often painted white out of habit, but this has a big impact on the way that the room will feel,” says Ruth Mottershead, creative director of Little Greene. Though painting a ceiling the same color as the walls “to achieve a complete, all-encompassed look” is certainly an option, if a property has architectural interest such as dado rails and cornicing, Mottershead recommends considering painting the ceiling a different color to complement the walls and draw attention to the ceiling.
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Photo: Courtesy of Little Greene6/12Bring out the best features
In this case, Mottershead advises using a softer shade on walls and highlighting architectural features in a deeper, bolder shade, such as painting above or below the dado rail, the ceiling roses, and the cornices. “If those details aren’t present in the home, you can paint the ceiling alone, which will draw the eye upwards and give the illusion of height,” she comments.
Photo: Laure Joliet7/12Time for tile
Regan Baker, Founder and Principal Designer of Regan Baker Design wows us with this elegant yet fanciful bathroom. “This first-level powder room sets the tone for the house with its marrying of the home’s two signature styles: Modern Spanish Revival elements, like colorful patterned tile, and bold Art Deco–inspired pieces, like the vintage brass lotus blossom pendant,” she says. “While not as common as tile floors, an artistic tiled ceiling provides a stylish way to add unexpected charm and a unique sense of character to even the smallest spaces within a home,” she adds of these Moroccan tiles which, in addition to marveling at when peeping up, you can also appreciate reflected in the mirror.
Photo: Michael Alan Kaskel8/12Keep busy
Just give us a stack of magazines and we could easily sit in either of these rooms content as a clam for hours. In both of these rooms, the “busy pattern on the ceiling works well because the rest of the room is monochromatic,” says Jasmin Reese of Jasmin Reese Interiors.
Photo: Michael Alan Kaskel9/12Wallpaper isn’t just for walls
“It allows the ceiling to have a prominent, uninterrupted moment,” Reese states, elaborating that wallpaper on the ceiling also grounds a space nicely and creates “a subversive feeling.”
Photo: Rebecca McAlpin10/12Play with expectations
“Wall covering on a ceiling in a main hallway adds that extra unexpected pop of interest and elevates the overall design,” says Pratt of this Spring City, Pennsylvania, home. “It introduces a surprising and unexpected element, transforming a typically overlooked space into a cool focal point.” Pratt particularly loved that this client allowed her team to let this unique addition enhance the ambiance of the hallway, “making it more decorative and not just functional.” If you’re into bold statements, this is definitely one that “leaves a lasting impression on visitors.”
Photo: Still Wild Visuals11/12Coffered elements draw the eye
Utilizing extra attic space in this ceiling gave Pratt’s design studio the opportunity to incorporate a standout coffered detail. “By creating recessed or raised sections within the ceiling, the coffered design adds depth and architectural interest to the space,” she says, noting she appreciates the interplay of light and shadow within the coffered sections for a “touch of sophistication.”
Photo: Brett Beyer12/12The fifth feature wall
In a young boy’s room in Tribeca, Susanne Fox, founder and principal designer of Susanne Fox Design in New York City, shares that a basic offset stripe-design painted on the ceiling “adds pattern to a space without being too overwhelming.” In general, kids’ rooms are the perfect place to create something fun and unexpected on the ceiling, Fox says. “Whether [it’s] a fun paint color or patterned wall covering, kids love being surrounded with delight and action. Treating a kids’ room ceiling like a vibrant feature wall can take a room from plain Jane to kids zone,” she says.
