Make a Ceiling Seem Lower

Not everyone is enamored of high ceilings. There are some drawbacks to height when the room feels cold, unfriendly and lacking in Create a Cozy Bathroom. To bring down some of the height and make the room more appealing, there are several ways to trick the vision into seeing the ceiling as lower than it really is.

Steps

  1. Paint the ceiling a dark color. Look for a dark, warm color, such as deep crimson, dark green, oranges, browns, reds etc.[1] The color should be darker than the color used for the walls. Paint cafe points out that warm tones make a room seem friendlier and dark tones make it seem more intimate.[1]
  2. Attach a picture rail or wooden wall edging. Bring the ceiling paint down to meet with the top of the picture rail or edging.[2] It is recommended that you bring the ceiling painting down at least a foot.[3]
  3. Sponge Paint a Ceiling Painted or papered patterns can be added to a high ceiling to draw it closer to the viewer. Emma Scattergood recommends patterned paper such as Anaglypta. [2]
  4. Add moldings, overhead lighting, decorative elements that extrude from the ceiling. Any features that extrude will give a sense of bringing the ceiling closer to those under it. Consider a "tray ceiling". This is a ceiling which has varied flat horizontal levels; a tray ceiling will break up the flat look and can be enhanced by lighting features. It can be inverted or recessed.[4]
  5. Accentuate horizontal lines. Apartment Therapy suggests using low furniture that stretches across the room.[5] Look for decorative elements that provide horizontal contrasts, such as squat statues, busy scenes in paintings, wider frames, etc.
  6. Keep the window dressing light and short.[5] Don't use long and heavy drapes, as these will increase the sense of height. Rather, use lightweight, lighter colored drapes that only cover part of the window and are not attached near the ceiling. Prolong the Life of Curtains have a tendency to create a vertical line, which is something you're trying to avoid when attempting to make a ceiling appear lower.
  7. Consider the impact of lighting. While a feature light in the center might be a great means for helping the bring the height down visually, mood lighting should be placed lower, to ensure a sense of intimacy. Place wall lamps at a lower level, and use fixtures with closed tops.
  8. Hang pictures lower. This will bring the viewer's eye to a lower level and create a sense of less height. Aim for horizontal alignment of frames where possible too - the one pictured here is an excellent example of drawing the horizontal theme across the wall.

Tips

  • A room with a higher ceiling can carry more "clutter" than a room with a lower ceiling. This enables you to be a little more creative with placement of pictures, photos, ornaments, etc. This can create a great sense of coziness. All the same, don't overdo it to the point of feeling overwhelmed!

Things You'll Need

  • Picture rail
  • Contrasting paint in warm, dark tones
  • Short, light window dressings
  • Horizontally inclined decorative elements
  • Long furniture pieces
  • Mood lighting

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paint Café, Playing with Space
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Emma Scattergood, Living Rooms, A Practical Guide to Design and Décor, p.15, ISBN 1-85391-514-9
  3. ↑ Dummies.com, How to use color to change a room
  4. ↑ WiseGeek, What is a Tray Ceiling?
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Apartment Therapy, Good Questions: Make my Bedroom Ceilings Seem Lower?
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