Often overlooked, ceilings can make or break the overall feel of a room. Whether you’re building a new house or renovating an existing one, ceilings are worth considering as part of your design blueprint.
Conventional flat ceilings can be made interesting with texture, color and paint. But there are also options like coffered ceilings, paneling, beams and decorative trim that add dimension and architectural interest. Contact Ceilings Perth now!
A home’s ceiling height makes a big difference in its feel. Low ceilings can make a space feel cramped, while high ones add a sense of spaciousness and grandeur.
A growing number of homeowners are opting to build homes with higher ceilings. These ceilings provide a number of advantages, including creating an airy and open feel in the home, providing a focal point for lighting fixtures, and offering a wide range of finishing options. However, the decision to build with high ceilings should be carefully weighed against their potential challenges in maintenance, cost, and functionality.
The Height of the Ceiling Affects How People Think
A few years ago, marketing scholars Joan Meyers-Levy and Rui Zhu conducted a series of experiments to see whether the ceiling height had an impact on how test participants thought. They found that, without even being conscious of it, high ceilings activated a mindset of freedom and creativity in their subjects, while lower ceilings caused them to be more concrete and analytical.
Linda Terrell-Mazan, a real estate agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes, says that heating used to be a major reason for keeping ceilings lower, but as HVAC technology advanced and home automation became more commonplace, many buyers began preferring higher ceilings in new homes.
The height of a home’s ceiling affects the acoustics, too. Taller ceilings help diffuse sound waves and prevent echoes, which makes it easier to carry on a conversation or listen to music in the space without disturbing other members of the household.
Another downside to higher ceilings is that they can be more difficult and expensive to heat and cool. The extra space above the room can cause warm air to stagnate and create a draft, leading to increased utility bills in winter. In addition, the elevated height can make it challenging to clean and access ceiling-mounted smoke detectors, which requires specialized equipment or professional assistance.
Although a home’s ceiling height has a significant impact on its overall aesthetic, it can also have an effect on a number of different factors, such as lighting, acoustics, and maintenance costs. Whether you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one, it’s important to consider how your ceilings will impact these areas of your living space.
More Natural Light
Natural light is a hot commodity in new homes, and it has a multitude of benefits. It brightens the room, brings out the true colors of furniture and decor, and can help you save energy by reducing your dependence on artificial lighting.
Increasing the amount of natural light coming in through the ceilings can help to make a home feel more spacious and open. There are many strategies to accomplish this, from adding mirrors and other reflective surfaces to using a light color on the ceiling and walls. Other options include skylights and sun tubes, which are more permanent solutions that offer a significant amount of sunlight.
Another great way to let in more natural light is by installing window treatments that are light in color. Dark curtains and blinds absorb light, whereas light colored ones reflect it. Plants are another great option for adding a touch of nature to a room while also helping to purify the air and brightening the space.
Conventional ceilings can be a simple, clean look or they can be textured for an added element of design. One common texture is shiplap, which is typically used as wall siding but can work well on ceilings too. Another option is a swirled ceiling texture that looks like half-circle patterns. This popular look isn’t easy to achieve on your own and may require a professional.
Sloped ceilings, which are typically found on the top floor of a house or in attic spaces, can add warmth and dimension to a space. They can be a challenge to paint, though, since they are sloped and difficult to reach. If you’re building a custom home, consider incorporating these ceilings to create a unique look and more opportunities for natural light.
Beam ceilings, which are made from wood beams or a faux wooden surface, can provide a unique look to a space and are available in a wide range of styles. Whether you want to recreate the look of a real tree canopy or a more abstract pattern, these ceilings can add an elegant, warm touch to your home.
More Opportunities for Lighting
Ceilings are usually not as visible as floors and walls and are often neglected when it comes to home design, but they offer lots of opportunities for visual interest. They conceal the underside of the floor and roof structure, and they have been popular for decoration since ancient times, either by painting the flat surface, emphasizing structural parts of a roof or floor, or utilizing it as a field for an overall relief pattern. They also perform important functions such as acoustics, fire resistance and thermal insulation.
The fact that they are above us means that ceilings have more impact on room acoustics than any other surface and, in addition, they play a big role in determining how well we can see in a space. That’s why it’s so important to consider the different ceiling designs available if you’re building a new house or renovating an existing one.
Suspended ceilings are common and come in many styles, allowing easy access for electrical and plumbing work without having to cut into the joists. Some designers even opt to leave the structural beams exposed as a ceiling feature, adding a warm, rustic or traditional feel to a space.
Other ceilings are constructed in a drop or suspended manner but do not leave the joists and structural elements exposed, instead using a grid system to support plasterboard sheets or acoustic tiles. This makes it easier to hide pipes and wiring and is ideal for commercial or residential buildings with limited attic space.
Some people have started to use the ceiling as an opportunity to display artwork directly, stretching canvas or membrane materials over the conventional ceiling to create a mural of a tree canopy with sky overhead, for example. Others have opted for more decorative options such as coving, wood paneling, sound-deadening materials or ceiling fans.
Ceilings are one of the most overlooked areas for home improvement, but that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. New innovations in technology mean that lighting systems can be integrated into the ceiling, providing a seamless look that is also highly functional and energy efficient. With smart technology that can be updated with app-delivered software, lighting controls can become more intelligent and deliver a whole host of additional capabilities.
More Space
As the most open space in a room, ceilings offer many opportunities for design. Furniture covers the floor, windows and decor adorn the walls, but the ceiling is one of the only remaining areas that can really set the tone for a room. If you have high ceilings, they can help you make a room feel grand and luxurious for guests and family alike – and if your home’s rooms are feeling a bit cramped or small, a few clever ceiling design tricks can change that without adding square footage.
For example, using ceiling height to add visual interest to a room is one of the most popular ways to spruce up high ceilings. Installing a bold chandelier that’s hung closer to the ceiling than your standard hanging light fixture will draw the eye upward and instantly make your room feel larger. Similarly, tall torchiere lighting positioned above dining tables or living room sofas and arranged between your furniture can do the same thing. Using coffered, bead board paneling or other ceiling details that break up the large area between your floor and the sky can also do the trick.
Vaulted ceilings are a great option for living spaces where lots of people will be congregating and need to move about at the same time, but they’re not the right solution for intimate or quiet spaces like bedrooms, offices, or libraries. Instead, opt for a tray ceiling in these spaces to maximize the ceiling’s potential.
High ceilings provide more space for windows, so you can enjoy more of your home’s natural environment. And if you choose to use ceiling panels like USG Middle East’s Lay-in Suspension Systems or Celebretto Metal Ceilings, you can craft spaces that perfectly suit your vision. These products are designed with tool-free installation in mind, and their multiple panel configurations ensure that you’ll have the flexibility to create a ceiling that perfectly complements your space and resonates with your vision.