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When artist John Kiernan, principal of Blue Line Studios, was commissioned last year to design a custom ceiling treatment for a Leesburg, VA, home’s two-story library, he knew it was the ideal project to flex his creative muscles. “The homeowner wanted a mural based on American history and discovery, based on books she read as a child,” Kiernan says from his studio in Warrenton, VA. “My vision was to give it the feel of the face of a grandfather clock with a gilded compass rose,” he says of the magnificent ceiling pictured above.
Adorned with incredibly detailed images including Christopher Columbus, Galileo, Native Americans, and the Wright Brothers, the exquisite painting even incorporates the night sky with a constellation pattern, complete with fiber-optic lighting, identical to the night the homeowner and her husband were married back in 1985. “It was amazing to see their faces as the mural progressed,” he recalls. “The most exciting time was when the scaffold was removed and the ceiling was able to be viewed in its entirety.”
Decorating the ceiling, sometimes referred to as the “fifth wall,” is becoming increasingly fashionable, whether that means commissioning an artist to create a personalized mural, or simply adding a little color for warmth. “The ceiling is a vista for the eye that accentuates the other five surfaces in the room, so I usually recommend at least some soft color on the ceiling,” says Interior Designer Stephen N. O’Brien of Easton, MD. “Just adding a cup of wall paint to one gallon of ceiling white helps to break the stark contrast of only using the white.”
When selecting a hue for above, consider the size of the room, especially the ceiling’s height. A high ceiling painted a darker color can make it appear lower and more intimate. For lower ceilings – in a powder room, for example – O’Brien suggests choosing a high-gloss sheen, which will reflect light and visually enlarge the room.
Wallcoverings can also be installed to make what’s overhead more interesting. “In England, it is very common to use the same pattern of wallpaper on both the ceilings and walls,” O’Brien says. “It creates a very cozy, womblike space.”
Coffered Ceilings and More
Architectural elements are another excellent way to infuse drama into almost any space. Coffered ceilings are especially popular in this area, says Kevin Wales, president of Just Moulding in Gaithersburg, MD. “I think it’s because newhome builders are putting them in the model homes and once people see them, they want coffered ceilings in their homes, too.”
Depending on the height of the ceiling, the size of each coffer (or each box within the grid design) varies, with deeper coffers usually installed on higher ceilings. “Within each box we can also add multiple layers of moulding to create an ornate appearance,” Wales says. “This can also make the coffer look like it’s rising up into the ceiling, giving the space an illusion of depth.” The bigger the room, the bigger the coffer, he adds.
Other decorative moulding applications – shadowboxing, for example – are becoming de rigueur as well. (Shadowboxing is when moulding is used to frame various shapes on a ceiling or wall.) “This gives you the artistic ability to divide the ceiling into quadrants,” Wales says. “It’s also another way to make the room more architecturally appealing by adding depth to the whole room. By putting a treatment on the ceiling, it draws your attention upwards, making the room appear taller.”
O’Brien says tin ceilings are also making a comeback, especially in Arts and Crafts, Victorian-style homes, and restorations. He points to a new product from Armstrong called Metallaire decorative metal ceiling tiles, which are constructed of steel and available in a dozen patterns and multiple finishes.
Rosettes
Medallions installed above a hanging light fixture, such as a dining room chandelier, are another way to add architectural flair to a ceiling. “I’ve done projects where we’ve even designed the moulding from the corner of the room to the medallion, to create the effect of four triangles,” Wales says.
He suggests, however, that you should not underestimate the effect of crown moulding. “It joins the ceiling and wall together, softening the transition and finishing the room, just like baseboard moulding joins the walls to the floor.” Wales adds that if there’s one ceiling treatment you should consider, this is it – regardless of your home’s overall design style. “If you have a contemporary home, for example, you wouldn’t use the thicker, traditional moulding but you could opt for a flatter version to complement the baseboard moulding,” he says.
Crown moulding also allows for greater flexibility when it comes to paint color on the ceiling. “It allows you to use a completely different color on the ceiling, which I like,” says O’Brien, adding that without moulding, it is very difficult to achieve the desired straight lines to separate the multiple hues.
Regardless of how you choose to bedeck your ceiling – be it coffers, historical figures, or wallpaper, the key to success is honoring the space with a bit of flair. “The ceiling should be able to have a personality all its own,” says O’Brien, “even if it’s as simple as just a paint color.”
