Look Up - Ideas for Your Ceilings

St. Mary's Cathedral, Annapolis, MD

I was at a wedding this past weekend. Though the weather was not typical of October - snow?! - it was a lovely ceremony, regardless. And the setting was absolutely gorgeous. The wedding took place at St. Mary's in the heart of Annapolis. The cathedral was recently renovated and it was breathtaking. It has gorgeous stained glass and beautiful murals, but the crowning glory was the starry sky painted ceiling with it's gothic beams in cream and gold accents above simply painted cream colored walls. Wow! It got me thinking about ceilings - how typically we don't put too much thought into them, yet they are at least a third

I love the contrast of the blue ceiling with the
cream walls and architectural elements. It
allows the stained glass windows to shine
like jewels in the room.

 of the space in a room. Architects and builders are definitely trying to get them noticed with higher ceilings and the addition of trays and coffers in many of the newer homes and renovations. 
But they still don't get the love that they deserve.

Most ceilings in most homes, including some of my own, are still some shade of white. But why? Yes, they are much more difficult to paint - they can drip and give you pains in your arms, neck and shoulders, but they offer such a great opportunity to make your rooms stunning. 


So let's talk about ceilings...


Whatever you do to your walls, you can also do with your ceilings. Your only limits are your imagination and your ceiling heights. And as for any lower ceilings, you are limited only by your own personal preference and daring.


Here are some of my favorite examples I found from Houzz.com - a terrific, free website/e-newsl for all sorts of home design ideas.

This is a coffered ceiling in a client's home. The wall were painted a spicy paprika to complement the floors, furnishings and artwork. The coffered ceilings were painted in a steel, gray color to complement the fireplace. So here, we have the contrasting palette and the coffers to add interest to the ceiling. BTW, my client is Irene Zaso and she has a great Organizing business. I recommend you visit her website at www.zaso.org/OASIS.htm if you have any need for organization in your life!

I cannot take credit for this lovely space, but here is a pretty example of a wallpapered ceiling. Rather than putting the wallpaper all over they chose to put the Toille print on just the ceiling. It looks like a small powder room so in a space that's small, a large Toille print would be overwhelming. Using it as an accent on the ceiling makes it playful and beautiful. Plus, it brings your eye up creating the illusion of more height and space. Imagine this in a nursery or small entry. Love it!

And finally, here is an example of using wood, more specifically in this case, stained bead board on the ceiling. This particular example can really warm up a space and can work with just about any rustic or country interior. But wood isn't just for rustic interiors. A in a modern version of this you would keep the same visual plain and take the vertical lines all the way down one or both perpendicular walls. Stained or painted in a high gloss, the impact would be spectacular and it would add tremendous vertical space. 


You could gain the same affect with wallpaper that wraps from floor to ceiling, but honestly, it's not my taste. Even the well done examples I've seen haven't been to my liking. It looks fussy and visually there is no place for your eye to rest. I would not recommend that. But hey, that's just my opinion. So if you're game, I say go for it.


There are so many other things you can do to your ceilings - using lighting, trim, beams, alcoves, sea grass, tin tiles, fabric... Again, the options are limited only by your imagination.


If you're not sure what to do with your ceilings, however, let me know. I'm sure I can give you some pointers. 

Color Trends - Part 2

We left off on "Color Trends - Part 1" with how to incorporate color - especially "trendy" colors - into your space.


Rather than just write about it, I scanned some photos from some of my already mentioned fave magazines to give you an idea of how Honeysuckle - or any of your favorite colors - can be used.


This is a room in a Capitol Hill (DC) row house completed by designer Barry Dixon.

House Beautiful, Sept 2011, p85

He kept the major elements in the room neutral - creams, tans, browns. The wall color is a soft cream and he has applied it to all of the painted surfaces. The floors are deep brown wood. The alcoves are upholstered in a brown, button-tufted Bergamo fabric. Lovely, right?


However, what makes this room extra-special is the use of the color pink. He has used varying degrees of light to deep shades of pink so the room appears elegant and mature. He has sprinkled it around the room so your eye can move from one element to the next with plenty of space in between for a relaxed and un-fussy effect.


I must admit, if someone had said they were working on a room with pink accents I would assume it was a nursery. But there is nothing nursery about this room. After seeing it used to finesse the room in such a way, I'm hoping one of my clients will want to try it out. (Hint, hint.)

Veranda, Oct 2011, p117

Which brings me to the next room I wanted to show you. This was a room featured in Veranda October 2011 issue and is part of a renovation done to a 1920s Nashville estate, and by coincidence, it was also designed by Barry Dixon. Perhaps my new idol... This is what I would call minimal with punch. The entire room is done on a variation of creams, golds and tans to beautiful effect. So the impact of the one element of pure color - the salmon colored daybed - is fantastic. It doesn't take away from the incredible moldings and architecture of the space, but it does make you want to get cozy right in front of the fireplace. Love it! 

What seems so simple in this room, adding one element of real color - is actually very difficult to do. It speaks to the amount of restraint the designer used; not adding pops of the color in other areas of the room. It's perfection!

Traditional Home, Oct 2011, p 118

Finally, while it has just a touch of pink, I wanted to show you this room done by another DC-based designer, Skip Sroka, from Traditional Home, October 2011 issue. It is a beautiful, soft cozy bedroom. The neutrals in this room are the creams and whisper blues that are being used throughout. The upholstered bed is so gorgeous - it makes me want to curl up and take a nap on it.


Once again, our featured color is the pink, used very sparingly in the broad stripe of the chair. Because it is used so sparingly it takes nothing away from the star of the room which is of course the bed. Again the temptation is there to want to throw a pillow or blanket on the bed that has a bit of the pink in it. But that would take away from the overall softness of the room.


So what can you take away from this Blog posting today? Basically, using color (any color) as an accent and using it sparingly adds more beauty, elegance and impact into a room. Keeping your background and main furnishings neutral helps to create the perfect backdrop for the color to shine in the room. 


If you need me to source any of the items that are featured in the magazine, let me know and I will do my best. And as always, don't be afraid of color and trying something new. You can do it!


If you have any pics or comments, don't be afraid to post them!