Most of us dream of having a home with high ceilings. The open space makes a room feel spacious, rich, and luxurious. But when that dream becomes a reality, and you sit and stare at the expanse of empty space sitting above your head, you realize that high ceilings can be a serious decorating dilemma. What should you do with all that space?
As you may now realize, if you don't know how to decorate a room with a room with a high ceiling, it can appear oversized, empty, and cold. Whether you're working with one room, such as a foyer or living room, or an entire house with extended ceiling space, you can use these tips for dealing with this unique home decorating dilemma.
Add warm color - A warm color will cozy up any space, while a cool one will open it up and make it appear larger. When you decorate a room with a high ceiling, the first thing you'll want to do is cover the walls with a new coat of paint. Choose a warm color shade that will close the room in and make it feel less expansive. Terra cotta, sage, burgundy, chocolate, gold, and honey are just a few colors that will add warmth to a room. Additionally, by painting your ceiling a dark color it will appear closer to the floor.
Molding - Break up the wall space with decorative crown and chair molding, and give the illusion of lower ceilings. Molding adds architectural detail to an otherwise open space, and gives the eye something to focus on besides the extended ceiling height. Be sure to offset the warm color on the walls by painting the molding a bright white glossy finish. Find other ways to 'Use Decorative Molding to Improve the Look of Your Home'.
Lower the scale - Lower the scale of the room by using horizontal lines. This can be achieved by hanging pictures lower on the wall, using wallpaper with a horizontal pattern, or by painting the wall ¾ of the way up with a different paint color than the rest. This will visually shorten the walls and give the illusion of lower ceilings.
Keep things to scale - The worst thing you can do when dealing with this decorating dilemma, is bring in small scale furniture and accessories. The furniture will end up looking doll-like, and only enhance the size of the ceilings. Instead, keep the things you place in the room to scale. Tall plants, oversized sofas, big bulky armoires, sizable entertainment centers, and substantial accessories, will help keep balance in the room.
More from Jennifer Wagner:
8 Must-Have Cabinet Trends for the Kitchen
Invisible Dangers Lurking at Home
5 Apps for Home Design and Decorating
SOURCE:
Personal knowledge and experience
