White ceilings are crisp, clean, and classic. But is your home seeking more flavor beyond China White, Decorator’s White, Huntington White, Antique White, etc.?
Venture outside of your comfort zone by updating one ceiling in your house. You could simply paint it a different color (preferably not one on the white color palette).
This one modification can completely transform your space!
A bold ceiling color adds a daring and emotional presence, while a light color will bring a whimsical playfulness, and a gray will provide class and elegance.
If paint can transform a room so dramatically, what happens when you use other materials on your ceiling instead?
Let’s see what happens when metal, wood, plastic, and wallpaper are attached to ceilings. (I think you’ll like the results!)
1. Corrugated Tin
Corrugated tin is like a chameleon. When it’s brand new and shiny it looks modern. But when it’s old and rusted it’s completely country chic.
When it’s paired with other metals (think piping) the style is posh and emo. But throw it with worn wood and you might feel like you’re in a rustic barn.
Splash it with a bright paint color and you have an instant playfulness.
Seriously, I believe the corrugated tin can fit into any design style!
(If you’ve decked your house out with corrugated tin, share a picture below. We’d love to see the creative ways you’ve used it in your home!)
2. Pallet Wood
Pallets have been all the rage, and there’s good reason why!
1. They’re generally free or really cheap. 2. They are mismatched wood types and grains. 3. They can be turned into practically anything.
Take the example below: a ceiling covered with pallet wood. Check out the beautiful stain and grains. Stunning!
Check out RedHeadCanDecorate for her Pallet Ceiling tutorial.
3. Tongue and Groove Wood Planks
If pallets aren’t your thing, or you want a uniformed wood look, then tongue and groove wood planks are exactly the wood for you.
They are easy to install (hence the tongue and groove name!) and look brilliant.
4. Beadboard
First I should admit that beadboard is one of my favorite styles. The symmetrical lines, shiny paint, and old world charm get me every time.
I’ve seen it applied to walls and cupboards before, but this ceiling is a first (and I’m already planning to add it to my home!).
The tutorial makes it seem easier than easy because the seams are covered up with beams, which only adds to the charm.
Visit Lifestyle and Design Online for their simple, straightforward tutorial.
5. Wooden Beams
I can’t talk about ceilings without including wooden beams. Envision a European cottage built 200 or 300 years ago.
It may be modernized today but probably still includes stone walls; creaky, worn wooden flooring; and thick, uneven beams running along the ceiling.
Originally beams served their purpose as a structural support, but nowadays they tend to be used as a design element.
Thick or thin, stained or painted, beams foster a cozy antique atmosphere.
6. Coffered Ceilings
Dining rooms are often outfitted with coffered ceilings. It makes your guests feel like royalty to eat by dim lights at a long table in a classy room.
This old-world charm popularized in castles and chateaus of the rich and famous are still popular today.
And who knew it was so easy to install yourself.
Our Small Town Idaho Life offers directions so you can add a coffered ceiling to your home, too.
7. Tin or Plastic Tiles
Remember how I said that royals used coffered ceilings in their lavish homes?
Well, they also had carved ceilings or elaborate paintings on the ceilings in all of their other rooms.
We may not do that in today’s generation, but we can provide a similar feel with textured tin or plastic tiles.
They come in a variety of patterns and colors, although most can be painted to color of your choice. Bonus is that they are simple to install and cut to size!
8. Wallpaper
Flashback to your grandma’s house…sort of. Wallpaper seems like a thing of the past to most people, but I think it’s making a comeback in a nontraditional sense.
See, most people aren’t going to wallpaper every square inch of their walls like our grandparent’s generation did, but they will use it to spruce up a ceiling, the back of a bookshelf, inside picture frames, or as an accent wall.
The beauty of wallpaper is that you can literally pick any color, pattern, or style that you like – the options are endless!
Find a design that will bring some life to your plain white ceiling.
Have I convinced you yet that your ceilings deserve more than white paint?
The options are abounding no matter what your style. The easiest rooms to consider updating are your living areas: kitchen, dining room, and family room.
But that may be scary or overwhelming to tackle a whole room on your first try. (And…um…what if you don’t like it and have to live with it in your living area?
I totally understand!) Try one of these techniques in a bathroom or laundry room first.
The space is small so it’s a minor investment, but you can get a feel for the style and how much you like it. I have a feeling that one modified ceiling will just be the beginning of many!