Whenever I start to visualize the look for a particular room, I never forget that interior decoration doesn’t end at eye level. Ceilings are just as important as floors or walls, and I love using plaster to create beautiful ceiling designs – stylish embellishments that draw the eye upward and add to the impact and personality of a room.
Intricate ceiling designs can be created in a number of ways, using beams, plaster or a coffer design. Exposed beams are great for the French country look, and I like incorporating this element into more casual spaces with high ceilings.
(Source: Designs That Inspire)
I think coffered ceilings look beautiful in larger rooms, and recently created one for a project I’m currently working on. You can see how the design creates depth and adds a layer of visual interest to the room even before it is furnished.
Coffering basically refers to a set of sunken panels in the shape of squares, rectangles or octagons in the ceiling. The tradition began in the Loire Valley in France during the early Renaissance – this probably explains why I love it so much! I think even when subtly done, a coffered ceiling works beautifully with French-inspired furniture and elegant textiles.
(Source: House Beautiful)
I often like to take things one step further and introduce intricate designs and patterns into the ceiling as well. My inspiration could come from just about anywhere. Recently I spotted a gorgeous pair of earrings in InStyle magazine that sparked the idea for my next ceiling (pics of that project coming up soon!)
Essentially I just love the idea of introducing more color and style into an element of the space that often gets overlooked. Ceilings deserve to be beautiful too, don’t you think?
