{"id":287353,"date":"2018-03-13T13:54:40","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T17:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=287353"},"modified":"2021-12-15T07:32:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T12:32:07","slug":"ceiling-interior-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/ceiling-interior-design\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Rooms Where the Ceiling Is the Center of Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"

William Randolph Hearst paid more attention than most to every single wall in a room. Most notably, he was interested in the oft-overlooked ceiling<\/a>. The newspaper publisher was one of the greatest ceiling collectors of all time. He amassed multiple antique ceilings, most from European churches and monasteries, which he purchased for the sprawling Hearst Castle on the California coast.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s good reason for an upward glance, as a ceiling covered with the right wallpaper or slick of paint can make a major impact. Here, designers show how they transformed the ceiling into the centerpiece of a room.<\/p>\n

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\"Greenwich

Photo by Floto + Warner<\/p><\/div>\n

Architecture at Large\u2019s Rafael de C\u00e1rdenas gave the stairway of a Greenwich Village two-floor penthouse<\/a> a completely unexpected jolt of color in the form of a wallpaper installation he commissioned from artist Assume Vivid Astro Focus<\/a>. The goal was to \u201chighlight a transitional space that often gets overlooked,\u201d de C\u00e1rdenas says. \u201cThe stairwell now becomes a destination of its own.\u201d By keeping the floor and window frames in neutral shades, he brings the focus on the splashy mural. \u201cCeilings can be an ideal surface to engage in to create a mood for a space.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"black

Photo by Alec Hemer<\/p><\/div>\n

Timothy Godbold kept the color palette in a Tribeca apartment<\/a> mostly black and white, but he punched up a bedroom ceiling with this clay-coated wallpaper by Zak & Fox<\/a> and Apparatus<\/a>. \u201cThe inspiration came from a picture I had seen of a quartz ceiling in the ’60s,\u201d says Godbold. \u201cThe mood for this room was clean and simple, and I knew it could handle the contrast.\u201d<\/p>\n

When adding wallpaper to the ceiling, Godbold notes that the room must have some height, otherwise it can feel like a cave. He also avoids applying this technique in a bathroom \u2014 \u201csteam peels wallpaper\u201d \u2014 but when utilized in the right space, the outcome can be magical. \u201cI once used a quartz shimmering wallpaper on a coffered ceiling,\u201d he says. \u201cThe effected created from candles burning during a dinner party made for a beautiful star-like glimmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Cindy

Photo by Jason Schmidt<\/p><\/div>\n

This Billy Cotton\u2013designed East Hampton home<\/a> has eclectic Americana motifs<\/a> sprinkled throughout, from a bedroom\u2019s floral wallpaper to the tree-pattern of a wall tapestry. Cotton even added wallpaper to a bedroom ceiling, adding depth and a vintage richness to the space.<\/p>\n

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\"Mexico

Photo by Alfonso de Bejar<\/p><\/div>\n

In a vibrantly decorated Mexico City home, Sof\u00eda Aspe aimed to give the bar and game room<\/a> a “joyful, colorful, fun vibe,” she says. “The light blue and orange go together. One is tranquil, the other explosive. A perfect match.” For others dealing with a low-ceilinged room, she recommends not disguising a potential defect, but emphasizing it.<\/p>\n

“I rarely leave a ceiling white. I use paint, wallpaper, wood and even marble,” Aspe declares. “I always ask designers and architects to give ceilings the time and dedication they deserve!”<\/p>\n

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\"colorful

Photo by Brie Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

Barrie Benson is known for putting a fun spin on traditional interiors. For this dining room in Charlotte, North Carolina<\/a>, she created a palette with unexpected color pairings, like gold upholstery on dining chairs and mint-green walls. Finally, she painted bold strokes of silver on the ceiling, adding an irreverent touch to an already unconventional space.<\/p>\n

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\"Nevada

Photo courtesy of Pardee Homes<\/p><\/div>\n

For a Nevada home, Queer Eye<\/em> designer Bobby Berk<\/a> decided to bring the outdoors in \u2014 aesthetically, at least. He chose Cole & Son\u2019s Nuvolette wallpaper up on the ceiling. \u201cIt has an Old World feel,\u201d Berk says, noting that it gives the den \u201ca bit of a noir mood to support the mid-century design.\u201d He kept the rest of the room’s palette muted to let the rich wood grains pop against the charcoal walls. \u201cIt has the effect of drawing the eye upwards,\u201d Berk adds.<\/p>\n

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\"Mercer

Photo by Grey Crawford<\/p><\/div>\n

A sprawling entryway in a Mercer Island, Washington home<\/a> proved to be the perfect canvas for Kelly Wearstler\u2019s more-is-more aesthetic. The floor is a custom pattern of three different marbles, which plays against the similarly striped SJW Studios wallcovering. Combined, these elements make for quite the grand entrance \u2014 and first impression.<\/p>\n

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Style Your Ceiling<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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