5 Ways to Amp Up With False Ceilings
Why do we always go for the conventional plain white ceilings? It is time to get creative overhead
Shristi Nangalia
28 March 2017
Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting, craft work, pets and good food are my getaways. Cultures and colours always inspire me. Email: shristi012@gmail.com, Business profile: @decoretteindia.
Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting,... More
While we decorate our living room walls and floors with beautiful rugs, furniture and accent walls, the surfaces above the eye level usually get ignored. Though white can make the room look more spacious and sophisticated, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to decorating the ceiling. Even a simple hue or texture above can perk up the visual setting of the room. Give your ceilings a little importance … here are a few inspirations.
Keep it raw
It is true that there is nothing tidier than installing plain plasterboard as a false ceiling; but leaving it bare is a much more intriguing idea. Be it concrete, bricks or stones, the output is always raw and truthful. This is also a great choice if you are not a fan of top-mounted panel lights. Team the exposed ceiling with spot lights or pendants. All the exposed surfaces can be finished in a number of ways to give the desired texture.
Tip: Don’t worry if there is a structural beam running in between. You may leave it exposed or build a false beam to balance the strip.
It is true that there is nothing tidier than installing plain plasterboard as a false ceiling; but leaving it bare is a much more intriguing idea. Be it concrete, bricks or stones, the output is always raw and truthful. This is also a great choice if you are not a fan of top-mounted panel lights. Team the exposed ceiling with spot lights or pendants. All the exposed surfaces can be finished in a number of ways to give the desired texture.
Tip: Don’t worry if there is a structural beam running in between. You may leave it exposed or build a false beam to balance the strip.
This Mediterranean living room features a stone-clad ceiling. You may also create a stone or brick texture by assembling faux panels over the plastered ceiling.
When you have a pitched roof and beautiful timber trusses supporting it, show it off! You can bleach the wood pieces and ceiling to keep the natural grain, or paint it with a solid colour for a more modern look. Charming, isn’t it?
Find out more about exposed finishes
Find out more about exposed finishes
Give it timber
It’s not only for the floors and walls; timber can add zest to ceilings too. You can flaunt a lovely timber ceiling in various ways. Bring in natural wood or reclaimed wood if you crave the perfectly rustic look. Play with levels or make beam-grids, to add a bit of drama to a plain surface.
Look-alike and facsimile options are available, too. You can paste wood-finished mica or veneer sheets beneath the ceiling. Vinyl sheets and wallpaper printed with timber grains, too, give the desired feel. Just make sure you hire skilled workers for the job. Bad installation can kill the magic of the ceiling treatment.
It’s not only for the floors and walls; timber can add zest to ceilings too. You can flaunt a lovely timber ceiling in various ways. Bring in natural wood or reclaimed wood if you crave the perfectly rustic look. Play with levels or make beam-grids, to add a bit of drama to a plain surface.
Look-alike and facsimile options are available, too. You can paste wood-finished mica or veneer sheets beneath the ceiling. Vinyl sheets and wallpaper printed with timber grains, too, give the desired feel. Just make sure you hire skilled workers for the job. Bad installation can kill the magic of the ceiling treatment.
For a crisp and contemporary look, stripes are a great choice. Stripes not only make the room look longer (when used along the shorter length), but also shifts the focus from the air-conditioning unit to the scenic ceiling. I love how the wood planked ceiling graces this living room with elegance. With such a simple ceiling, you need to balance the overall look by picking the right contrasting colours and materials for the whole living room. Consider a mix of light and dark shades, and rough and smooth textures. Again, this welcoming living room rightly caters to this design strategy, with the matte ceiling and soft drapes complementing the hard and glossy marble flooring. The feature wall balances the plain walls around the room.
Play with patterns
Motifs, abstracts and even artwork on the ceiling can lift the style quotient of the living room. A simple wallpaper not only adds visual depth, but also gives a better impression than any other white ceiling. Pick your favourite design and see how the living room suits-up instantly.
Motifs, abstracts and even artwork on the ceiling can lift the style quotient of the living room. A simple wallpaper not only adds visual depth, but also gives a better impression than any other white ceiling. Pick your favourite design and see how the living room suits-up instantly.
This design stylishly frames the coloured 3D patterned board with a white colour scheme, adding texture in an understated way. These boards come in a number of designs. Also, they have a simpler and less painful installation process, as compared to plaster mouldings and cornices.
Make the most of motifs in your home
Make the most of motifs in your home
Splash some colour
An easy choice for colouring the ceiling solid is to match it with any of the feature colours of the room. But if you wish to take things to a whole new level, try installing stained or tinted glass with panelling. The back-lit glass diffuses a pastel light throughout, making the living room a lot more inviting.
Tip: Do not let the colour on the ceiling take over the overall view. Keep things light by accompanying it with a predominantly white tone in the room or stick to monochromatic shades.
An easy choice for colouring the ceiling solid is to match it with any of the feature colours of the room. But if you wish to take things to a whole new level, try installing stained or tinted glass with panelling. The back-lit glass diffuses a pastel light throughout, making the living room a lot more inviting.
Tip: Do not let the colour on the ceiling take over the overall view. Keep things light by accompanying it with a predominantly white tone in the room or stick to monochromatic shades.
Embrace the industrial
The industrial look is not for everyone and this might be another reason for you to try it. A false ceiling usually hides the electrical pipes and air-conditioning ducts that are considered ‘ugly’ by many (not me). Resist the urge to cover them up and simply live with the veins showing. I would suggest you paint all these parts in contrast to the base ceiling to highlight an active top.
The industrial look is not for everyone and this might be another reason for you to try it. A false ceiling usually hides the electrical pipes and air-conditioning ducts that are considered ‘ugly’ by many (not me). Resist the urge to cover them up and simply live with the veins showing. I would suggest you paint all these parts in contrast to the base ceiling to highlight an active top.
The suspended metal-tile ceiling that tops this open living is full of rusticity, is airy and adds the required touch of vintage to the setup. Choose from the alloys of aluminium and copper that are popular, inexpensive and easily available in your city.
Like the industrial look? Check this out
Like the industrial look? Check this out
Recycled metal, specially corrugated sheet and pressed metal, are considered a bold but accentuating material to be used on ceilings. These sheets can be installed beneath your actual roof slab, giving the sense of living in a warehouse. Group it up with unfinished wood paneling and shabby-chic style furniture for a picture-perfect setting.
Read more:
How to Lay Out Your Living Room
9 Ways to Play With Contrast in Your Living Room
Tell us:
Which one would you happily top your living room with? Show us your ceiling in Comments below.
Read more:
How to Lay Out Your Living Room
9 Ways to Play With Contrast in Your Living Room
Tell us:
Which one would you happily top your living room with? Show us your ceiling in Comments below.
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Thank you Manasa! You are right about the temperature. And I am a fan of industrial decor myself!
Sure, Karan. :)