Clever Design Hacks for Low Ceilings
Don't let a low ceiling cramp your interior style – consider these tricks to make the most of your space
Amanda Pollard
22 September 2017
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
When you’re renovating, decorating or even building a room with a low ceiling, you might be concerned that it will feel a little squashed or wonder where on earth you’ll put the lighting. Don’t fret – there are a few clever design hacks you can employ to make even the most vertically challenged room gorgeous.
Go for low furniture
You can create a feeling of space in a squat room by choosing low-slung furniture. By increasing the area between the furniture and the ceiling you’ll add a sense of height. This low, L-shaped sofa is ideal in this living room, providing a sumptuous space to sit while freeing up the area above it. By matching the upholstery colour with the walls, the designers have made the sofa appear to melt into the corner to create the illusion of even more space.
Browse through these images to see how rooms with low ceilings have been styled
You can create a feeling of space in a squat room by choosing low-slung furniture. By increasing the area between the furniture and the ceiling you’ll add a sense of height. This low, L-shaped sofa is ideal in this living room, providing a sumptuous space to sit while freeing up the area above it. By matching the upholstery colour with the walls, the designers have made the sofa appear to melt into the corner to create the illusion of even more space.
Browse through these images to see how rooms with low ceilings have been styled
Take doors up to the ceiling
In a diminutive room, make the most of all available vertical space by fitting ceiling-height doors. These glass ones go right up to the top of the room, not only to elongate the space but also to bring in plenty of light.
Although the hallway door is shorter, the glass panel above continues the airy feeling. Rather than appearing squashed, the room feels light, bright and spacious.
Take a look at ceiling designs
In a diminutive room, make the most of all available vertical space by fitting ceiling-height doors. These glass ones go right up to the top of the room, not only to elongate the space but also to bring in plenty of light.
Although the hallway door is shorter, the glass panel above continues the airy feeling. Rather than appearing squashed, the room feels light, bright and spacious.
Take a look at ceiling designs
Lengthen your curtains
In a similar vein to fitting tall doors, long curtains will work wonders in a low-ceilinged room. Instead of installing a curtain rail at the top of the window frame, position it close to the ceiling. The curtains will hang down from the top of the wall to the bottom and make the ceiling appear higher.
Take a look at this guide for choosing curtains
In a similar vein to fitting tall doors, long curtains will work wonders in a low-ceilinged room. Instead of installing a curtain rail at the top of the window frame, position it close to the ceiling. The curtains will hang down from the top of the wall to the bottom and make the ceiling appear higher.
Take a look at this guide for choosing curtains
Add lots of glass
If you’re building a low-roofed extension, consider adding plenty of glazing. Full-height (and width) glazed doors will create a spacious feel in the room and draw the eye away from the low ceiling. Also think about installing a roof light to prevent the low ceiling from impinging on the space.
If you’re building a low-roofed extension, consider adding plenty of glazing. Full-height (and width) glazed doors will create a spacious feel in the room and draw the eye away from the low ceiling. Also think about installing a roof light to prevent the low ceiling from impinging on the space.
Go for short light fittings..
The obvious lighting choice for a room with a low ceiling is a few spotlights, but it’s not the only option. Consider alternatives, such as flush ceiling lights or models with short hangings, like here. Flush lights aren’t just for bathrooms – there are plenty of attractive shades on the market. You could also try track lighting, which works well in contemporary spaces and is on-trend right now.
The obvious lighting choice for a room with a low ceiling is a few spotlights, but it’s not the only option. Consider alternatives, such as flush ceiling lights or models with short hangings, like here. Flush lights aren’t just for bathrooms – there are plenty of attractive shades on the market. You could also try track lighting, which works well in contemporary spaces and is on-trend right now.
…or make the most of wall lights
Minimise the need for large ceiling lights that will draw attention to your low ceiling by installing a few wall lights. These simple ones have been fitted by an electrician and give a pleasing symmetry to the room. If you don’t want to call in an electrician, there are lots of wall lights available that don’t need to be wired in. Hunt around for ones with attractive leads that become a design feature when they’re plugged into the socket.
Minimise the need for large ceiling lights that will draw attention to your low ceiling by installing a few wall lights. These simple ones have been fitted by an electrician and give a pleasing symmetry to the room. If you don’t want to call in an electrician, there are lots of wall lights available that don’t need to be wired in. Hunt around for ones with attractive leads that become a design feature when they’re plugged into the socket.
Hang pendants over furniture
If you do want to add some feature pendant lights to your low-ceilinged room, look around for clever places to position them. It’s best to let them hang somewhere you’re not going to walk below, such as over a kitchen table or island or over a bedside table. The location of these stunning pendants allows the lights to create a statement feature, without the possibility of anyone walking into them.
Wondering what to consider before hanging pendant lights?
If you do want to add some feature pendant lights to your low-ceilinged room, look around for clever places to position them. It’s best to let them hang somewhere you’re not going to walk below, such as over a kitchen table or island or over a bedside table. The location of these stunning pendants allows the lights to create a statement feature, without the possibility of anyone walking into them.
Wondering what to consider before hanging pendant lights?
Emphasise another element
To draw the eye away from a low ceiling, highlight another area of the room. In this loft space, the patterned wallpaper creates a feature at the rear of the room, while the white, sloping ceiling recedes into the background.
To draw the eye away from a low ceiling, highlight another area of the room. In this loft space, the patterned wallpaper creates a feature at the rear of the room, while the white, sloping ceiling recedes into the background.
Make a feature of it
While painting your low ceiling a light colour will help to disguise its height, you could also decide to bring it to the foreground. Think of your low ceiling as a design feature and paint it a bold colour, cover it with wallpaper or fit some stunning tin tiles like they’ve done here. This otherwise simple white room has been turned into an interesting space by making the most of the low ceiling.
While painting your low ceiling a light colour will help to disguise its height, you could also decide to bring it to the foreground. Think of your low ceiling as a design feature and paint it a bold colour, cover it with wallpaper or fit some stunning tin tiles like they’ve done here. This otherwise simple white room has been turned into an interesting space by making the most of the low ceiling.
Don’t be afraid of colour
It’s tempting to go for a bright white paint to create a feeling of space in your squat room. However, it’s often a good idea to opt for a dark shade on the walls and ceiling in order to make the most of your room’s cosy proportions. The deep blue here highlights the interesting angles of this room and gives the space a snug, intimate feel.
Read more:
7 Ceiling Designs That Will Make You Look Up and Gasp
Tell us:
How have you made the most of a room’s low ceiling? We want to know, so share your ideas/photos in the Comments below.
It’s tempting to go for a bright white paint to create a feeling of space in your squat room. However, it’s often a good idea to opt for a dark shade on the walls and ceiling in order to make the most of your room’s cosy proportions. The deep blue here highlights the interesting angles of this room and gives the space a snug, intimate feel.
Read more:
7 Ceiling Designs That Will Make You Look Up and Gasp
Tell us:
How have you made the most of a room’s low ceiling? We want to know, so share your ideas/photos in the Comments below.
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I'm sorry, but does this author even know what a "low ceiling" is? Most of the design ideas in this article are for standard hight or taller rooms. Look at the size of that glass on the "floor to ceiling doors" concept! Yes, this makes a room look more impressive -- but they started with a room that has good ceiling height to begin with and ordered extra tall doors!
I'd love to see an article like this that actually addresses low ceiling height rooms that are shorter than the standard 8' ceiling.
Photos 5 & 6 look to be lower ceilings.
Ours are 7'6" on the main floor, 7'9" in the basement apartment. Backwards, I know. This is a 1976 modular home, 5 modules to be specific, set atop a walkout basement. The height limit was so the modules could be hauled on a flat bed and still clear bridges and sagging power lines.
Our most pleasing window treatments have been shades set close to the glass. I painted the window trim a darker shade than the walls which seems to emphasize the space above the windows. It makes the window trim look more like a picture frame.
The addition of fabric to create a ceiling treatment that has a quilted effect or draped channels worked in my dorm room. I glued corks to the panel frames and tacked the drapery to it.