skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Modular Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Home Bar
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Home Theater
    • Home Office
    • Staircase
    BED & BATH
    • Bedroom
    • Nursery
    • Kid's Room
    • Bathroom
    OUTDOOR
    • Garden
    • Patio
    • Terrace & Balcony
    • Courtyard
    MORE ROOMS
    • Puja Room
    • Wardrobe
    • Exterior
    • Swimming Pool
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    DESIGN & RENOVATION
    • Architects & Building Designers
    • Interior Designers & Decorators
    • Civil Engineers & Contractors
    • Design-Build Firms
    • Kitchen & Bath Designers
    • Landscape Architects & Contractors
    • Home Builders & Construction Companies
    • Photographers
    • Specialty Contractors
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Furniture & Accessories
    • Flooring & Carpet
    • Tile, Stone & Countertop
    • Bedding & Bath
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES
    LATEST FROM HOUZZ
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchen Guides
    • Bathroom Guides
    • Bedroom Guides
    • Decorating Guides
    • Outdoors
    • Architecture
    HOUZZ TV
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
  • ADVICE
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Home Decorating
    • Kitchens
    • Living Rooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Dining Rooms
    • Exterior
    • Lighting
    • Paint
    • Building a Home
More Room Guides
More Room Guides
7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
Top Ideabooks
7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost AnywhereDo You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful TwistCustom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
Living RoomsKids SpacesHome OfficesDining Rooms
Decorating Guides
Decorating Guides
Teak Wood vs Sheesham Wood: Which Wood is Best for Furniture?
Top Ideabooks
Teak Wood vs Sheesham Wood: Which Wood is Best for Furniture?8 Refreshing Wall & Almirah Colour CombinationsDid You Know About the 3 Types of Balance in Design?What We Can Learn From the Minimalists
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
Small SpacesDecorating IdeasFloorsFestival Guides
Decorating Ideas
Decorating Ideas
50 Breathtaking Living Rooms From Across the World
Top Ideabooks
50 Breathtaking Living Rooms From Across the World7 Winning Ways to Integrate Wood Into a Building's ExteriorWhy Have a Neutral-Coloured BedroomIndian Bedrooms Embrace Stunning Accents Behind the Bed
Appears in
Decorating Guides

False Ceiling: Yes or No?

If you are in two minds about installing a false ceiling, this should help you make up your mind

Vinita Kunnath
Vinita Kunnath17 September 2020
A Houzz India contributor, freelance writer, lover of the internet, travel, funny blogs and all things off-beat, with an eye for good taste and aesthetics. Home, not clothes, maketh a man.....or woman.
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
False ceilings have climbed up the design hierarchy a good bit since the time they were synonymous with stuffy office decor. Suspended or dropped ceilings, as they are also known, have slowly but surely made their way into urban homes and are here to stay. Yet, they are one of the least understood and most underutilised of interior design features. We show you the pros and cons of replacing a perfectly good concrete ceiling with, well, another one, albeit in a different material (POP, gypsum, wood, MDF and acrylic, to name a few).
Ricken Desai Photography
Pros

1. Hides the electricals
It provides the best camouflage for electrical wiring, ducts and pipes meant for cooling and heating devices, lighting fixtures, sprinklers and so on, giving the ceiling a neat, homogeneous look.
Ricken Desai Photography
2. Provides for ample overhead lighting
A false ceiling is the best way to introduce ambient lighting into a room. Be they recessed lights, cove lights or track lights, the false ceiling makes all of these possible.

Tip: Encase LED lights in the suspended ceiling and kill two birds with one stone – not only will your electricity consumption drastically drop, you won’t need lighting on the walls.

Find an interior designer to design your home
Mrigank Sharma Photography
3. Enhances acoustics
The air cavity behind the false ceiling provides good sound insulation, thus reducing echoes and external noise, making the room quieter.
Architecture + Design Ankit Prabhudessai
4. Makes for a cosy atmosphere
By lowering the ceiling, especially in a high-ceilinged room, it makes a room feel more cosy and intimate – ideal for living spaces.
Vijay Kapur Designs
5. Promotes energy efficiency
The insulating effect caused by the air trapped between the actual ceiling and the false one reduces heat in summers and cold in winters, thus lowering your electrical bills. It also improves the performance of air conditioners, thanks to the smaller space and the insulated ceiling.
Usine Studio
Cons

1. Haven for pests
If not sealed on all sides or not treated for pests intermittently, false ceilings can turn out to be a breeding ground for unwanted organisms.
Studio Lagom
2. Risk of installed fixtures falling
Unlike the roof that your home came with, a false ceiling needs to be gauged properly for strength and durability before hanging anything from it.
Group DCA
3. Reduces height of room
A dropped ceiling is inadvisable in a room that’s less than 7.5 feet in height, as it can make the space appear closed in and claustrophobic.

Tip: Factor in the gap between the roof and the false ceiling (minimum 6 inches) plus the thickness of the dropped ceiling when you decide to install one.
Dipen Gada and Associates
So, is it a yes or a no?
I’d give it a resounding yes, space and budget permitting. A false ceiling is the best way to play around with the design and aesthetics of a room – and what a large canvas it is! A mass of ‘dead space’ waiting to be designed in different shapes, in a myriad of materials and embellished as you please – what’s not to love!

Read more:
Which False Ceiling Material is Better: Gypsum or POP?
5 Ways to Amp Up With False Ceilings

Tell us:
What are your insights on false ceilings? Share in Comments below.
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Comments (3)
  • Catherine Choo
    last year
    It depends, as far as I am concerned, not necessarily having a false ceiling will make the homes look cozy, moreover it will depend on the height of the home ceiling, like in HDB flats, the ceilings are very low, if added a false ceiling, it kind of getting the way and will make the house looks cramp. I am living in an old unit and just had my house fully renovated, I did not install false ceiling but to prevent it from looking so 'HDB' feel, I had installed a track light , a contrast between the white light, it still gives me a cozy feel.
  • tsworn
    last year

    Im installing drywall ceilings in my new villa in Cambodia for the pro reasons above, as well as the aesthetic effect of a European / Italian villa (cornice, etc). Some will be completely covered due to mechanical / electrical above and others just the edges so that there is soft lighting in the recesses. The ceilings are all high so can take the lower effect. Attached are some images of the plastered centred area getting ready for the drywall at the edges.


  • Anupama Das
    4 months ago

    I agree with the concept of having a false ceiling for home. It enhances the elegance and overall charm of the interiors.

  • Read Related Stories
    7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
    Bedroom Guides7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
    By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
    Wondering how to add built-in storage to your home? This guide shows you the way
    Full Story0
    Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?
    ArchitectureDo You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?
    By Rebecca Naughtin
    Architects are buzzing about ambiguous spaces where even walls move
    Full Story6
    7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist
    Decorating Guides7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist
    By Shristi Nangalia
    Want to add some organic warmth, texture and drama to your home? Try one of these colourful stone floors
    Full Story6
    Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
    Decorating GuidesCustom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
    By Pooja Khanna Tyagi
    Follow these steps to ensure smooth fabrication and flawless carpentry work while customising fitted wardrobes
    Full Story2
    5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint
    More Room Guides5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint
    By Barbara Milner
    Whether vibrantly coloured or elegantly understated, a coat of paint could be just what your stairs need to stand out
    Full Story29
    Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?
    LifeHi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?
    By Pooja Khanna Tyagi
    Here is all you need to know about smart home technology and popular home automation gadgets available in the Indian market
    Full Story4
    Fighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air Clean
    LifeFighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air Clean
    By Aditi Sharma Maheshwari
    Rid your home of contaminants and airborne pollutants that can hamper your health and wellbeing
    Full Story0
    Stretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a Room
    Decorating IdeasStretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a Room
    By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
    Wish you could add another room to your home? Consider your wish granted with these easy-breezy (totally doable) tips
    Full Story1
    10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small Flats
    Small Spaces10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small Flats
    By Vinita Kunnath
    Browse this ready list of essentials that will ensure your city apartment will not be short on style, even if it is on space.
    Full Story0
    5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game Changer
    More Room Guides5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game Changer
    By Kate Burt
    Layout not working? The answer could be to borrow some space from an adjoining room, hall or landing
    Full Story9
    Standard Height for Counters, Tables, Shelves, Lights & More
    Living RoomsStandard Height for Counters, Tables, Shelves, Lights & More
    By Charmean Neithart
    How high are typical household details supposed to be? Find out about 10 of them here
    Full Story86
    Wall Decor Trends From New Indian Homes on Houzz
    Decorating IdeasWall Decor Trends From New Indian Homes on Houzz
    By Vinita Kunnath
    Discover how these materials and designs can help your walls make a bold statement
    Full Story0
    A Stepwise Guide to Building a Pooja Room
    Most PopularA Stepwise Guide to Building a Pooja Room
    By Pranav Iyer
    Here are all the important considerations to keep in mind before you set up a pooja mandir for home
    Full Story23
    The Right Way to Light Up Your Home
    Living RoomsThe Right Way to Light Up Your Home
    By Melisa LaBancz-Bleasdale
    Learn how to layer table lamps, floor lamps and overhead fixtures to get the lighting you need and the mood you want
    Full Story69
    23 Ideas for Lighting Your Home's Entryway
    Lighting Ideas23 Ideas for Lighting Your Home's Entryway
    By Kate Burt
    From wall or table lamps to decorative pendants and colourful LEDs, see the many ways designers have lit up an entrance
    Full Story18
    People who liked this story also liked
    7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost Anywhere
    7 Spiffy Built-In Storage Systems That Work Almost AnywhereFull Story
    Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?
    Do You Know About Flexible Floor Plans & Function-Fluid Spaces?Full Story
    7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful Twist
    7 Natural Stones That Can Give Your Floor a Colourful TwistFull Story
    Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted Wardrobes
    Custom Furniture: How to Manage Carpentry Work for Fitted WardrobesFull Story
    5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With Paint
    5 Gorgeous Ways to Refresh Your Stairs With PaintFull Story
    Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?
    Hi-Tech Living: What Are Smart Homes?Full Story
    Fighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air Clean
    Fighting Pollution: How to Keep Your Indoor Air CleanFull Story
    Stretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a Room
    Stretching Space: 9 Kicky Ways to Create a Room Within a RoomFull Story
    10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small Flats
    10 Must-Have Furniture Pieces for Small FlatsFull Story
    5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game Changer
    5 Spaces Where ‘Stolen Space’ is a Game ChangerFull Story
    • India
    • ABOUT
    • MOBILE APPS
    • PROFESSIONALS
    • BUTTONS
    • FAQs
    • CAREERS
    • ADVERTISE
    • Terms & Privacy
    • © 2021 Houzz Inc.