One of the sights that has always managed to take my breath away on tours of grand old buildings on holidays is the detailed workmanship on the ceilings - be it painted, guilded, trompe l'oeiled, stuccoed, Venetian plastered, wood carved or plain old rustic beamed. Craning my neck up to look at the amazing, beautiful ceilings is like looking at the stars on a cloudless night, each gaze falls on something new, something I haven't noticed before - and I have always felt that it is such a shame we have moved away from that in design. Ceiling is never the emphasis now, decorating our homes we hardly give a passing thought to ceilings expect to check the height if hanging a chandelier. But there is so much more to ceilings, our elders knew better, and nature knows better too- it's canvass has ever changing ceiling with clouds flitting across, the sun shining through, bathing the clouds in all hues and shades of amber, the stars twinkling at night and the moon, changing from a low hanging mysterious fiery orange ball to slithering light up high in the sky. In fact, nature's ever changing ceiling is what keeps our surroundings fresh and new.
Most homemaker's budget does not extend to ceilings apart from a coat of paint, but making a note-worthy ceiling needn't break the bank. Painting them other than white is the easiest and cheapest way. Another is adding mouldings so they look like roof panels. My sister has amazing beams in her lounge, which in reality are low-cost steel bars salvaged from a factory throwaway and treated with paint and plaster to look like rustic old beams. Stencilling a ceiling rose around a grand chandelier is another pick-me-up tip that adds drama and glamour to an otherwise boring ceiling. All it takes is a bit of ingenuity, a bit of time, loving labour and there - you have a ceiling that becomes a talking point and another source of pure joy (second to your children, of course!). Here are a few home-makers who know the value of interesting ceilings. Be inspired and raise the ceiling on your next décor makeover.
Most homemaker's budget does not extend to ceilings apart from a coat of paint, but making a note-worthy ceiling needn't break the bank. Painting them other than white is the easiest and cheapest way. Another is adding mouldings so they look like roof panels. My sister has amazing beams in her lounge, which in reality are low-cost steel bars salvaged from a factory throwaway and treated with paint and plaster to look like rustic old beams. Stencilling a ceiling rose around a grand chandelier is another pick-me-up tip that adds drama and glamour to an otherwise boring ceiling. All it takes is a bit of ingenuity, a bit of time, loving labour and there - you have a ceiling that becomes a talking point and another source of pure joy (second to your children, of course!). Here are a few home-makers who know the value of interesting ceilings. Be inspired and raise the ceiling on your next décor makeover.
