In an era where personal style and bespoke interiors are highly valued, ceiling decoration is both impactful and inspiring. Style director Louise Hilsz shares how to complement design elements seamlessly to harmonise any room's atmosphere effortlessly. Her advice: “Consider ceiling detail a lasting and versatile trend for any home design.”
The Ceiling is a Design Element
Look up, what colour is your ceiling? White, cream, beige? It’s almost always forgotten as a feature in your home, but not by experts; some designers even refer to the ceiling as a fifth wall. Once you get creative, it will make a significant impact on the overall design of your home. Depending on colour, texture, and decorative elements, a beautiful ceiling could elevate the entire room.
Harnessing Height
"For most homes, ceilings are not the feature, but if you have a high stud height, there's no reason why you can't bring colour onto the ceiling," says interior designer and colour consultant Debbie Abercrombie. Applying a paint colour to the ceiling can dramatically alter your perception of the room's space, making it appear larger, smaller, more formal or casual. A dark colour can visually lower the height of a room, while a light colour can give the impression that it's taller. "With a low stud height, say 2.4m, you need to keep the ceiling light," says Abercrombie. "But once you get to a stud height that's 2.7m and higher, you have more flexibility - a higher stud height, and the world is your oyster."
Architectural Details
Bathrooms are the perfect room to embrace bold, warm and characterful designs on the ceiling; A feature ceiling will draw the eye upwards, creating a sense of height and drama, making a small room appear expansive. A wallpapered ceiling allows you to introduce texture, pattern or colour in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the room. Most importantly, when you lie back in the bath, you will be transported to another world. “However, rooms that attract moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, benefit from a waterborne enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom. Prepping a mouldy ceiling before painting is essential. Use a product such as Resene Moss & Mould Killer first. Bleach is okay if you want to get rid of the colour of the mould," says Resene colour consultant Sarah Gregory, who adds. "But you do need to kill off the spores completely with a product like Resene Moss & Mould Killer before repainting."
Texture and Materials
The finished look of your ceiling should complement the walls, the flooring, and the furnishings. Don’t be afraid to try bold colours in striking shades or apply intricate detailing, which can make it a focal point and transform the room’s atmosphere. "In living spaces where you spend a lot of time, you don't want to bring your ceilings down," says Abercrombie. "But if it's a separate room, somewhere for entertaining, like a separate dining room or a home theatre, for example, it has a different purpose and you can close those rooms in." Paint is not your only option when it comes to making an impact with your ceilings. Wood panelling, plaster mouldings and wallpaper will help create a striking result. Resene Anaglypta wallpaper collection is becoming increasingly popular on ceilings, too. These uncoloured, embossed wallpapers bring texture to a room and can be painted over in your choice of Resene colour.
Achieving Continuity
A feature ceiling will draw the eye upwards, creating a sense of height and drama, making a small room appear expansive. Excess colour may not be to everyone's taste, but using colour on the ceiling in a child's room may be a happy medium for parents who prefer all the walls in their house to be painted the same colour, says Gregory. “It's a neat way to compromise, where parents want the same colour throughout the house, but the child wants colour in their bedroom, you can pop colour on the ceiling. Then they've got their colour, but it doesn't affect the overall look of the house."
Bold Choices
Don't be afraid to experiment with bold colours or patterns to completely change a room's atmosphere. As far as finish goes, ceiling paint is typically flat or low sheen rather than glossy, as high gloss draws attention to imperfections. Resene Ceiling Paint waterborne flat, for example, is recommended for use on ceilings in living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Another addition to Resene's collection is Resene Earthsense Ceiling Paint, another excellent product for ceilings
Get the look
Here’s some inspiration.