It might not be something that you ever really thought about, but the ceiling can add an incredible amount of character to a room. The right choice can create a grand sense of space, a softly lit sense of luxury, a rustic loftiness, or even a quaint comfort. It’s one of those nuanced touches that you’ll be extremely glad you spent time thinking about when you walk into your living room, bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom and feel that sense of delight that should come along with your new space.
There are a few different ceiling styles and finishing touches that we love, and we’ll walk you through those here, along with providing a couple of photos to help you understand what a difference your choices can make to your home.
First up, the Reverse Cove ceiling. A reverse cove is an excellent way to accent a flat ceiling, providing a light, museum-like aesthetic, nearly as if the dropped portion is floating away from the true ceiling above. It can seem, perhaps, counterintuitive to lower a portion of the ceiling, as one might think that this makes a room feel cramped, but as a matter of fact, the process can do just the opposite. By creating the dropped portion in a great room and lighting the outer edges, a reverse cove ceiling can add a sense of air to a room, drawing the eyes to the negative space of the cove that surrounds the drop. For an extra touch in the room pictured, a wood trim “X” pattern adds a hint of rustic charm, performing a bit of a balancing act with the hardwood floors below.
A second, stunning option for your ceilings is the Cove Ceiling. Whereas the reverse cove has a section that protrudes a bit lower in the center, this option has a raised portion in the center. In the photo seen here, the perimeter of the ceiling is stepped down around 12” below the true ceiling and has been customized to feature a ledge where we were able to hide LED accent lights. This option brings a sense of light to your ceiling, allowing you to feel as if the room is opening up as you step inside. It can make a bathroom, or really any room, feel much larger than it may actually be.
Next we come to the Cathedral Ceiling. Named thusly as it takes inspiration from the massive, cavernous cathedrals of Europe, it’s a wonderful way to add volume and height to a room. A cathedral ceiling can make a room feel grand and make even a rather tight space feel voluminous by adding height to the room, cheating the eyes and mind into believing the square footage is far more than it may actually be. Cathedral ceilings can work in both one-story or two-story rooms and would typically feature a ridge at the peak that runs parallel to the ridge line of the home. Of course in a two-story room, the effect is even more grand, but as you can see from the images here, it can add an incredible amount of opulence to a single story room as well, turning an ordinary living room into a spectacular living room. Support trusses or box beams take this ceiling concept to the next level, accenting the house design with a bit of delight above your head.
Finally, there is the Coffered Ceiling. This is the sort of design that might bring you to the victorian era or perhaps one of the great mansions that can still be found throughout the eastern side of the United States. Once a design staple of libraries or dens of the greatest and largest home ever built, this ceiling detail has stood the test of time and is now being incorporated into modern homes. The painted beams with crown molding add a touch of old world charm and royal luxury to your main living space.
There certainly is no wrong answer when it comes to choosing the ceiling for each room in your home. Each option brings its own personality and delight, and it simply depends on your goals.
Are you looking to make the space feel bigger? Are you excited about having a modern accent light? Do you like the old world elegance of beams and moldings or the modern whimsy of LED lighting against a recessed cove? Have a new home specialist contact you to start discussing your dream room and the design trends we can suggest to enhance it.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 32 markets in 14 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.