home: trend [ statement ceilings ]

Turning the interior design world on its head, the new trend for statement ceilings is a brave new design step in putting creative thought on to an often forgotten surface – the ceiling.

Growing in popularity, following the style advice of creative forums like Pinterest and what’s in Vogue, we see various options and design processes being used to create a focal point of the ceiling instead of other more traditional areas that we make a feature like walls or floors.

We see tiles, wallpapers, stencilling and plaster (or faux) relief work, covering ceilings to bring interest to a room as well as often having benefits including allowing a space to feel lighter, taller, or even cosier depending on what is used.

Most of these ideas come from interiors of the past. Relief ceiling in plaster or wood feature (if they haven’t been ripped out) in the ceilings of grander properties from Edwardian, Victorian, Georgian and earlier houses; wood panelling or carving can be seen in the last few centuries but also in the twenties, thirties and forties; wood cladding has been popular since the midcentury and although fell out of favour in the last couple of decades it’s seen a resurgence in use for both a country cottage feel, beach house feel or the strongest design look – a midcentury modern design. A teak or walnut ceiling would have been used to lower and bring down a ceiling to emphasise the open plan so single level living with large glass windows synonymous with many properties of the 1950s and 1960s.

Now we also see tiles being used as a feature product to cover a ceiling. With brands like Rockett St George introducing tin tiles as a beautiful idea, having not been available in this country until recently, we now see other brands following suit.

But this new trend also gives rise to the DIY notion and gives a chance to get creative or crafty. Wood cladding is certainly an attainable level DIY project but also being creative with masking tape or stencils with paint is also a great idea – both cost effective and easy to do, plus can be changed at a later date to suit dates with no major cost issue – just a few coats of paint.

See our picture for ideas but also think out side of the box – swap the planned wall wallpaper to the ceiling or take the pattern from a piece of homeware in the room and transfer it to the ceiling!