Ceilings Perth are often overlooked, but they have the power to influence the mood of any room. They can also be a creative canvas for decorating and can add value to your home for resale.
While conventional ceilings can be boring, adding a subtle ceiling texture can transform your space. There are many options to choose from.
A beamed ceiling features exposed joists and beams that can add character and visual interest to a room. Beams can be made of timber, wood, or a combination of materials, and may be stained or painted. In many cases, achieving an exposed beam style requires taking down ceiling drywall, but there are a couple of alternatives that offer less work and more cost-effective results.
Historically, beams were part of the structural makeup of ceilings, but they’re now often left exposed as a design feature that complements other ceiling surfaces. This style works well with a variety of other ceiling systems, including paneling or linear ceiling systems. If you’re interested in a beamed ceiling, take the time to weigh all of your options. A few things to consider include the size of the ceiling space and the overall feel of the room, and the level of noise that can be created by a soaring, open beam.
There are a number of ways to modernize beamed ceilings, such as painting the beams white or another light color. In this way, the beams will blend into and become part of the overall look of the space. However, the most important thing to remember when working with beamed ceilings is that they need to complement and balance the scale and proportion of the rest of the room. Beams that are too large for the ceiling space can overwhelm the room and make it feel crowded.
The best way to deal with this is by using larger, wider beams. For example, in this bedroom, the dark wood ceiling beams have been paired with a draped canopy to create a cozy and inviting sleeping area. The canopy also helps to visually separate the bedroom from the other areas of the house, creating a cozy sense of privacy.
In homes with existing beams, the easiest way to achieve a beamed look is by using hollow wood box beams. These beams are milled from a specific species of wood, and provide a more consistent appearance than salvaged solid wood beams. Hollow beams are also a good choice if you’re renovating an older home, because they allow you to retain the old ceiling and walls without adding expensive drywall.
Coffered Ceilings
Coffered ceilings have a grid of recessed panels that create a visual effect, adding drama to any room. A coffered ceiling is often found in home libraries, studies, and dens, but can also add elegance to dining rooms, foyers, and living areas. This architectural feature can be used in a wide variety of styles, from traditional to modern, and can add substantial value to any home.
While many homeowners are familiar with the classic grid pattern of a coffered ceiling, the indentations can take on a number of shapes, including squares, rectangles, hexagonal, and octagonal designs. This versatility allows homeowners to design a coffered ceiling that reflects their own unique style and complements the architecture of their home.
Whether made from natural or synthetic materials, a coffered ceiling is designed to enhance a room’s aesthetic by creating a focal point that draws the eye. The voids or “panels” can be filled with a decorative finish to further emphasize the ceiling’s unique structure. The surface can be painted to match a specific color scheme or to create an elegant look, or left in its natural state for a more rustic or earthy tone.
A coffered ceiling can be an ideal choice for homes with low or uneven ceilings that require a level of structural support. It can also be used in spaces where access to the roof is limited, such as basements and attics. The recessed panels can be fitted with lighting for both function and beauty, making it an ideal place to install a lighted crown or trim.
Before construction and installation of a coffered ceiling can begin, homeowners must decide on the number of coffers required to achieve their desired look. At this stage, they must also note down the beam depth and width to ensure that they are able to achieve a uniform pattern on their ceiling.
Wood coffered ceilings can be stained in a wide range of colors to suit any taste, from rich wood tones that feel opulent and sophisticated to light wood tones that add a warm and cozy touch. Alternatively, synthetic materials can be used for budget-friendly and easy-to-maintain options that still provide the same beautiful wood looks. In either case, the finished coffered ceiling will be protected with paint or varnish that nourishes and protects the wood, while maintaining breathability, for lasting performance.
Tray Ceilings
Often ignored or left plain, ceilings are the fifth wall of a room and deserve some attention. While crown molding and eye-catching light fixtures are popular choices for decorating a ceiling, there is another option that takes the look of this important architectural feature to new heights: tray ceilings. Named for the recessed center that resembles an upside-down tray, this design element became popular in suburban homes during the 1990s and is still a favorite among homeowners looking to add visual interest to their living spaces.
Tray ceilings are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit any style, from contemporary to traditional. Most commonly used in formal living rooms and dining areas, this design detail creates a focal point that draws the eyes upward and makes the space feel larger. They are also ideal for highlighting architectural features like vaulted ceilings, coffered panels and other decorative elements.
One of the most common types of tray ceilings is the simple, single-tier design. This ceiling type is constructed from drywall and is either left unfinished for a minimalist look or framed with trim for added elegance. Crown molding is often added to the edges of a tray ceiling for a more luxurious touch, and the area inside the ceiling border can be painted a different color from the rest of the ceiling to make it stand out.
Another design option for a tray ceiling is the multi-tiered version, which recesses into multiple levels. This can be an attractive and dramatic way to highlight an architectural feature or an entire space, but it’s best suited for large rooms and requires professional installation.
Aside from enhancing the aesthetics of a room, a tray ceiling can also increase the value of your home. Adding this design element can set your house apart from other homes on the market, making it feel more luxurious and high-end. It’s also an attractive selling point for potential buyers, resulting in a faster and easier sale at a higher price.
While a coffer or coffered ceiling can be difficult to install in an existing home, a simple tray ceiling is relatively easy to add during construction. The joists in the ceiling are raised to support a raised border, which can be created from wood beams or drywall. A drywall tray ceiling can be finished without trim for a clean look, or trimmed with corner molding for a more elaborate style.
Drop Ceilings
You’ve probably seen drop ceilings in office buildings or school classrooms, where they are used to conceal ductwork, pipes, wires and other building components. They also offer acoustic control, reducing echoes and noise levels. The ceiling panels or tiles are usually lightweight and can be installed in a grid, making them a great option for rooms where plumbing, electrical work or air conditioning needs to be installed without having to alter the structural ceiling.
They are easy to install and can be updated with a new design as your needs change, giving you the flexibility of transforming your space without undergoing an extensive renovation. They are not as sturdy as traditional ceilings, so they may not withstand the force of an earthquake or the high winds of a hurricane. In addition, they tend to trap dust and other allergens between the ceiling panels and the structural ceiling, so they need frequent cleanings.
A drop ceiling is a ceiling suspended from the ceiling framing and typically consists of a gridwork of metal channels, or a t-bar grid. These metal channels snap together in a regular pattern of cells that are then filled with ceiling tiles or panels. There are two primary types of grid systems, a standard T-bar or a concealed grid. Concealed grids are harder to maintain because they require a “key panel” that can be removed in order to gain access to the area above.
Both types of ceilings can be customized with a wide variety of tile materials, colors, textures and patterns to suit your personal style and interior design vision. They can even be painted or faux-painted to create a unique look.
Drywall is a popular building material that offers an attractive and practical finish to walls and ceilings. It has a flat surface that provides a canvas for various painting techniques, and it can be made to look like coffered or tray ceilings. However, drywall is not as durable as plaster, so it can be more susceptible to water damage and mold growth. Moreover, drywall requires professional installation since it involves complex measurements and cutting.