Posted by
HGTV.ca Editorial Team
Saturday, September 15, 2012 7:18 AM EDT
The never-ending walls and hovering dead air that result from double-height ceilings can make for an intimidating space to decorate. Here; some insight and tricks for helping you solve your own sprawling space dilemmas.
Oversize Lighting
New York Times Magazine
The simplest trick in the book, oversize statement lighting fixtures do wonders to anchor a room with soaring ceilings. The more space it takes up the better. And no need to look to something super showy: this simple (could be IKEA) paper lantern is all the drama this room needed to celebrate its ample proportions. Note the ceiling medallion as well -- always a worthy investment when dealing with too much ceiling.
Paint is Your Friend
Remodelista via OWI
If the height a ceiling offers is simply menacing, bring it down some by painting it out in a darker hue than the walls. This black dramatic ceiling fits well with the rustic theme of the dining room and creates the perfect focal point for the otherwise austere space. The statement light fixture also helps.
The Right Balance of Vertical and Horizontal
Remodelista, photo by Art Gary
One of the most technical ways to neutralize an intimidating high ceiling is to temper the soaring vertical lines with some horizontal ones. Several elements work to do this in the example above:
1. The furniture is broad-based and well-grounded, with short backs and wide, sprawling seats. This shows that you need not always follow the instinct to choose tall-back furniture that follows suit with the tall proportions of a room.
2. Furniture alone won't do it however, and in this case, the strong horizontal shelf and bench extending the fireplace surround, the grain of the stone feature wall and the floating shelves in front of the tall windows, all work to masterfully slice through the dead space created by the high ceilings.
3. Finally, the cluster of pendant lights reaching down from the ceiling opposite the fireplace and feature wall serve as a nod to the height of the ceiling, finishing off the perfectly successful balance between vertical and horizontal.
Do you have any tips and tricks to dealing with double-height ceilings?
