Tin ceiling tiles were designed to emulate the ornate plaster ceilings of Europe.
Tin ceilings work well in dining rooms and kitchens. The embossed tiles of rolled, pressed tin were developed in mid-19th century America as an inexpensive alternative to the fine, carved plasterwork favored by Europe's wealthy households. Today, reclaimed vintage and reproduction tin tiles add an historical reference and a note of whimsy to all but the most formal rooms.
Bedroom
A pressed tin ceiling in a bedroom lends an antique note to a shabby-chic, romantic or eclectic d cor. Old tiles with worn or distressed paint can be picked up at flea markets and urban salvage stores. One easy way to attach the tiles is on a plywood base fixed to the ceiling. This is a job for a professional installer or an intrepid do-it-yourselfer with some experience in renovations--homeowners do install tin ceilings successfully. Old tiles should be sealed with a nontoxic lacquer to prevent flaking paint from coming loose. Antique ceiling tiles date from the days when lead paint was common and that distressed finish over your bed is probably lead. Hunt for an old chandelier to install, once the tin ceiling is up, to extend the look and draw attention upward to the ornate tiles.
Dining Room
A tin ceiling can be a cool touch in a contemporary dining room. If you don't already have pressed tin tiles in place, look for the newer aluminum ones and use them with their metallic finish or with a couple of coats of shiny primary color paint. An all-white, high-ceilinged room with a glass table, mismatched reclaimed chairs painted in solid crayon-box hues, and a few pieces of modern art on the walls gets a jolt of style from a red tin ceiling. The color makes the room seem more intimate and reflects a flattering warm glow on everyone at the table. In a traditional dining room, the raised designs in tin can be highlighted with colored paint to bring out their detail. And, for ultimate impact, a tiny, ornate dining room becomes a Faberg egg with embroidered chair cushions, a hand-loomed carpet and a tin ceiling burnished gold.
Kitchen
An old-fashioned kitchen is the perfect room for a tin ceiling. Vintage appliances, soft, period paint colors, a big porcelain farm sink and tile countertops are finished off with a topping of swirled and scrolled pressed tin. The ceiling doesn't have to be authentic to look as if it's always been there. New tiles that look old, especially when installed overhead and painted, are made of rust-proof aluminum or molded from PVC plastic. No matter how steamy things get in the kitchen, moisture won't affect the ceiling tiles. A nice touch for a kitchen with a secret faux tin ceiling is a backsplash behind the farm sink or the Magic Chef that's made of real, vintage tin ceiling tiles fixed to the wall.
Tags: ceiling tiles, dining room, farm sink,