Think "vertical" when planning wall art for a high-ceilinged room.
Sweeping, two-story ceilings that add drama to your rooms can be tough to decorate. The large, vertical expanses draw the eye upward, leaving the rooms feeling smaller at floor level. Yet, furnishings still tend to get lost in the midst of all that empty space. Create a warmer, more intimate atmosphere by decorating rooms with two-story ceilings in a way that makes the most of the ceiling height while keeping the focus comfortably low.
Instructions
1. Install decorative ceiling beams in a style that's compatible with your home's architecture and decor. Whereas rustic beams work well in cabins, sleeker, more streamlined beams are appropriate for a contemporary space. Beams acknowledge the ceiling height by drawing attention to it, yet serve as hard stops for your gaze that help preserve a sense of intimacy.
2. Install shelving around the perimeter of the room, at the same height as the first-floor walls, to tie the lower part of the room to the ceiling beams. Decorate the shelves with large, tall objects, such as candlesticks and vases, to draw the eye upward, yet further relate the ceiling to the lower part of the room.
3. Choose paint colors that visually reduce the ceiling height and enhance the room's intimacy. Paint the room a deep color. Paint the ceiling a few shades darker than the walls. Hang narrow molding about a foot below the ceiling and extend the ceiling color down to the molding, to visually reduce the height of the ceiling. Paint or stain the molding to match the rest of the room's moldings and trims. Create continuity by using the paint colors elsewhere in the room, such as in accent fabrics and art.
4. Ground the lower portion of the room to keep the focus on the human-sized scale that most people find comfortable. Oversized furniture that's proportionate to the size of the room is one way to achieve this. Include tall pieces, such as bookcases. Arrange furniture away from the walls in groupings that define areas -- for conversation and reading, for example -- and anchor the groupings with area rugs.
5. Accessorize using a variety of materials and textures to add depth to your room's design and further emphasize the lower portion. Exercise restraint, however. An overly decorated room feels cluttered no matter what the ceiling height and it throws a room with a high ceiling off balance.
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