Use gray generics as a base to make faux tin ceiling tiles.
If you've stopped going to your basement because the drop ceiling depresses you, or there's "Land of the Ugly Dropped Ceiling" elsewhere in your home, things may be literally and figuratively looking up for you. Others have walked in your shoes and made changes without undertaking a part-time job to pay for a makeover. Basic ideas follow, but your imagination may take over, allowing you to turn that ugly drop ceiling into a drop dead gorgeous tribute to your ingenuity.
Instructions
1. Turn your ugly ceiling into a vintage work of art by recreating tin tiles across your ceiling expanse. Get rid of the old tiles, leaving the gridwork in place. Spray paint the framework a metallic color that matches the faux tin tiles you'll display. Purchase a carton of 24-inch square polymer tiles in a pattern that best matches the ceiling look you desire -- they're available from companies like Talissa Décor, Ceiling Magnifique and other manufacturers -- in copper, tin, pewter or another metallic color so they look like antique ceiling tiles. Glue the dry tiles to 2-by-4 generic tiles and install them as you would any replacement ceiling tile.
2. Purchase enough sheeting, drop cloths or over-sized tablecloths to span your ceiling -- plus a little extra -- if the faux tin project sounds too complicated. Use a staple gun to attach sections of the fabric to the ceiling grid, starting at the center and fanning out the material to the corners so you distribute the yardage evenly. Pull the fabric taut for a sleek surface that features some pleating. Add drama when covering those ugly drop ceiling tiles by bunching or billowing the fabric to create a one-of-a-kind ceiling. If you've used white cloth, stuff sections with batting and your ugly ceiling will look like a heavenly cloud.
3. Engineer a tent. If the aforementioned idea fell flat when you thought about all that stapling, you can still fashion a ceiling tent. Buy a larger amount of fabric to undertake this job because you'll weave fabric sections in-between the grid. Start at one end of the room and pull sections of fabric through each, dropping the cloth in the middle of each square to approximately the same depth. When you're done, you'll see an intricate pattern of cloth drops that run the length of your ceiling and the framework should be obscured. If you're concerned that it may show through, paint the grid to match the fabric before you begin to undertake the fabric draping that results in the finished tent effect.
4. Install long, bamboo roll-up blinds or rolls of lightweight bamboo fencing to banish that ugly drop ceiling if fabric just isn't your thing. Measure carefully before buying enough fencing or roll-down shades to cover your ceiling in sections. Enlist a friend to help you nail the fencing to one end of the room and then pull it across the expanse, hammering more U-shaped nails into the bamboo sections so they stay snug. If you're carried away by the spirit of the tropics once your ugly ceiling is hidden, add tropical wood trim around room where the bamboo ceiling meets the wall.
Tags: drop ceiling, your ceiling, your ugly ceiling, ceiling tiles, ugly ceiling, ugly drop, ugly drop ceiling