Types Of Decorative Ceilings

Wood panels give high ceilings a more cozy feel.

Homeowners often ignore and neglect their ceilings. Ceilings are taken for granted while the walls and floors receive all the attention, but you don't have to ignore yours any more. Whether you are remodeling an existing room, or you want to add your personal style to new construction, you have many designs, types and decorative finishes to chose from when selecting a ceiling for your room.

Raised

Raised ceilings, also called vaulted ceilings, include cathedral, tray and cove. A cathedral ceiling rises to a point in the center of the room. It can be a funnel or dome shape and has a formal appearance. A tray ceiling is a stair-stepped raised ceiling that may have one or more risers, but the main portion of the ceiling is straight and flat. A tray ceiling adds formality and offers the appearance of added size to the room. A cove ceiling is similar to a cathedral ceiling in that it gradually rises to a higher point in the center, but a cove ceiling has curved, concave sides that slope down.

Paneled

Panels are the easiest way to decorate a plain ceiling because you can install panels over an existing ceiling. Ceiling panels include wood, tin and copper. Installers glue, nail or screw the square or rectangle panels in place to cover the ceiling. Paneled ceilings offer drama to the room, making the ceiling an interesting focal point of the room.

Tiled

Like panels, tiles cover an existing ceiling, but they are often more difficult to install than panels. Ceiling tiles include acoustic and decorative tiles made from materials ranging from plastic to stucco. Homeowners often use ceiling tiles for drop-ceiling designs. In a drop-ceiling, the installer hangs a wire grid and then inserts the tiles into the grid. These removable tiles allow future workers to access and remove the ceiling without damaging it.

Stucco

Stucco is the most versatile ceiling decoration with popular patterns that include popcorn, knock-down, float and skip trowel. Many homeowners and contractors create their own designs with stucco through trial-and-error with stunning effects.

Coffered

A coffered ceiling is a "box" type of ceiling. Decorative moldings create a grid pattern on the ceiling that results in the appearance of a series of boxes covering the ceiling. Coffered ceilings are formal or informal based on the type of moldings used to create the boxes, and they are more effective on lower ceilings where the design is easier to see.

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