Okay, so not all of us are blessed to have12 foot ceiling heights, unfortunately. Especially if you are living in apartments there is a pretty good chance you may have 8 or 9 foot ceilings. That sucks. But there are worse things in life. Luckily though, interior designers have many super easy tricks of the trade to help you create the optical illusion of height. Let me fill you in on their secrets...
1) Paint your ceiling a dark color.
At first one might think this is the opposite of what you should do. It's counter-intuitive. People associate dark colors with making places feel smaller. And while that may be true, when a dark color is placed on the ceiling, it actually creates the illusion that the ceiling is higher and further away. If you notice, high-end interior designers rarely leave ceilings just plain ol' white. Usually they spice it up with a pop of color. And the darker the color, the higher the ceiling will feel. Matte finishes will look even more tall! So have fun and pick a color that you enjoy to play with on the ceiling. :)
I went grey on my bedroom ceiling. I wanted a soothing color when you look up, but I also wanted it to feel higher than it actually is.
2) Use wallpaper with a vertical print.
I LOVE wall paper. Like love, love, love it. Wallpaper has come a very long way and isn't like your grandma's wallpaper. Now-a-days it's much easier to hang, much easier to take down and there are oodles of textures and tons of amazing designs. I almost always look for designs that have long vertical lines in them. Whether they are literal lines, or whether they contain a taller image, it doesn't matter. It will help lift up that ceiling even more!
These boho feathers draw the eye up. And pairing it with long stemmed flowers and a vertical ladder. I'm doing everything in my power to create the optical illusion of height.
3) Vertical paneling.
Whether it's bead board with vertical lines or actual floor to ceiling paneling, it all helps to elongate the space. Don't be so quick to rip it out. Even if it is straight from the 70's. A quick coat of paint to brings it back to life and let the tall lines do the rest of the work for you.
In this particular picture you can see that the original ceiling was only 7 feet tall. But the vertical panels, paired with the ladder and the exhaust pipe coming up from the stove all work in tandem to make the space feel taller. And please note the vertical line on the pillow. Yep, that was intentional too. :)
4) Floor to ceiling curtains.
Always, always, always hang curtains floor to ceiling. It's a pet peeve of mine when people don't. This is what makes a room look finished and luxurious and designed rather than just decorated. I'd rather there be more curtain pooled on the floor, than a "high-water" curtain situation. High-water pants are awkward and so are high-water curtains. Floor to ceiling is the way to go. Consider it a cardinal sin if you don't.
These drapes were done right. Photo credit @pinterest
5) Choose low profile furniture.
And lastly, the shorter the furniture the taller the room will feel. Low profile beds and platform beds work great in this regard. Anchor the room with lower side tables, bigger but lower help draw the eye down and therefore create the illusion of more vertical space than their actually is.
So don't be ashamed of your low ceilings. A lot of us have them. Just use a couple of these tricks of the trade to create the illusion that they are taller! You got this! :)
Any other tips you may have, please comment below! We are always down to learn more!
Forever Grateful,
Mack
Comments