Decorating and Design - Decorating High Walls
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mymandm
08-02-03, 06:56 AM
I have high ceilings - I need help decorating the walls throughout the house.
twelvepole
08-03-03, 09:39 PM
Don't be overwhelmed with a room's scale or height. The tall ceilings tend to take the eyes upward and away from the floor where furniture, rugs, and accessories are locate.
Many old homes had extremely high ceilings and by adding moldings, trim and paneling, rooms were brought down to human scale. You can also create the illusion with paint or you can apply real moldings as a panel. There are many choices in wood, plaster or plastic available at home centers and hardware stores today. Adding large crown molding at ceilings stops the eye before it reaches the ceiling.
Painting the ceiling a darker, bolder color than walls can bring the ceiling down. If you prefer, paint the ceiling a few shades darker than wall color. If you have an artist friend, paint a scene on the ceiling.
Walls can be made more visually interesting by using one of the popular faux painting techniques like sponging, ragging, or rolling. Of course, there is always wallpaper to provide visual interest on walls. A border will bring down the ceiling. If you have painted woodwork, go with a stunning bright white to contrast with paper or wall paint. If you have a wall to spare, a built in bookcase or audio-visual center will fill a wall.
Large rooms with tall ceilings can accommodate large furniture. Taller pieces of furniture like bookcases, armoires, and chests easily fill large rooms with tall ceilings. If you have hardwood floors, an area rug will unite the furniture in living, dining, and family rooms. If you have a very large room, you may be able to accommodate multiple sitting areas with multiple rugs.
Large rooms with high ceilings can accommodate large chandeliers and lighting fixtures. You might prefer old, antique looking fixtures. If lucky, you can find them at antique stores, but there are plenty of reproductions available. Or, you might prefer modern track lighting. Medallions on ceilings around hanging light fixtures provide visual interest and can enhance your ceiling.
Hang large pictures on walls or group smaller ones to cover a larger area. Smaller pictures can be matted with large mats and put in large frames.
Go to the library and look through decorating books. You might want to look at some of the books that focus on the Victorian era, not that you prefer that decor, but to closely look to see how they fill large rooms with high ceilings and used moldings and paint. If you live in an area where there are some old, historic homes to tour, visit some for ideas.
Many old homes had extremely high ceilings and by adding moldings, trim and paneling, rooms were brought down to human scale. You can also create the illusion with paint or you can apply real moldings as a panel. There are many choices in wood, plaster or plastic available at home centers and hardware stores today. Adding large crown molding at ceilings stops the eye before it reaches the ceiling.
Painting the ceiling a darker, bolder color than walls can bring the ceiling down. If you prefer, paint the ceiling a few shades darker than wall color. If you have an artist friend, paint a scene on the ceiling.
Walls can be made more visually interesting by using one of the popular faux painting techniques like sponging, ragging, or rolling. Of course, there is always wallpaper to provide visual interest on walls. A border will bring down the ceiling. If you have painted woodwork, go with a stunning bright white to contrast with paper or wall paint. If you have a wall to spare, a built in bookcase or audio-visual center will fill a wall.
Large rooms with tall ceilings can accommodate large furniture. Taller pieces of furniture like bookcases, armoires, and chests easily fill large rooms with tall ceilings. If you have hardwood floors, an area rug will unite the furniture in living, dining, and family rooms. If you have a very large room, you may be able to accommodate multiple sitting areas with multiple rugs.
Large rooms with high ceilings can accommodate large chandeliers and lighting fixtures. You might prefer old, antique looking fixtures. If lucky, you can find them at antique stores, but there are plenty of reproductions available. Or, you might prefer modern track lighting. Medallions on ceilings around hanging light fixtures provide visual interest and can enhance your ceiling.
Hang large pictures on walls or group smaller ones to cover a larger area. Smaller pictures can be matted with large mats and put in large frames.
Go to the library and look through decorating books. You might want to look at some of the books that focus on the Victorian era, not that you prefer that decor, but to closely look to see how they fill large rooms with high ceilings and used moldings and paint. If you live in an area where there are some old, historic homes to tour, visit some for ideas.