7 tips to make a lower ceiling in the house higher: design of low ceilings + photos

A typical resident of any domestic high-rise building is familiar with the problem of low ceilings. Even if the room area is sufficient, the overhanging ceiling gives the impression of being in a hole, and the most offensive is that it is physically impossible to raise it. You have to trick and dodge to get the illusion of space in a room 2.4 m high. Designers have accumulated a lot of different ways to make the low ceiling in the house visually higher, and if you listen to their advice, you can achieve excellent results.

No. 1. Taboo in the design of low ceilings

To begin with, what should never be done:

• volumetric hanging chandeliers with pendants and numerous lampshades they will make the room visually even lower, and households with growth above average can generally hurt such a head decoration;
• stucco molding on the ceiling and plentiful wall decor;
• massive furniture. Large cabinets, tall coffee tablesvolumetric sofas take up too much space and will only be relevant in large high rooms;
• heavy curtains with a lambrequin they will also create an impression of clutter and make the ceilings even lower;
• too many dark shades.

If you got an apartment with low ceilings, you will have to compromise with your design desires and preferences, trying not to aggravate the situation and, even more, visually make the room higher.

No. 2. What should be the finish?

The main nuance in the design of low ceilings is the choice of suitable finishing materials. The correct color and texture of the finish is half the battle.

To make the ceiling in a low room visually higher, use these design tricks:

• bet on white. This is a win-win option for all small and low rooms. White color and light, pastel shades allow you to work wonders and literally push the boundaries of space. To paint the ceiling white is the simplest and at the same time very effective solution;
• gloss and gloss. We all know how well glossy surfaces reflect light. If the gloss is strong, then it is able to work like a mirror and literally duplicate the space, so there is no better solution for a low room than glossy ceilings. You can paint the surface with glossy paint, you can - set white glossy stretch ceiling. The latter option is more often than usual used by designers and, indeed, works very, very well at increasing the height of the room;
• blue shades for the ceiling. Many call the white ceiling hospital or office. If, in fact, it causes discomfort, then you can resort to an alternative solution - shades of blue. This color in our subconscious mind is associated with the sky, so the surface of the ceiling will automatically appear slightly higher than it actually is;
• the ceiling should be lighter than the walls. Whatever experiments you make with flowers, you must remember that walls should not be lighter than the ceiling. Otherwise, the ceiling will press even more and seem lower than it is;
• ceiling and walls in one color. This is a popular design move that allows you to blur the border of the transition of the wall surface to the ceiling;
• box and moldings. If from drywall or special polystyrene tiles lay out the box on the edges of the ceiling or make moldings, you can visually deepen the center of the ceiling. It is important that the thickness of such decorative structures is small, otherwise you can get the opposite effect. It is better to decide on such experiments if the ceiling height is 2.5-2.7 m;
• vertical strip - Another win-win way to raise the ceiling. It is better that the strips are wide and combine not too contrasting colors. Only one wall, accent, is made into a strip, otherwise it will ripple strongly in the eyes. Instead of the usual stripes, you can use an ornament of tree trunks or rhombuses. Vertical stripes can be drawn on a painted wall, you can use wallpaper with a suitable pattern. Strips can go up to the ceiling. Also work well natural wood panels;

  

  

  

  
  
• ombre effect. This is a bold and fashionable decision. Using the transition from saturated color at the bottom of the wall to light and white at the top, you can achieve the effect of merging the ceiling and walls. The result is a visually higher ceiling.

No. 3. Building the right lighting

Low ceilings in the apartment can be visually raised and proper lighting:

• all natural light it is necessary to use it to the maximum, therefore it is impossible to clutter the windows with heavy curtains or, much worse, with dimensional furniture;
• fixtures for low ceilings should be compact, minimalistic, have a minimum height. It is better to replace a large chandelier with a flat tablet chandelier, supplement the lighting with spotlights, spotlights on the bar, and LED strip. Multi-level lighting will effectively illuminate all corners of the room, but it will not select a useful height;
• the light from the lamps reflected in the glossy ceiling allows you to make the space even more voluminous;
• direction of light also matters. Chandeliers, floor lamps, sconces should not shine down, but up. It is better to direct the light to the ceiling, creating a play of shadows on it. Be careful when choosing a source lighting for PVC stretch ceiling. He is afraid of high temperatures, so it is better to replace incandescent lamps with energy-saving lamps with minimal heat dissipation;
• Vertical sconces also work well, which give light both up and down.

Number 4. Choosing the right furniture

Proper furniture is another touch in the organization interior room with low ceilings. Experts advise taking into account such tips:

• better to take squat furniture, which will be a little lower than standard. Flat sofas, low dressersneat coffee tables will free up more space. It will be just as comfortable for a person resting on a sofa 5–10 cm lower than usual, but extra centimeters of space above him are sometimes crucial;
• in living rooms it will be better if the cabinets do not reach the ceiling;
• in the kitchen is allowed to headset was lined up to the ceiling, and if its color matches the color of the walls and ceiling, it will erase all sorts of borders. That’s why, often when arranging kitchens in Khrushchev designers manically use white - the result is worth it.

No. 5. Bet on mirrors

The mirror works no worse than a glossy ceiling. If you install a mirrored surface in the room from floor to ceiling, the effect will be amazing. Can be used closet with mirrored doors - in this case we get double benefit. An interesting effect will come out if you use mirror tiles to decorate the ceiling.

Lacquered wooden floors also reflect well, but using several reflective surfaces in one room at once is too much.

No. 6. Architectural Tricks

Color scheme, decoration and visual tricks are not the only methods of dealing with the oppressive effects of low ceilings. At the stage of repair work, you can pay attention to the architectural component:

• low doorways in combination with low ceilings form a kind of mouse hole. Is worth increase the height of the doorwaymake spectacular archhow the room will become noticeably easier to breathe;
• You can equip tall architectural elements such as columns. I would like to consider vertical long details, the gaze slides from floor to ceiling, and our brain perceives the height of the room somewhat larger than it actually is;
• narrow tall niches have approximately the same effect as the columns. If the wall thickness allows, you can make it several niches and paint their surface with a contrasting shade;
• if the room is present fireplace with a characteristic protrusion above it, then this protrusion can be visually highlighted. Designers say this contributes to the expansion of space.

Number 7. Other design secrets of low ceilings

In addition to all the techniques described above, you can use some more tricks, and then the low ceiling in the apartment will become even a little higher:

• paintings, photos, posters should be placed above eye level. It is advisable to choose images with a predominance of vertical lines;
• curtain rod is better to be located under the ceilingand the curtain fabric should reach the floor. Beautiful vertical folds of light fabric will increase the height of the ceiling;
• for curtains, you can choose a vertical ornament;
• in decoration, horizontal lines should be avoided, which will visually divide the room into levels and make the space lower.

Finally, we add only that a room with low ceilings don't overload - it should always be in order. Everything that is unnecessary should be hidden in cabinets and chests of drawers - let only what will adorn the interior remain in sight, without overloading it at the same time.