Talking Ceilings

 

If you look over books or visit structures from different time periods, you will see that ceilings were used as an integral part of the rooms’ makeup. Beautiful artwork, embellishments, plasters, gold leafing, etc. can be seen in churches, mansions, and public buildings with good reason. Every room has 6 surfaces to focus on – four walls, the floor and the ceiling. Turning the ceiling into a focal point can create a completely new dimension to the room. For instance, imagine what some of the renaissance churches and buildings would look like if the ceilings had been painted in an off white.

How does this relate to modern rooms and design? In more recent times, people tend to play it safe with ceilings.  Many times when we are doing a room with custom plaster finishes we have agreed with the clients to not finish out the ceiling with a finish but instead pick a light complementary color to paint it out in. This doesn’t work too badly when the rooms have crown molding, as this tends to picture frame the walls and separate the wall and ceiling surfaces.

 However the rooms where we have  taken the finish one step further by doing the ceiling did in fact add considerably to the overall effect. We have done everything from a plaster ceiling where we created an aged weathered look, to barreled ceilings with red and gold metallics to thrown the light around. We have used the same plaster finish that was on the wall and used a complimentary finish.  In some cases, the ceiling was the only surface we plastered, to complement paneling or other existing materials the homeowners loved. On a commercial project, we created aged columns and stone ceilings to frame murals.  Nowadays there are also artisans who provide stencils, murals and embellishments, as well as canvases of old world art that can be adhered to the ceilings and even frescoed over.

 When we do a finish we want the space to look complete, very natural not contrived and to get maximum impact. Bringing the ceiling into the mix does add to the cost but with the type of finishes we do and the homes we do them in, the results more than justify the additional cost.

 

 

 

 

Do you need fabulous ceilings?

  Call us today at 408 448 1683, or email us at molto@earthlink.net.