The Art of Ceiling Design

By Alison Knapp,
Knapp Interior Design Inc.

Have you ever walked into a space and immediately felt your eyes being drawn upwards? Whether in a hotel lobby, restaurant, foyer, or great room, a fabulous ceiling design has the power to captivate one’s gaze.

At Knapp Interior Design, we appreciate the impact ceilings have on the overall feel of a room. Not taking advantage of this surface is a missed opportunity, yet this area is often constructed of flat drywall and painted white. Instead, consider a ceiling as a canvas to add another layer of interest, texture, or provide more dimension in a room. So how does one go from a boring white space to something that truly makes the viewer say “wow?”

There are many factors to consider when creating a stunning ceiling design. At Knapp Interior Design, we typically start by studying architectural plans for a new build or examine what is currently present in an existing home. Ceilings are constructed from a variety of materials, such as wood, paper, plaster, metal, or concrete. Along with the desired style of the interior, the shape and size of a roof line is also given strong consideration. Each ceiling must be custom designed to suit the room’s proportion, scale, style and budget.

Vaulted Ceiling

This peaked ceiling, located in a cottage that sits on the shore of Lake Joseph in Muskoka, captivates at first glance. It adds warmth and intimacy in a high vaulted ceiling, and reaches 19′ at its peak. With a dropped double-wood beam radiating out from a central axis, and a 72″ circular light fixture suspended in the middle, the result is breathtaking.

Alongside the great room area is the primary bedroom. Here, a focal wall for the king size bed is created by melding the ceiling directly into the headboard wall. By mirroring the boldness of the shape of the ceiling, the contrasting stain and lighter toned colours give the room a distinctly dramatic twist.

Art Deco

A more recent build by Knapp Interior Design draws inspiration from a lounge style aesthetic with a nod to Art Deco. This piano bar/martini lounge ceiling was created using multi-level drywall rings, each softly lit to shroud the room in a cozy glow. The ceiling was painted in a combination of cocoa and black to add to the moodiness. The effect is soft, sensual, and very sexy!  

The adjoining great room, at 14′ high, also required more than just a drywall ceiling.   A series of stained walnut planks were suspended from the ceiling, creating a unique visual texture, while uniting other elements finished in walnut wood. As a final touch, a suspended light fixture was carefully hung between the planks, adding to the organic feel of warm light directly over the seating area.

European White Oak

Sometimes a ceiling design develops purely from the roof line of the exterior building structure. Such was the case with this peaked roof cottage, However, by turning limitations into opportunities, our design team decided to envelop the ceiling’s ‘paper airplane’ shape in wood. It was an unexpected addition, but from the front foyer, it draws the eye up and out to the vista beyond in such a way that you can’t imagine the room without it. As well, the European white oak matches the floor in the adjoining master bedroom, and that same white oak wood was added to the ceiling in narrow planks, creating texture from multiple vantage points.

Small Space

Not all ceilings are majestic in size and scale, but that doesn’t mean they can’t create visual interest in a small space. This shallow, round, ceiling feature was only 6″ deep and 60″ in diameter.  The radiating pattern, constructed of painted flat stock, immediately gives the room a focal point and connects to the round dining table beneath it. Sometimes the smallest and simplest details can have enormous impact in spaces that would most likely have remained flat and unadorned.

Of course, not all ceilings require major renovations to look great. Often a new paint colour can make a dramatic difference, and even contribute to the psychological interpretation of the size of a space. Paint is one of the most inexpensive methods to create interest, and is easily changed, should the function of a room be altered. When selecting a tone, note that dark colours create warmth and feel more enclosing, while light colours tend to recede and open up a space.  

Attention to ceilings can be easily overlooked. However, with some forethought and creativity, they can result in an amazing end product and main contributor to a very cohesive interior. Each of these ceilings, brings a uniqueness to their interior, rendering them formidable and often majestic.

Alison Knapp is the principal of Knapp Interior Design, a boutique residential design firm that designs throughout North America.  Knapp Interior Design offers a full scale design program from concept to turn key residences.  For further information visit knappinteriordesign.com