“Wallpaper your ceiling if you are looking to make a space feel special and complete,” says Sallie Lord of GreyHunt Interiors, based in Chantilly. “That fifth wall really matters in design.”
While wallpapering your ceiling might sound a bit bad for the neck, and like it would quickly date your décor concept, it’s perfectly on trend for the maximalist approach to interiors — and, if you do it right, it becomes a classic look you can update your room around no matter how décor trends change.
While you can spend lots on custom wallpaper for a single room, the wrapped look doesn’t have to break the bank. “Sometimes wallpapering your ceiling can be a cost savings to give a room full impact, without having to do all the walls,” says Lord.
Wallpaper on the ceiling can make the rest of the room look purposeful and finished.
“Wallpapering a ceiling in a room that has lots of doors, windows, and built-ins is a great way to visually bring all those disparate elements together, and make the room look cohesive,” she says.
Think the trend is for you? Think scale and proportion, as well as the pattern. Lord explains that you wouldn’t want a directional pattern since you look at a ceiling from all angles from the floor, and scale is important, especially for smaller rooms, or homes with smaller-scaled interiors. “This is where ceiling borders should be strong and generally defined with paper, so the paper can really make a visual statement,” she says. “You will want to play with the scale of the paper based on the size of the room. You want to make sure that you have a ceiling area that has a border or a visual close between the wall and ceiling before you paper. If not, we recommend creating a close with molding.”
What you don’t want to do is to add wallpaper over a drop ceiling. “As you would guess, textured ceilings are out for wallpaper. If you do try to smooth it over before applying the paper, make sure the work is done well — including the prep work — before wallpapering.”
Ceiling paper is the perfect touch for formal or informal rooms when you want to impart a specific mood or clarify the purpose of the space. “For formal rooms, you are going to want to consider a sheen or a shimmer,” says Lord. “The ceiling with sheen and shimmer reflects light from the chandeliers, adding to the elegance of and experience in the room.” If the room is informal, think along opposite lines, unless you have fabulous light fixtures.
One option to try the look is to paper the ceiling of a walk-in closet. That way you can see if you like the effect without having spent too much money.
As wrapping a present can turn the item into a gift, wallpapering can lend an air of completeness to a home. “I can’t express enough how much paper can make a home,” says Lord. “You don’t want to overdo anything and, of course, the design, style, and color concept should be in good taste. But you should feel free to wallpaper multiple rooms in your home and play with a variety of styles, scales, and textures so that they complement each other and create a natural flow through all your living spaces.”
Feature image by Christy Kosnic Photography
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