Adding Character To Ceilings-Part 1

In my line of work (faux painting), a ceiling is prime real estate. They are a blank canvas, for lots of fun of options. 

Sometimes its hard to decide what to do, on different kinds of ceilings. 

What brings the ceiling up? What will draw your eye? What will make the room look to small? Will a dark color close a room in? What finish is best with this ceiling? How much is to much?

There are so many types of ceilings, Coffered, Tray, Barrel, Cathedral, Cove, Groin, Domed, and Vaulted. Not every ceiling needs enhancing, but some just get lost with out it.

Now, I'm not saying you should jump on a ladder, and learn to faux finish overnight.
These simple tips will help you determine what kind of finishes works best on whet ceiling type, or knowing what to hire someone else to paint on your ceiling.

Here are some ceiling that I have finished over the years, and what to do with them.

To start, lets talk about a Groin ceiling.

This is a fairly common ceiling in entry ways.
It has four main points, and can be very small, or span the width of a kitchen.
This is a ceiling that should most definitely be painted...even just with a base paint. If left plain you don't see the detail of the arches. When putting a faux finish on a groin ceiling, the most important area to pay attention to, are the arches edges. When doing a simple glaze, I like to go back and darken these lines, this accentuates the arch, and really draws out the shape.
You can also see that adding a stencil or painted design to the arched edges, like in the 4th picture,  will bring out the detail. When using a stencil on an area like this, it is important to map out a plan on paper to arrange how the pattern will cross at the middle.

Another way to accent a Groin ceiling is to leave the arches alone, and focus on the flat portions of the ceiling. This is where it gets a bit tricky. Not all groins have equal sections. In this case, you may want to use a stencil or painted design, on 2 facing pieces of the ceiling.  For a very large groin like this one, above a kitchen, it wasn't necessary to add the design, since there was cool-stone elements added to the arches. So not to loose the shape of the ceiling though, I added a large painted design. Each side was a different size, and the pattern used, needed to be ordered to fit perfectly in those spaces...alot of measuring!

If using a straight base paint in an area like this, stick to a satin finish , or even a semi-gloss base paint. A flat or eggshell tends to get lost in a high ceiling like this.
Depending on the lighting, a metallic paint works really nicely.
-If your lighting shines down, or doesn't provide much light, the ceiling will appear dark, and you may not get the full effect of what your putting on the ceiling. So don't go to a ton of trouble to make a wow.
-If your lighting shines up, toward the ceiling, you will see it more, but it will have a glared look with the metallic. Your base color, will need to be a similar color to the metallic paint you are trying to use on top.
-Remember with an metallic paint, you will see your brush strokes, and they will be amplified by any lighting. This is a hard ceiling to roll paint on, because of the curves. Use a brush, in a small crosshatching motion, like little x's, brushing out any harsh lines.



The next kind of ceiling, is the Dome
I love dome ceilings, you have sooo many options for faux finishes. Alot of finishes that are heavy, and busy, and don't look great right up in your face...are perfect for a high dome ceiling.
Painting a dome can be another difficult area. There are no flat parts, so a roller, even a small one, tends to leave lines on the wall, from both sides of the roller.
Here, you can brush that out, in the direction of the dome, top to bottom. When doing a faux finish in a dome, I like to do something that is directional. You see the shape  more, and it makes it look taller and larger than it is.
If your doing this yourself, a metallic does work well here too, even a plaster brushed on, can give it a cool effect, and is simple enough to do.
If you want to glam up a simple base paint, use a high gloss sealer on top, this will really make the area pop.

All of these domes have stopping points....with another ceiling meeting up, a border, or set in as a tray. These all make it very easy to stop the finish.

This kind of domed ceiling below, just rolls into the wall, which makes it very hard to find a stopping point.

This was in an entryway, and had about 5 arched openings meeting to this area. None of which were the same size. I took the highest one, and went about 2 feet above that, to stop the gold paint.
With no accent paint/faux finish in this area, you'd really loose the grand feeling that you should get with a ceiling like this.
I leveled off a line, and taped all the way around. Then painted a gold base, and added a glaze to the top of that. To cap off the edge of the gold, I added an intricate stencil. This can be done with any kind of stencil, but works best with a border type, that has a flat edge on one side. Check out Royal Design Studio, for a good array of border stencils. I painted this in a bronze finish, to give enough contrast from the gold, and to make this delicate stencil pop off the wall. I used a similar design on the top, around the light fixture, in the same bronze tone.

 

The Tray ceiling
One of the most common ceilings in houses these days, are tray ceilings. The are often in a master bedroom, or above a dining or living room space.
For most of my clients, these are the most difficult to figure out how to paint .
Some trays are rather simple, and just have one step, like this one below. There is a bit of molding between the two layers, but the difference in depth is only a couple of inches. As you can see the detail gets lost, and you'd never even look to the ceiling, if it weren't for adding paint. On this one, I added a paint roller technique, which is super simple, you can see how to do HERE.

Then, there is the multi-level, tray ceiling. This is most common. 

First look at the different steps, if they are all equal in shape, then you can apply the same paint to all, or even get lighter or darker as you go up. 

If the last, or bottom layer stretches out into a larger area than the rest, like over a sitting area, or by a doorway, then I wold leave that step alone (match it to the wall, or a lighter version of the other steps). 

That usually leaves one, to three more steps. I usually like to a variation of colors on these. For instance, when doing a glaze finish, I will do a dark version on the top, and each step down, I lighten it, or put it on lighter. When each step is the same, you tend to loose the layers, it just looks like a ceiling. When you define each area, you give height to the room, and show the shape of each step. 

Never stop on the vertical pieces, the 6"-1' sections, the color should always land on a horizontal piece, the soffit or the underneath part of the ceiling. 

 For those of you who are addicted to change (no shame here, I too, am one of those), then committing to a smaller area, may work better. This gives you a spot for a pop of color, without all the commitment of a whole paint job to change.
In these ceiling areas below, a subtle tone on tone was used before. Sticking with a neutral color palette on the wall, gives you some wiggle room to bring a bold color on the ceiling. If your going really grand, or really glam, you could do the whole ceiling.
In the after, you can see how the ceiling ties in with the room now, without overpowering it. It still draws your eye up, but it's not an eye-sore. This also really increases the height of the room.

If your looking for an even more simple solution, a stenciled pattern may be a better route. This ceiling below, had such beautiful detail, but when you walked into the room, the last place you would look is up. The ceiling is very high, and the walls are massive, it just wasn't a focal point. The curved areas at the corners were screaming for help. 

I used a stencil, well a couple stencils, put together, to get the right pattern and shape. Around the light fixture, I used a similar pattern, and matching color. This deep bronze color, was already in the the cabinets and furniture, in the glaze on all the main walls, and a hint in the accent wall behind the bed. 

Bringing it on the ceiling, just tied all of these pieces together. 

 The same idea was used in this round tray ceiling. I put a faux finish just on the top portion, and added a design around the outside border. This mimicked other parts of the room that were painted, and the designs in the bedding.
Its really about continuing the room, not making it a whole separate factor. It should blend nicely, not stick out to heavy.

When deciding where to put a stencil or design on a ceiling, step back and look at the area. Does the vertical portion of the tray get light? If not, like in the picture on the right, above. Then it's best to leave this area alone it. These areas tend to be dark, and hard to see, so most painted details will be lost on these areas. Also look at where vents, lights, and smoke detectors are located, when planning a design, they tend to be in weird locations, and may interrupt a design.
When using a base paint on a tray ceiling, don't pick three different paint colors. Even on the same chip, there can be a big gap between the colors. Try having the paint store cut the main color with some white tint, to make a lighter hue of the same color. You can do this for each additional step, adding more white per step.

Any of these ceilings can be painted with a straight base paint, or simple metallic paint, that most can do themselves.

The main factor when picking a color, a sheen, or a type of faux finish, all boils down to the lighting. 

-Dimly lit rooms will look smaller, and the ceiling lower, with a dark or heavy color. 

-Lighting that shines directly upon a ceiling, like a traditional chandelier, will open up the room up alone, so you have alot more options with color. Just remember that metallics tend to have a glare in heavy light, and flaws will be more apparent.  

-In a smaller room, a tone on tone is always a safe bet. Pick a color from fabrics around the room, or add a bold color that may have not otherwise been noticed.

-Any color you put on the ceiling, will instantly tie other objects, in the same color family, together. 

-A dark ceiling doesn't always close in a room. If the room is at least 10' tall and had lots of light, a dark color can actually lift a ceiling up. Though, try to stick to just the top piece of ceiling, or at least the top two steps. Don't carry it on all of the steps, as you loose the distinction.

There are so many types of ceilings to cover, so if I haven't talked about yours here...don't worry, there is a part two! 

Adding Character To Ceilings-Part 2

Here are some more ceiling styles that I have finished over the years, and what to do with them.

 If you missed Part 1, check it out here.

 Im trying to cover most of the common ceilings styles, but these tips cover most types of ceilings. 

Again, I'm not saying you need to faux paint them, you can call in a professional for that, or stick to a more basic paint or finish, and do it yourself.  I'll try to share some simple paint techniques with you over the next few months. 

Coffer Ceilings 

A coffer ceiling is very detailed, and beautiful. Not all of these ceilings need paint details, It depends on how they are put together.  If the beams are just made from dry wall, with no wood molding, a paint technique, or base paint in each of the squares is best...to bring out the detail. In these areas, as long as the beams are light in color, you can add a heavy, or dark color. I've even done a black Venetian Plaster in these kind of  squares. 

Some of these types of ceilings are made with wood molding. If it is white, then you have the whole rainbow to play with. Something simple, will still draw you eye up, just as much as a dark color, its about the separation of the areas.

If you have heavy dark beams, you can go either way as well, but you will see alot less contrast between the different squares with a dark color on the ceiling.
There were caps at each intersection, on these beams. I used gold paint to stencil a design that would break up the heaviness, and tie it all together.

These two ceilings below are much more detailed, but still have the same style as a coffer ceiling. 

On the left, there are three steps, but the ceiling was so high, that it wasn't necessary to add any painted detail to this area. 

The ceiling on the right had wide soffet areas, and they seemed to be a bit plain, so paint was added to both parts of the ceiling. In areas like these, it's easiest to work in pieces...with the base of a ceiling first, then step back and see if other areas need more detail. 

Paint on these kinds of detailed ceilings, is a must! You don't notice them if it is all white. 

Barrel Ceilings

These ceilings are found commonly, at entryways, and in hallways. Though I recently painted one in a guest room, so you never know. 

Painting these ceilings is really similar to a dome technique. 

-They should be painted in a certain direction. Making motions all the way from left to right, following the shape or the arch. You can use a roller here, brushing back over the roller marks.

 -You are trying to enhance the shape of the barrel, so adding movement toward the top, will make it look much taller, and more curved. 

-Brushing paint longways, will elongate the barrel, but tends to make it look very shallow. 

Again lighting plays a factor here. Light that shines out or up is best to see a detailed paint finish. A light that is dim or facing down, will make whatever you put on the ceiling look darker than it is. 

Since most barrel ceilings have some sort of molding along the length of them, it is a great spot to add rope lighting, or LED lights. It casts a soft glow that creeps up the arch, and enhances the shape. I've seen clients add Christmas lights, on the tops of the molding as well. 

Those that have a lip at the top, are usually outfitted with a plug, if not, it can be easily installed (call a pro). 

-A very heavy finish with lots of layers of direction, isn't best on a long barrel...with the shape, it can be overkill. A simple base paint, a light brushing, or glaze works best here. 

-This is another area that you can add a dark or heavy color to, as long as it get a good amount of natural light. 

Cathedral Ceilings

Cathedral ceilings are usually very high, and massive. Here you have the option to do anything. 

Obviously a faux finish is nice, since it can accentuate the shape. But any change of color between the two will set it apart. A ceiling like this should most defiantly, not be the same color as the walls. Don't worry about going to dark in an area like this. As long as the room is large, and gets some natural light, a heavy color will push the ceiling up....a color lighter than the wall will do the same. 

Faux Finishing Walls and Ceilings Together
This, I get alot, and it may not be relevant to all of you out there, but in case you decide to hire someone to do a faux painting job, or try and tackle one yourself, here what is best.
I normally don't like to faux finish a wall and a ceiling the same finish. If there is crown molding in the room, it does help break it up. I think to much of the same faux finish in a room, makes it less special. It would be like painting all the walls and ceiling in the exact same color...the areas loose uniqueness.
On this ceiling below, there was a large detail around the fixture base. This was painted in a richer color than the wall, as was the inside of the rectangle. These two areas, help lift the ceiling up, and draw attention, to the special detailing. The rest of the ceiling was done a shade lighter than the walls. So in the end there were four shades of one color  

 Powder baths are an exception to this rule. A small bathroom, should defiantly get the wow factor...whether with a bold color, or a busy design. Areas like these aren't visited for long periods of time, but should say something about your style and personality.  Be fun, be punchy, be different. Do something you would never do in the rest of the house....black walls, striped wallpaper, a silver leaf technique.  Because of the shape of some bathrooms, ceiling and walls tend to roll together, see below.  In a space like this, it would look weird if you didn't do the ceiling. Taking it all the way up, really engulfs you in the design. You can do the same thing with a base paint, even paint a metallic ceiling with a basic color on the walls. You just need something in the room, in that color range, for it to make sense.

A bedroom with a large flat ceiling, can also benefit from a faux finish or base paint on the ceiling. Again they need to be different. This room, does have the crown molding to set it apart, but I made the ceiling a bit darker. This makes the ceiling look taller than it is. I also added a stencil around the edge of the room, to break up the area where they join.

Ceiling Medallions
If you have a ceiling that is low, or just plain....you may want to look at making a simple statement around a light fixture, or ceiling fan. There are several ways to do this.

A painted design, with a stencil or a Modello, can give you a detailed pattern or a simple shape. With a stencil, you will need spray adhesive, masking tape, a stiff brush, and paints. It's a bit tricky at first, getting it all lined up, but once on, you have the ability to use more than one color, and highlight certain areas.
A Modello, is a sort of sticky stencil, you can get a much more intricate design this way. It is a one time use, but the options for designs are far more numerous. The size can also be altered, which means you can get your exact dimensions, as big as the entire ceiling if you wanted.  

This design below, was made in an oblong shape, to mimic the table, and give length to the room. The walls were painted in a deep chocolate brown, which would have been much to heavy for an entire 9' ceiling. A simple pattern, which brings in other tones from the room, worked much nicer than base painting, or faux finishing the entire ceiling.

Here are a couple samples of a Modellos. 

You can see how intricate they can be. With a normal stencil, all the areas have to touch each other. A Modello, on the other hand, has several layers, which stick to the wall, allowing every area to be separate. On their website ( http://modellodesigns.com/), they have a detailed tutorial, which shows you the process in which to apply it, and lots of helpful information for the first timer. They also have an entire design library to browse through, thousands of designs!

Another simple option, is a wood, or plastic ceiling medallion. These can be found at your local hardware store, or at several inexpensive companies online here and here. Both offer unpainted, and already faux painted options. 

Most are made of a plastic material, so they are light and easy to install. I usually coat them with a spray primer first, and then base paint the entire surface with a brush. You could spray these, but to get in all the nooks and crannies, a brush is best, spray tends to glob in the delicate areas. 

 For the one below, I used a bronze base. On top, I used a small amount of turquoise paint, and dry brushed just the high areas. Remove most of the turquoise paint off the brush, on a rag or paper, and hold the brush sideways, lightly hitting those high points. It's easy to add more, so start with a little at a time. You could also do this with a metallic, gold or silver leaf rub (found at craft stores), place a small amount on a rag, over the tip of a finger. This way you can control where it goes...just brushing a fingertip over the high point you want to highlight. 

There are so many color options with these, since the aren't big and heavy you can really glam it up, or go bold. The light will need to be removed to install this...always a plus if you are already changing out a fixture.  This can also be re-painted so easily, for all my fellow remodel-aholics!

Well I think you get the idea. There are so many versions of alot of these types of ceilings....find the closest example to your ceiling, and go with that, alot of the guidelines are the same.
Hope this helps...Im sure it's to much information, but it's always better to arm yourself with more info than you need to know, before tackling a ceiling project, or hiring someone to do it for you.
Good luck, and I'd love to see your finished ceiling projects.
See Part 1 Here.