Don't Forget The Ceiling

Are you still living with popcorn ceilings?  Or better yet, popcorn ceilings with glitter in them?  With a little imagination and effort you can ramp up your ceilings to transform them from an eyesore to an eye catching feature. 

We've provided a little overview of different styles of ceilings.  There's sure to be one that will work in your home.

Scrape and Repaint

Probably the most cost effective solution is to scrape down or off the existing texture and repaint with a crisp white or a shade that is 10% the color of your current walls.  Some textures can simply be pushed down to basically create a knock-down texture.  Test in an inconspicuous area, like a closet first.  Simply spray with water, wait 5 minutes for it to soak in, then using a putty knife or a drywall scraper pull the texture across the ceiling.




Some popcorn textures, however, incorporate a small bead to make the bumpy look.  If this is the case with your ceiling will need to scrape off the texture and fill and sand where needed before repainting.




Coffered or Box Beamed

To create a rich looking ceiling you could add coffers or beams to your ceiling.  Coffers are usually made up of drywall covered sections that create a recessed area.  Box beams create boxes from wooden beams.  Both looks are beautiful and can be fairly simple or very ornate.  We've showcased a few of them for you.



















Covered

Maybe your existing ceiling is just in too rough of shape to be fixed with a little sanding.  You can cover your ceiling with pressed panels that come in either metal or resin.  Pressed panels would be secured directly to your existing ceiling with nails or glue.  Metal panels can give you that old world feel or they can be fairly contemporary.  Most resin panels can mimic metal or can be or look painted.  Here are some examples.









Dropped


A dropped ceiling includes a suspended rail system with panels that drop into the rail system. And forget the cheap dropped ceilings that are in your head. Today's dropped ceilings are anything but cheap looking.  As with pressed ceiling panels, dropped panels can come in metal or resin and have a variety of colors and styles.  And because the panels are dropped, many times they can mimic the look of a coffered ceiling as well.











Wood

Wood ceilings add a rich and warm feel to a house.  They can be used over the entire ceiling or in small areas to denote different spaces.  While some can add a rustic feel to a house, others can have a far more urban look.


















Be Creative

Let your imagination run wild.  There are so many ways to turn a boring ceiling into something spectacular.  Here are some more inspirational pictures to get those creative juices rolling!






















Source:  Michelle Schwake for Stafford Family Realtors