Design Dilemma: Vaulted Ceilings
I have a design dilemma. I can’t STAND my vaulted ceilings. When we built our house, my 6’4″ husband felt like he just had to have them, and I didn’t have a problem with it, so we put in vaulted ceilings. Of course, now that we have been living in our house for about 6 years, we both know that we would never put in vaulted ceilings again. 10 foot ceilings? Yes. Vaulted ceilings? No.
Why do I hate them? Because it is SO hard to make a room feel cozy with vaulted ceilings!! Never mind the fact that you are heating that space in the winter, so it gets cold. PLUS, when a lot of people fill the room, the ceilings make everything LOUD and echoey.
But, the real dilemma is, where do you paint? I’m not about to build myself some scaffolding so I can go all the way up to the ceiling. NOT gonna do it. I don’t care what you say.
To my way of thinking, that leaves me with two options. I need your input.
Here is the room before. Ignore the oversized but-never-gonna-be-able-to-afford-a-new couch and chair. I plan on buying a real entertainment stand sometime before the end of the year and putting the table behind the couch. Plus, Mitch is finally on board with drilling a hole in the wall behind the massive-life-sucking-black-hole of a television (and, ironically, we don’t watch “television” in our home except DVDs or VHS).
I’m pretty much sold on painting the walls the same color as the fireplace wall. I watched a movie recently and all of the walls in the house were painted in rich, dark colors and I just loved it. So, don’t try to convince me to paint a pale blue or green. Well, okay, if you feel STRONGLY about trying to convince me, I’ll listen to your arguments with an open mind, but ladies, I WANT COLOR. Look at this room. Neutral. Need I say more?
So, I figure these are my options.
Chair Rail Kinda Sorta - I would use a piece of MDF without the fancy “trim work” grooves. Sort of simple and classic. It would probably be 3-5 inches wide and it would be in line with our fireplace mantle and circle the room. SO, yes, it would cut through the TV and mirror and pictures. I would probably have to get creative about rehanging the pictures, but I’m not too concerned.
The Crown Molding Kinda Sorta - I would use the same non-fancy MDF (just picture a flat, smooth 2×4, except more like 2×5, hopefully) and line it up with the top of the plant shelf thingy.
What do you think? Which one should I do??
PS - I realize I have “perspective” issues on these photos! Makes me giggle!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. When you use them, you help support this site! Thank you!
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
I would do the crown mouldings and not the chair rail. I think the chair rail makes the room choppy, if that makes sense. The crown moulding make the ceilings their own space and defines the room. JMIO.
[Reply]
or you could put in a suspended ceiling… no more echos… no more heat loss…
if the wall (with the mirror on really does have a space above it build it up a little and still have higher ceilings without the echos and heat loss…
Having lived in a home with 12 foot stud ceilings the heating issue is NOT fun! and it echos still too!
[Reply]
I had the same problem in our house in Florida - IMHO the crown option is MUCH better than chair rail. The chair rail only makes the upper space seem BIGGER, while the crown emphasizes the cozy living space below it.
[Reply]
and yeah I realise it costs more but the savings you make NOT heating the huge non useable space is much nicer in the long run…
We now live in an old home with 8 foot high ceilings and even my 6 foot 6 brother doesn’t feel like he is gonna scraping the ceiling every time he visits!
[Reply]
UP! The chair rail only divides the room yet again in my opinion.
[Reply]
Go with the height of the second one. The first is WAY too choppy. But you already knew what I thought about the subject
As for colors, I would go rich, but doing a primary color, even muted will limit your decorating in the future. And you don’t want to be painting every few years when you fall for a new color scheme… or is that just me?
[Reply]
Kelleigh Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Alysun, you were the first to give me that idea of lining it up with the shelf. Seems to be a popular idea!
Okay, so what color would you do? Rich, but not primary?? What?
[Reply]
Alysun Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 am
I would keep your contrast to a minimum. More contrast = more visual choppiness. Kathy Galligher told me that. So, since you don’t want to paint above the crown, make your new paint color a similar color only richer, but still mid tone. I did this trick in my living room and am very happy with the results. Then I can change out my pillows and accessories very guilt free. Plus, the room is relaxing. I love it. White moldings with a wood floor and a midtone to bring it all together (it’s a green-ish taupe).
[Reply]
I’m all about the more color, the better - go with the molding.
[Reply]
I like the second choice better.
Can’t wait to see what you do!
[Reply]
Like the second one - a lot more color and doesn’t chop the room up so bad…can’t wait to see the final result that you choose
[Reply]
I like the second pic with the chair rail. The darker the color on your paint the cozier it will feel. Good luck!
[Reply]
Crown molding, not the chair rail! FOR SURE!
[Reply]
I like the version that’s lined up with the plant shelf thingy.
[Reply]
I like the second option alot!! I agree with your friend Alysun and I’d do just a richer tone of the upper paint colour. It would flow much better. Don’t get me wrong….I’m all about colour and have a 10′ x 4′ GREEN kitchen island. And I don’t mean light green. Think “bright moss”. We just renovated and that was not negotiable to me. Love it. My paint colour is an extremely light grey but I hope to pop in some splashes of colour with pillows, table runners etc.
Can’t wait to see what you do!
[Reply]
I don’t usually comment, but I had to for this one. Definitely crown molding!
[Reply]
I just found your blog and am already giving my two cents!!
Go with the crown molding!! What program did you use to digitally change your room!!??
[Reply]
Kelleigh Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Thanks for your input, Shannon! We’ve pretty much decided to go with the crown, but now I have a paint dilemma. ARGH!!
I used Photoshop to add the color! BAD job, but at least we get a visual!
[Reply]
[...] also follow me on Twitter and "Like" me on my Facebook Fan Page! Thanks for visiting!I have another design dilemma for you today. Oh, and no, I have not gotten around to painting. I’m sure it will happen [...]
[...] I haven’t painted, but it is coming along! I’ll share more pictures when I get that arm chair finished . . . [...]
I would normally suggest chair rail, but I think the crown molding would look better. It brings the room down a bit,and leaves room should you decide to decorate. I love the colors of the fireplace and think a metallic element would set it off.
[Reply]
Hi there Kelleigh.
Looking over your photos, I think You should put the crown molding right at the ceiling line, at the top of the blue fireplace wall Photo #1 and run it straight horizontally around the room. That way your room will look tall versus squat.
I then think you should paint the point of the room and ceiling a dark color, pulling it from the ceramic/stone tiles that surround the fireplace. The dark color will visually be heavy and bring the ceiling down.
Next re-stack your artwork, mirror, etc. (make arrangements of things that start close to/just above the sofas, and work up toward the ceiling) You have a lot of Horizontal format things in a room that is all about Vertical tension. All/most of your things, including the furniture is more wide than tall. You are, with your decorating choices fighting the height of the room.
Think about introducing things like a fake or real potted tree, flipping the mirror so it is standing upward, versus being on its side, etc.
As for the blue, I have no problem with a blue, but go to a paint store and bring home every blue sample they have and put them up next to your fireplace surround to see which blue looks best with it. Also put it next to the stone counter top to see how your choices effect it. I think you will probably need a blue with a gray-beige tint/undertone. It might pull the tones from the stone.
Looking at the photo, I think the white fireplace mantel and woodwork is too white for the room and your furniture. Find a paint chip that is the same color as your sofas and add a good amount of white to that color chip, so the white is in the same color family as your fabric. Good luck with your project and thank you for visiting my site.
[Reply]
Fred Gonsowski Reply:
January 1st, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Hi there Kelleigh,
If you are going to paint the walls a colonial blue color, you have to also work that color around the room as accents.
I was thinking about a color story for your space, and I think yours is colonial blue, peach-rust, moss green and crimson red.(plus the neutral off white of your sofas and chairs)
How about putting an area rug on top of your wall to wall carpeting. Find one that is like a floral with some or most of the four colors I just listed in it. If you use the floral for the rug, introduce stripes into your room on pillows. Get pillows that have the four colors in them if you can find some, and even get a plaid one or two. Add a solid colored throw on one of the sofas to work the colors around the room more.
Over the Black Hole TV, hand that mirror you already have. BUT paint the frame the color or the fireplace mantel so it goes with the other white things in the room. You will not be able to see your reflection in it, but it will open space and bounce light around the room. Get a large (taller than wide like 30″x50″)painting, print, tapestry, etc and put it where you have the mirror.
On the fireplace put branches, decorative sticks, etc in the vases so you have vertical things suggesting HEIGHT on the fireplace.
I was thinking about a dark color for your ceiling. Paint it the color of your sofas or darker. Find the exact color on a paint chip of your upholstered furniture and then look for a shade (darker version of a color) and use one of them. That way you will be working different strengths of exact colors around the room.
If you are not interested in using the blue, look at the different colors that are in the stone on your counter top and pull a dark shade from there. The fireplace surround is also another space to find colors. If a color is attractive, but too dark, just get a lighter version of the starter color.
Also, if you kitchen opens into the family room, you have to work the colors into it also; to have a cohesive designer look. You don’t have to paint it blue, but think kitchen curtains, place mats, and any other accessories that now work the color story from one room into another. Remember, any room that you can see through a large arch way, or big opening is really part of the room you are standing in.
Happy New Year from Fred Gonsowski Garden Home.com
[Reply]
Leave your response!
Want to keep up with my latest news and new releases? Subscribe to my newsletter today!
Check out My Latest Creations!:
Soap Box by Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs: This adorable soap box can be filled with tiny soaps and pretty candies! $4.99
Hourglass Box by Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs: This uniquely shaped box is the perfect size for gift cards and trinkets! $4.99
Cash Envelopes on Etsy!
My Sponsors:
Archives
Categories
Categories
Recent Comments
Most Commented
Most Viewed