11 Surprising Ways Wallpaper Can Elevate Your Ceiling
Wallpaper isn’t just for walls. Use it on the ceiling to change the look and mood of a room
Ceilings aren’t the most commonly thought of place to use wallpaper — given the name — but there’s evidence that ceilings have been covered with paper as far back as the early 1500s. And, just like wallpaper, “ceiling paper” can transform the look, style and feel of a room. Check out these ideas for putting wallpaper to a higher use.
1. Color combo. Choose a paper with colors that complement the palette of the room to create an all-encompassing, harmonious and striking look. In this bedroom, the geometrically patterned wallpaper features the same green color as the walls and ties in with the navy bedspread. The geometry is also echoed in the Greek key pattern on the pillow.
2. All around. Floor-to-ceiling wallpaper means it usually covers the wall from top to bottom. But in this case, it also covers the ceiling. This can bring a sense of glamour to a room. However, it might be overpowering if a bold, bright or overly patterned paper is used. The light and lightly patterned paper seen here is both subtle and sophisticated.
3. Covered alcove. Using wallpaper on the walls and ceilings of a small space such as a nook or alcove can help create a cozier and more enclosed effect. Here, both the paper and floor have a geometric pattern and the leather of the chair picks up the tan color in the paper.
4. Defining statement. In an open-plan area, functional spaces are usually defined by furniture placement and area rugs. In this space, the kitchen is also defined with a graphic pattern on the ceiling.
The black-and-white geometric pattern adds a bold and sexy statement to the kitchen, delineating it and creating a sense of enclosure. Wallpaper is usually applied in lengths, but here it’s been adhered in pieces. Interior designer James Dawson drew the pattern onto the ceiling and then the “wallpaper guys” created the shapes as drawn.
The black-and-white geometric pattern adds a bold and sexy statement to the kitchen, delineating it and creating a sense of enclosure. Wallpaper is usually applied in lengths, but here it’s been adhered in pieces. Interior designer James Dawson drew the pattern onto the ceiling and then the “wallpaper guys” created the shapes as drawn.
5. Creative contrast. A brightly wallpapered ceiling that contrasts with the rest of the room can create a strong, graphic look. Here, it’s as simple as striped paper in canary yellow and white set against gray walls and a black-and-white rug.
When using vibrant colors, keep them controlled and to a minimum. They work best when the rest of the room is more subdued.
When using vibrant colors, keep them controlled and to a minimum. They work best when the rest of the room is more subdued.
6. Colorful canopy. One of the main characteristics of wallpaper is that it’s designed to look like something else — to imitate flowers, chintz, linen or to add geometric pattern or color. Here it creates a canopy of flowers. The dynamic look draws attention to the ceiling, while the colors and furnishings in the rest of the room feel calm and relaxed.
When using a vivid wallpaper such as this, keep other patterns low-key and the furniture simple, and use only one or two of the paper’s colors in broad expanses elsewhere, with the other colors serving as accents or highlights.
When using a vivid wallpaper such as this, keep other patterns low-key and the furniture simple, and use only one or two of the paper’s colors in broad expanses elsewhere, with the other colors serving as accents or highlights.
7. Subtlety overhead. This bedroom also has colorful wallpaper on the ceiling, but it’s much more understated. It adds visual interest to a bedroom whose palette is mainly white and warm wood. In a minimalist room like this, add small pops of color with pillows, artwork and other decorative features that pick up the colors in the wallpaper.
8. Custom mood setter. The custom wallpaper design on the ceiling of this bedroom is perfectly in keeping with the mood and feel of the room. It was created using Luxe Walls, a self-adhesive paper that can be printed to a standard or custom design. And because it’s removable and changeable, you can switch up your ceiling aesthetic whenever you like.
9. Lively laundry. The light and airy paper on the ceiling of this laundry room is anything but mundane. Its images of birds and clouds create a sense of spaciousness and movement in the room. This isn’t necessarily a paper to be used in a living space, but it works to great effect in a utility room or space without windows, where it can brighten and lighten the mood.
10. Light effects. The combination of a wallpapered ceiling and a statement pendant light creates an illuminating effect in the entry of this home. The paper is monochromatic with a darker background and lighter geometric pattern. When the light shines on it, the pattern reveals itself even more. Experiment with the combination of pendant and paper to see how this look could work for your space.
11. Dreamy blue. The leafy pattern covering this English bedroom ceiling is by Rapture and Wright and is hand-printed using vegetable inks on eco-friendly FSC paper. The room’s design nods to the Arts and Crafts period, when papered ceilings were popular. The room is in a cottage on the Killerton estate in Exeter, England, owned by the U.K.’s National Trust.
Share a photo: Do you have wallpaper on a ceiling? Share a picture in the Comments.
More: Considering Wallpaper? Here’s How to Get Started
Share a photo: Do you have wallpaper on a ceiling? Share a picture in the Comments.
More: Considering Wallpaper? Here’s How to Get Started
