Things are Looking Up!

Finally, 'popcorn' ceilings of the 70's are nearly extinguished and recovery from the 80's white ceilings is slow but sure. I noticed an article about decorative ceilings on Apartment Therapy recently and reflected on some of my favorite ceiling projects from my decorative painting days. The pictures aren't that great, but hopefully you get the idea...

[caption id="attachment_3662" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I stenciled the walls AND this impressive cone shaped ceiling in this girl's room- a 16 year old at the time, she wanted a metallic, moroccan tent feel"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3661" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I designed the Moroccan star pattern to fall away for a playful twist on the typical tiles domes of Moroccan architecture"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3664" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Wait, you want this 14 foot tall, 70 foot long ribbed barrel ceiling to look 'Old World'?... no problem..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3665" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I found some incredible artists and a really big scaffold to complete this ceiling that ran the length of this modern house in Yountville, California."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3671" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hard to see, but, the designer on this project (my role was strictly decorative painting for this gig) had me paint verticle stripes on about 250 feet of detailed crown molding. See it? She also spec'd the dark green ceiling in the dining area to show off a sparkly gold light fixture."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3670" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="We had fun too- we created a little laser light show with our laser levels.... maybe you had to be there to appreciate it ;-)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3669" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="By the way, we washed all the walls in dapple lime paint too, brushed a strie pattern on all the baseboards, and added a watercolor finish to the panelled doors and stair railing. Piece of cake- NOT!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3659" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Then there's the office I designed and painted for one of my favorite clients. Even with this bold stencil pattern on the walls, the contrasting floral stencils on the ceiling work perfectly in this feminine room."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3660" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I painted most of this ceiling in one day with my client feeding me intermittent doses of smoothies and coffee."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3666" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="This bathroom ceiling was a little easier to tackle. Oddly enough, just the slight arch to the ceiling made the work less back breaking. Still, I'm glad it's done."][/caption]

Even if all you do is paint your ceiling to match your walls or in a pale blue gray to make your room look taller, consider this major element of every room in your house for a look that's fresh, modern, and totally unique to you!