7 Glamorous Hacks to Transform a Boring White Ceiling

You could never accuse Michelangelo of settling for a boring white ceiling. The Vatican’s Sistine Chapel is among the world’s most glorious places to look up and enjoy the view. Tokyo’s Senso-ji Temple, Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, and even the Chicago Cultural Center (home to the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome) are more spots that celebrate stylish ceilings.

“Adorned ceilings evoke memories of travel and all the artfully decorated ceilings I’ve seen around the world,” says Kate Miller, the designer behind the wallpaper and textile company Elworthy Studio in Half Moon Bay, California. “Masters of art, design, and architecture have been utilizing ceilings as a fifth surface for centuries over. They recognized that doing so elevates a space, taking it from beautiful to breathtaking, interesting to iconic.”

Let your own space rise to the occasion with these seven ways that transform a blank, white ceiling into something that’s conversation-worthy. And don’t worry, you don’t need Michelangelo’s skills or 30,000 pieces of Tiffany glass. These DIY ideas are doable for the modern-day homeowner.

Cover in showstopping paint

Go bold overhead by picking a paint shade that complements the wallpaper or color on your other four walls. But also use a high-gloss sheen, which has the added benefit of brightening a room. “High-gloss ceilings are great in dining rooms, as they reflect the light of the chandelier and any tabletop candles,” says Emilie Munroe, owner and principal designer of Studio Munroe, an interior design firm in San Francisco. As for Munroe’s color recommendations? “Jewel-toned shades are ideal, as they bring interest and glam,” she says.

David Quarles IV, a Memphis-based interior designer, recommends adding high-gloss paint to ceilings in small spaces. “In my bathroom, I decided to paint the ceiling a spiced coral color, using high-gloss paint,” he says. “Because I get very little natural light in that room, I wanted my upward-facing vanity light to reflect onto the ceiling, making the small, almost windowless room feel large enough to be invigorating in the morning yet calming enough in the evening when it’s time to soak and reflect on the day.” Quarles also recommends adding a clear topcoat with flecks of gold leaf to your color, which creates another layer of visual texture.

Add structured molding

Hesitant about going bold above? Quarles says that adding crown molding with an eye-catching paint color strikes an architectural and aesthetic balance. “One of my favorite things to do when designing a room—where the client is open to adding a bold color—is paint the crown molding the same color as the ceiling,” he says. “That way, you increase the above visual impact even more while still maintaining a balanced and structured look, given the clean lines of the molding.”

If you have coffered ceilings or plan to create them, Munroe says you shouldn’t shy away from paint. “We love our coffered ceilings to be a contrast color from the adjacent walls, but typically coordinate the beam paint color with the inset ceiling panels so the entire ceiling reads as one,” she says. “Always paint the beams a satin finish and the ceiling sections in matte so there is textural definition.”

Paint a ceiling medallion

“You can either paint your medallion the same color as the ceiling or, if going for a more curated look is in the cards, choose another color that complements your overall design and paint the medallion that color,” Quarles says. While the first idea creates a more cohesive look, the second makes the medallion the ceiling’s star—a look achieved by Amy Buchanan on her Atta Girl Says blog. Buchanan picked up a ceiling medallion from a yard sale and painted it an aqua hue that looks bold against the white ceiling in her dining room but plays off the space’s floral wallpaper. Use a paint sprayer, rather than a brush, to coat all the medallion’s crevices and raised details, Buchanan says. And while she paired the medallion with a traditional chandelier, Quarles says you get bonus points for choosing “a funky light fixture to add even more personality to your space.”

Install faux wood beams

Even if your home wasn’t built with exposed beams, you can still bring rustic charm to your ceiling—and break up all that white space—with faux versions. Munroe says, “Decorative beams bring warmth to a space, but only if they feel authentic. To create a realistic look, be sure the scale is accurate (ideally at least six inches by six inches) and the faux wood beam is fabricated to look solid (i.e., no visible butt joints).” She also recommends reviewing the location of your future faux wood to make sure the space is structurally reasonable for supporting your beam.

Hide a popcorn ceiling with black paint

For Quarles, painting his bedroom ceiling black was not only an aesthetic choice but served a practical purpose too. Wanting to remove a dreaded popcorn ceiling, Quarles turned to paint rather than labor-intensive scraping. “I’d researched painting popcorn ceilings and everything pointed to either keeping the ceiling a flat white or scraping the popcorn off altogether, leaving a smooth surface to paint any color desired,” he says. “However, as I predicted and hoped for, after being painted black satin, the popcorn’s appearance practically disappeared.”

Beyond covering the pesky popcorn, Quarles says the black paint also made his 10-foot by 14-foot room feel larger. “The black ceiling almost creates this feeling of infinite height, making the room feel much taller.” Quarles adds, “I’m here to confirm that popcorn ceilings can be painted and we no longer have to limit ourselves to flat white or cream paint—our fifth wall is meant to display our expression of design!”

Apply statement-making wallpaper

According to Miller, wallpaper is the “perfectly modern way” to pull off the kind of adorned ceilings artists created centuries ago. “Opting to wallpaper the ceiling is a perfect way to add a custom, visually interesting design element that offers ‘wow’ factor,” she says. She especially recommends wallpapering a ceiling in a cabinet-heavy room that doesn’t have much visible wall space, like a laundry room, pantry, or kitchen.

Elizabeth Rees, the founder of Chasing Paper in Milwaukee, suggests keeping the size of the room in mind when picking your pattern. “If the room is on the smaller side,” she says, “I would recommend opting for a lighter hue or a more subtle print. This will allow you to add design to the ceiling without making the space feel smaller. On the other hand, if you want the space to feel cozier, opt for a darker hue or a busier print. This will give the space a maximalist aesthetic and allows you to play with a bit more color in the room overall.”

Hang “tin” ceiling tiles

For a retro feel, take on a tin ceiling look, which was all the rage in Victorian-era buildings and has become popular once again. While the original ceilings were difficult to install—workers had to lift heavy sheets of tin-coated steel—today’s DIY’ers can achieve the same effect with faux tin tiles. “Because they are viewed from afar, the payoff of a tricky traditional tin install is minimal,” Munroe says. “Don’t be afraid to use faux tiles or, better yet, wallpaper in a traditional tin-tile pattern.” The wallpaper version, like this Portal print from the new Altered States collection by Elworthy Studio plays up tile in an abstract, cheeky way, with a nod to mod tile that plays on color and texture.