Humble ceilings? Not for me
How many times, in your life, have you lain back and looked up? At the night sky covered in stars, on a summer's day under the canopy of a leafy tree, or on a sun-warmed beach, colourful parasol overhead. Lying back and looking up comes with a sense of relaxation and appreciation. These vistas above us are epic scenes, limitless scapes we can drink in and drift off into.
How many times have you lain on your bed, your sofa, or in your bath and gazed at absolute blankness? The erased, featureless nothing of a, let's admit it, boring ceiling? I’d hazard too many to count. And so this post is an attempt to get you to consider the alternative, the interesting, and wild when it comes to ceiling treatments.
For so long now, it has been the unerring staple to paint ceilings white, but why this rule in particular? When did we start to think that this was the only way? It’s possible that in the advent of electric lighting, ceilings were painted white to help bounce the light from the low-powered bulbs. Another reason could be that white paint became more widely available after WW2, coinciding with the major rebuilding programs at the time. I think we can safely say that bulbs have become much more developed; we no longer seriously worry that light cannot support our daily lives. And when a new product becomes readily available to all, sometimes that product rightly becomes the norm, be it paint or light bulbs, but this is just a snapshot of recent history.
It's not difficult to think of examples that are more sympathetic and appealing than the basic white ceiling. Great fresco masterpieces in Italian cathedrals and duomos. Outrageous opulence of the palaces of the Kings of France. Intricate, patterned, sacred geometries of mosques in Istanbul. Symbolic, detailed plasterwork of British grand stately homes. Hand-painted wonders of folkloric-style dwellings across the world. There have been no shortage of times when we didn’t believe that decoration, style, and adornment should stop where the wall suddenly stops and the ceiling starts.
So why am I pointing all of this out? As a rallying cry! Save our ceilings! From their bland, understated lives! From the misery that is the empty page! Think colour! Try pattern! Test wallpaper! The limitless skies are not oppressive, but inspiring! The leafy canopies have dreamy depth! The colourful and beautiful are surrounding us and have inspired artisans for centuries, those who have not been worried about what is ‘right’ or ‘best’ but simply about what can be done to make lives more joyful and fulfilling. And how can you test this theory? Give it a try - what’s the worst that could happen? I mean, you could always paint it white if you don’t like it ;)
Top row: 1. Domino 2. Pinterest 3. Pinterest/InVogue Woodwork 4. Renzo Mongiardino
Bottom row: 1. Abel Macias 2. Vienna’s Museum Quarter 3. Pinterest. 4. Bilboquet Deco
For more inspiration check out our ‘Feature ceilings’ Pinterest board
