7 Tips for Using Wallpaper on Your Ceiling
Wallpaper is for walls, right? That’s why it’s called wallpaper. But have you thought about using it on a ceiling? It can be a fabulous technique for making your project go from great to exceptional by creating a unique and unexpected design statement.
We know because we’re the pros. Bijou Wallcoverings is a bespoke wallpaper studio specializing in manufacturing custom high-end wallpaper. Our goal is to enable our clients to tell their story with wallcovering, using their unique design and color scheme. With our innovative technology and quick turn-around time, we provide the building blocks to bring their vision to life with no limitations.
Here are our top tips on using a custom wallcovering on the fifth wall of your room.
#1: Use Ceiling Wallpaper to Add Character to a Room
With its unlimited possibilities for color and design, wallpaper has the ability to transform a room much more easily than paint. If the room lacks architectural details that typically provide visual interest, such as cornices and molding, wallpapering the ceiling is a great way to add personality to a room. It’s also an opportunity to try something bold, creative and colorful, especially if you have monochromatic walls.
#2: Wallpaper on the Ceiling Can Make the Room Appear Larger
A wallpapered ceiling can create a dramatic look in a small space, making it appear larger and visually improve the room’s proportion. If this is your goal, go for lighter colors and metallics; dark colors can weigh a room down. On the other hand, dark wallpaper works in spaces with a high ceiling to create a sense of intimacy.
If your wallpaper design has a pattern, pay attention to the direction in which it runs. For example, if your room is long and narrow, run the pattern perpendicularly or create a pattern that doesn’t have a “direction” to enhance the sense of expansiveness.
#3: Add Pattern and Details to a Design Scheme
Think of the ceiling as a blank canvas to which you can add pattern, details and layers. It’s an opportunity to bring unique patterns and colors to an otherwise non-descript space. Don’t forget, ceiling decoration is an age-old art form – just think of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
When it’s time to decide whether to use a small-scale or large-scale pattern, keep in mind that larger ones (with a repeat of a foot or more) can be easier on the eye.
#4: Tie a Room with Competing Elements Together
You can use a bold ceiling to create a contrast with neutral walls, or complement colorful walls with a patterned ceiling. For example, a solid wallpaper on the ceiling can tone down a room and make it feel more pulled-together. Keep the color choice in the same range of color you are using in elsewhere in the room to create a flowing rather than chaotic look.
#5: Create Something to Look Up To
This concept evokes the most obvious application – the bathroom. Imagine gazing at a soothing print as you soak in the tub. It’s also a classic for a children’s room, giving you a chance to be playful. A wallpapered ceiling also lifts the eye and creates a feeling of grandeur.
#6: Hide Blemishes
Just as you might choose wallpaper to cover a wall that is in poor condition, the same applies to ceiling wallpaper. Adding texture to the pattern works even better.
#7: Continue the Wall Pattern onto the Ceiling
For a little drama, use the same wallpaper on the ceiling as on the walls. Just like it works for a monochromatic room, a space with matching wallpaper on the walls and ceiling creates an intimate, cocoon-like effect.
Inspired? Call us today to help you create a ridiculously good looking wallpaper for your ceiling for whatever kind of project you are working on.