Are you totally overwhelmed because you have just moved in to your beautiful new home and you’ve never had to decorate an interior with a high ceiling? Sure this can be very intimidating but it really doesn’t need to be. In this post I’ll give a few tips and guidelines to get you going.

Artwork

Art is a must in a room with high ceilings. Art can make or break your room so choose carefully. “Art” may include paintings, graphic art, photography, tapestries or even sculpture.

Apply the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a powerful compositional technique for making paintings or photos more interesting and dynamic. It is the process of dividing the canvas or photo into thirds both vertically and horizontally.

Your wall is very much like a blank canvas. Visually imagine your wall evenly divided into 3 horizontal sections. Your artwork will go into either the middle section or, if you are going for large and bold, it may be centered within the top two-thirds of the wall. If you are putting in wainscoting or a chair rail, you’ll use the bottom third. Furniture is also placed in the bottom third.

Your artwork, unless it is a tapestry or a very large piece, should be hung at eye level. Or, as a good rule of thumb, the center of the piece should be around 62 inches high. Choose pieces whose size fits the wall. Hanging a piece that is too DSC02116small can be a real mistake. If you have several small pieces you can group them together to give the feel of a larger piece.

You may also want to have shelves placed on your wall if you have decorating pieces or sculptures to display. This can be a very effective decorating technique and allows you to safely display your items.

 

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Lighting can change or add to the feel of your space. Lighting may be formal, fun or even funky! And, there are some really great lighting options available today. Don’t be afraid to choose what you like for your space.999903255lg

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Additional or secondary lighting may be used to highlighmini-pendantt particular areas in your room; e.g., a focal point such as a fireplace wall, work areas in the kitchen or for an area used as an art gallery.

Lighting may also be used to visually divide a space. For instance, you may want to have a smaller (cozy) seating area within your large space maybe in front of the fireplace or in the bay window area. Using spot lighting, directional lighting or recessed lighting may help you to give the feel of a cozy side area within your large space.

Note that with higher ceilings chandelier or ceiling fans may require a longer hanging rod.

Furnishings

One caution, prior to choosing your furnishings and your drapes, ensure you identify your final color scheme. Remember to pick up colors you will be using throughout your room in the drapes and in your accessories in addition to the furniture. This will give the room a good, cohesive feel. Additionally, to keep that cohesiveness the style of the furniture, e.g., formal vs cozy vs light and airy, etc. should also be reflected in your drapery and accessories.

Use larger pieces that fit the scale of your room. Small pieces will give a very disconnected feel to the room and will appear even more dwarfed than they actually are.

Drapes

Drapes can change the entire mood of your room. They can add formality to a room, they can add a light and airy feel or they can make a room feel cozy and homey.

Determine first what your goal is for the room. If you are looking for cozy and homey, choose darker colors. If you are looking for drama, try black or red. If you are looking for light and airy, choose light colors and light fabritech-lighting-sprocket-headcs. For a formal feel, look for drapes that are a heavier fabric and which have either traditional patterns or solids. Use longer, taller drapes (drapes that are hung at a higher level on your wall).

Good luck and have fun decorating your new space. If you still are uncertain, give us a call. We’d love to give you a hand.

 

Written by Kevin Fletcher