I love #mytinybungalow, but living in a small space, more often times than not, means having sad, oppressive, low ceilings (can you tell I really despise these things?). It’s unfortunate but true. However, there are a few things you can do to remedy the situation without taking a sledgehammer to your ceiling. Below are 5 solutions I’ve found to make a difference and can hopefully work for your space, too. Because nobody deserves to live with oppressive ceilings, am I right?
photography by Ellie Lillstrom.
How To Make Your Low Ceiling Feel Taller
Mount curtains as close to the ceiling as possible
If you follow many designers on Instagram or via blogs, you’ve probably picked up on this trick whether your ceilings are super low or not. It’s a common design hack that really makes a space feel open and airy. If you’re dealing with 7 or 8-foot ceilings, though, be sure and get that curtain rod as close to the ceiling as physically possible. Yes, even above the trim of the window. A lot of people think the trim is there as like a guide to tell you where to put a rod, but just go right on past it and straight up. That’s how we hung the curtains in our dining room and, as you can see, it really makes the space feel taller!
Paint the wall and ceiling the same color (or the ceiling a few shades lighter)
This is a slightly more involved solution, but a solution nonetheless. If you’re space is dark and gloomy, the first thing you need to do is lighten it up. And even though painting the ceiling can be a pain, making sure it’s as light and bright as possible will really make the room seem so much more spacious. If you don’t want all white, no problem, just make sure to keep the ceiling lighter than the walls. Also, as I mentioned in this post, using flat paint on your ceiling makes a world of difference!
photography by Meghan Klein, see more of this post here.
Arc lamps
Arc lamps really have such a magical effect not only spaces with low ceilings, but just small rooms in general. Their arched shape elongates a room and takes the attention off the ceiling, which is key. Plus there are some really cool options out there. Heck, even if you don’t struggle with low ceilings, I highly recommend looking into arc lamps. When I first moved into the tiny bungalow, I was worried my beloved arc lamp wouldn’t fit, but instead it’s beyond perfect! I love how the height draws your eye up — plus the living room has zero overhead lighting (which is gross anyways), so this helps to illuminate the space in the evenings.
Recessed lighting
And speaking of more involved solutions, this one is really involved but can make a drastic difference. If your space currently has a ceiling fan, chandelier or any other lighting that’s not flush with the ceiling, getting rid of it can make a big impact. Recessed lighting can be a little tricky to install so you may want to call an electrician for this one, but if this is your home for the long run, it’ll totally be worth it. When we finally tackle the kitchen, we plan to install recessed can lighting in there to help illuminate the space.
photography by Meghan Klein for Coco Kelley
Keep the rest of your room low profile
To really go the extra mile in making your low ceiling feel higher, be very mindful when picking out your furniture for the space. Avoiding as many horizontal lines as possible will help shift the focus of how little distance there is between everything in your room and the ceiling. So if you have an opportunity to bring in some patterns, definitely go for vertical stripes, especially for curtains!
And there you have it! Some of these are minimal, while others might require a weekend project or two, but all of them will have you saying, “what low ceilings?”
