FT NEWS

A lot of people dream of having high ceilings in their home. But consider this: High ceilings create challenges for sound and light control and often double the expense of painting, covering windows and adding artwork. Low and moderately high ceilings can be warmer, more intimate and more in proportion with human scale.Not to mention that changing a lightbulb is as simple as pulling out a step stool. Try that with a vaulted ceiling.

1. Choose low, horizontal furniture
Keep everything hunkered down low. If you are fortunate enough to have a spectacular view like this, it will amplify the effect dramatically. If you don’t have a great view, low furniture will still maximise the perceived height of your room.

2. Use wide expanses of glass and keep window coverings simple
Notice how connected this space feels to the garden? Seeing the voluminous outdoor space makes this low-slung living room feel equally spacious. This trick works especially well if you’re right at ground level.

3. Keep lighting flush
In a contemporary home with a modest ceiling height, use flush-mounted lighting to keep the look clean. This approach will create the appearance of more headroom.

4. Elongate with vertical stripes
Everyone knows that vertical stripes can be very slimming and give the illusion of height. The effective use of stripes in this narrow bathroom makes it look even taller.

5. Use patterned drapes
They lead the eye up to give a feeling of increased height. What makes this strategy effective here is the absence of competing patterns. While you’re at it, keep crown moulding proportional. Don’t go for a deep profile, which would shorten the wall expanse.

6. Use a vertical display
This grouping has an uplifting effect. By taking even just a few pieces all the way to the ceiling, you can increase the appearance of height.

7. Include uplighting
Notice how the ceiling seems to float in this photo. Bouncing light off the ceiling creates visual height. Sconces, cove lighting and even affordable torchieres can deliver this effect. This is a great technique for basements.

8. Give your ceiling high gloss
This creates an illusion of endlessness. If a ceiling like the one here is too dramatic for your tastes, use a semigloss paint instead.

9. Expose your structure
If it will give you more headroom, think about taking your ceiling to its bare bones. Basement renovations are great candidates for exposed structures. Some main-floor spaces in older homes have floating ceilings left over from a day when lower ceilings were desired. Remove these and your room will instantly feel taller.

10. Introduce a diagonal
Have you ever noticed how a staircase railing invites your eye to wander upward, giving lift to a room? A painted diagonal or a decor element that creates a diagonal line will offer the same effect.

11. Run panelling vertically
Like stripes, vertically oriented paneling reinforces height in a space.