How to Deal With Low Ceilings

Low ceilings can make a room seem cramped. Though you cannot raise the roof because of architectural limitations, paying a little attention to the colour, style and lighting can help create a roomier ambience and give the illusion of a more voluminous space. Here are some design tips that can make your ceiling look higher than it is.

Go for recessed lights

Recessed lights are light fixtures installed in hollow openings in the ceiling. They are a clever design hack for rooms with low heights as they don’t stick out of the ceiling or take up space. Take a cue from this contemporary living room with modest ceiling height where reflector downlights give the illusion of more headroom. Since hanging a chandelier here would be restrictive, an accent floor lamp is used for additional lighting.

Tip: You can also try flush mount lights, which attach to the ceiling and have little to no gap between the light fixture and the ceiling

Opt for low furniture

Low furniture height increases the area between the furniture and ceiling and gives a sense of elevation. In this living room, low sofas, chairs and tables help to maximise the perceived volume of the room.

Accentuate the walls

With constraints on decorating the ceiling, why not make the wall the focal point of a room? You can arrange a group of paintings or artwork vertically to lead the eye upward and create more visual headroom. Decorating the shelves and niches can do the trick too. Here, colourful vases adorn the wall niches and break the white monotony. It adds to the aesthetic appeal and takes attention away from the low ceiling.

Consider floor-to-ceiling windows or curtains…

Sometimes investing in a few architectural tweaks can be prove to be a good idea. A low-slung living room can feel spacious with a floor-to-ceiling window. It brings the outdoors inside and gives a roomier vibe to the area.

Another option to overcome the low-height challenge is to hang curtains from ceiling to floor. With hidden rods or rails, these curtains give a waterfall effect that creates the illusion of height. See how this window with full-length curtains lets in natural light and views to make the ceiling seem taller.

…Or try huge mirrors

Introducing a large mirror on the wall is an effective way to simulate the effect of a window, as it reflects light and adds a sense of depth. Convex mirrors, in particular, curve slightly at the top and bottom to make the reflection look taller. A clever hack to give the illusion of unlimited height is a ceiling-mounted mirror like this one. Fixed right in the centre, the mirror gives the illusion that there is no ceiling above.

Expose the beams

Another clever hack to grab a few precious centimetres from the ceiling is to remove the faux or dropped ceiling. Commonly used in industrial decor, the exposed ceilings draw attention upwards and give more headroom. Exposed wooden beams amp up the decor of this cosy seating area. Natural wood also softens the ambience and brings warmth to the space.

Keep it white and bright

Dark colours tend to emphasise boundaries and the limited height. Give a low ceiling a visual lift by painting it bright white. In this image, the all-in-one shelving unit, walls and ceiling are painted in white to maximise brightness. Ceiling-mounted spotlights add to the illumination.


Introduce vertical and diagonal patterns

Strong vertical lines on the walls rather than horizontal ones give the illusion of height. They help draw the eyes away from the low ceiling – this striped wall reinforces height in a small-height space. The splash of funky orange and subtle grey gives a cheerful vibe to the area.

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