How to decorate a room with high ceilings: ideas, rules, solutions

Eastern wisdom says: “A person’s height is measured not from the ground to the head, but from the head to the sky.” A large air space inside an apartment is a significant factor ensuring the mental health of an individual. It is very difficult to get used to the fact that in Khrushchev-era buildings the ceiling literally presses on your shoulders. Therefore, the level of the upper floor is one of the most important criteria when selecting new housing. During the renovation process, the initial advantage must be used wisely. Having thoroughly thought through the design of an apartment with high ceilings at the first stage of the project, at the last stage the owners will receive a harmoniously designed room in which it will be comfortable to stay.

Significant height: turning a feature into a big plus

When arranging an apartment with high ceilings, it is necessary to pay attention not only to horizontal and vertical directions, but also to the volume going up. An interesting design solution in pre-revolutionary houses could be to divide the entire space into 2 tiers. This technique is relevant for small studios with a ceiling height of 4.5 meters and above. Having given the living room the front part with a large front window, the rear part is designed on two levels. On the first floor there is a kitchen-dining room and a small bathroom; the sleeping area is raised higher. The mezzanine is enclosed with railings, connecting it to the lower floor with a staircase.

The space from the steps to the floor is used as a wardrobe with pull-out sections, or left open, creating a reading space or a mini-office under it. By vertically delimiting the volume of the room, it is possible to significantly increase the living space and create full-fledged non-overlapping zones for active life and quiet relaxation. Such projects look especially interesting in a modern style with elements of loft or minimalism. The use of glass for steps and stair railings makes the solid structure almost invisible, and the large air mass allows the use of large-scale art objects when decorating the apartment.

What not to do with curtains if you have a room with a ceiling below 2.5 m

To get the most out of the available space, you simply cannot make a number of mistakes with the textile design of the interior of the room. These techniques conceal the already limited space and visually reduce the height of the ceilings, and when they are below 2.5 meters, the difference becomes really noticeable.

Mistake #1: Using decorative cornices

Decorative cornices are an extremely popular purchase for the home, however, in rooms with low ceilings they have a number of disadvantages, namely: the cornice is usually installed below the ceiling plinth, which means that the curtains need to be selected not from “ceiling to floor”, but “from cornice to floor”, which visually significantly reduces the height of the ceilings.

The solution will be to install a ceiling cornice, which will allow you to hang the curtain to the ceiling itself and thereby visually extend the space of a room with a ceiling of less than 2.5 meters.

Mistake #2: Short curtains

Deliberately chosen short curtains, or incorrectly chosen length of the curtains themselves, “eat up” the real height of the room. If such curtains were installed on a decorative cornice, then you can immediately say: the ceilings will seem many times lower than they actually are.

Mistake No. 3: inappropriate curtain model

For example, a curtain picked up by a decorative tie involuntarily makes the room even lower. It is better if the fabrics fall in straight and concise lines to the floor.

Mistake #4: Horizontal two-tone curtains

This technique takes place in rooms with high ceilings, but not in a typical apartment. Edges at the top or bottom will only further emphasize the flaw in height.

Mistake #5: Over-decorating

We really like loops, ties, and ruffles, however, in a room with a low ceiling it can look awkward.

Adding additional decor to curtains in a room with a low ceiling is an unforgivably wrong move.

Mistake #6: Wrong proportions

Of course, we cannot change the height of the ceiling, but there is no need to lower it either. The proportions of the window and the shape of the curtains can change our perception of the room. When the shape of the curtains expands and approaches a square, the window visually lowers and appears heavier. On the contrary, vertically flowing curtains maximize space and visually increase the height of the ceiling.

Mistake No. 7: curtains that contrast with the color of the room

Dark or contrasting curtains take all the attention and, as you know, reduce the space.

Using curtains that are similar in shade to the color of the room visually allows us to feel the room as a single space, which expands the room and does not hide the height of the ceiling even in a small, low room.

Mistake #8: Focus on the window

If you have tulle glued to the window or any other way of drawing attention to the window, and the ceiling height is low, then you will get the feeling that the ceiling in the room is very, very low. On the contrary, try to distract attention from the window by any means: choose curtains to match the walls, and install contrasting decor on the walls themselves, use bright decorative pillows, etc. In addition, with this technique, as a bonus, you will get bright accents in the interior .

Mistake #9: Large pattern on curtains

The pattern should match the interior of the room. A discrepancy between the scale of the room and the scale of the pattern will negate all attempts to maintain the existing height. It is better to choose a plain curtain or a curtain with a small pattern.

For more information about mistakes with curtains in rooms with low ceilings, see the video below:

Correcting proportions: the most successful solutions

Among the variety of decorative techniques that visually harmonize high-height spaces, four options can be especially noted:

The use of friezes when decorating walls with tiles or wallpaper;
A selection of wallpaper companions for pasting the top and bottom of the wall, using a wallpaper border;
Painting the ceiling in a dark color that matches the floor, selecting light volumetric decor (socket for a chandelier, wide stripes of ceiling relief);
Decorating the top quarter of the walls with figured molding, filling the top of the wall and ceiling with the same color.

Backlight

The use of different lighting elements can significantly change the style of suspended ceilings for the bedroom and the entire interior of the room. For example, one of the most popular options is the classic principle, which uses a three-level scheme:

The top one acts as a filler.
Medium, which uses light from elements located on the walls.
Lower, meaning lighting fixtures for bedside tables and decorative lighting located at the bottom of the walls.

Thanks to lighting techniques, you can not only emphasize the style of the bedroom, but also visually change its size and proportional perception. This result is achieved using various techniques. The simplest ones are considered to be:

The horizontal arrangement of lamps on a short wall visually increases its length.
Lighting placed on a narrow wall will produce the effect of expanding it.

Bedroom with pink PVC stretch ceiling Source potolki-nikomaks.ru

PVC ceiling tension principle Source dekor.expert

Important! A distinctive feature of arranging light for suspended ceilings in the bedroom is the need for preliminary location of the points. This is done at the time of installation of the canvas. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the electrical wiring.

LED strip with suspended ceilings in the bedroom Source potolok-nedorogo.ru
LED strip. This technique is most often used in multi-level suspended structures. For example, a plasterboard box is assembled along the perimeter of the walls, inside which a ceiling sheet is stretched. The diode strip is mounted in a special niche, making it invisible. This creates the effect of a “floating” ceiling, visually increasing the height of the room.

Advice! The plasterboard box can be replaced by installing a special polyester cornice.

Spot light in a suspended ceiling in a bedroom Source gold-potolki.ru
A stretch ceiling in a bedroom equipped with spotlights (spots) is one of the most popular options. They can be used not only as main light sources, but also for decorative purposes. Another option for their use involves zoning the space of the room. For example, separating a work space, dressing room or boudoir. This is classified into fill and highlight light.

Multi-level stretch ceiling with a chandelier in the center Source potolok-nedorogo.ru

Chandelier. A classic lighting element that can be located anywhere in the bedroom. Can be used for both decorative and practical purposes.

Ceiling imitating a starry sky Source dekor.expert

Starry sky. The effect of the night sky is achieved by installing several spotlights located inside (between the suspended and main ceilings). Numerous holes in the material will let light through, creating the desired effect.

Stretch ceiling of the bedroom in the original design Source group-mt.ru

Style combined with simplicity creates beauty

When decorating a high space, designers advise adhering to the rule of a triangle, the vertices of which are the terms “style,” “beauty,” and “simplicity.” The most successful design projects necessarily combine all three concepts. Try to remove one of them - the interior of the house will be seriously damaged:

Having accurately maintained the style, filling the room with aesthetically attractive decorative elements, but failing to cope with the requirement of simplicity, you will end up with a house overloaded with little things, clearly carrying a feeling of disorder;
Preoccupied with the beauty of furniture and the ease of design work, but missing the sense of style, you can end up with style chaos, which will ruin the whole impression of the new renovation;
Limiting yourself only to simplicity and compliance with style, but forgetting about the need to fill your home with beautiful things, you will not feel harmony, and will impoverish the very idea of the interior.

Reducing height with light: presenting several possible options

Light is a significant design tool; its role becomes especially important when it is necessary to level out the shortcomings of a room. It helps to visually “lower” a ceiling that is too high:

Arrangement of lampshades on meter-long hangers in a row if the room is small (kitchen, hallway);
Decoration of square rooms of significant size with volumetric chandeliers (modern and classic versions of products are possible);
Placement of sconces in corridors and bathrooms slightly higher than the level of a person’s head;
Selection of lamp models with shade openings pointing downwards;
Installation of a lamp with an adjustable suspension height above the kitchen table to create a cozy atmosphere for evening meals.

Interior with high ceilings: simple solutions

Among the simplest and least expensive methods, special painting can be distinguished: contrary to all traditions of repair and improvement, make your ceiling dark - and it will immediately “lower”, adding coziness to the room. It is important to take into account the color scheme of wall and floor coverings, as well as the planned furniture, so that the room does not turn from warm and cozy into gloomy and dull. When choosing lighting for a given room, you should pay attention to wall lamps whose shades are directed downward.

A good effect of “lowering” the ceiling is achieved by using low furniture. A variety of coffee and coffee tables, low chests of drawers, upholstered furniture with low backs - in such conditions there is simply no need to look up.

Another popular way to avoid psychological discomfort in an apartment with a high ceiling is to use long horizontal stripes in the interior. This could be wallpaper with a horizontal pattern, long wooden beams along the walls, border decor with several stripes and other techniques.

One of the original ways would be to install a canopy or canopy over the bed in the bedroom, for example. Such a bold and at the same time elegant technique will help not only to hide possible flaws in the ceiling, but also to make the atmosphere more romantic and conducive to relaxation.

An important detail: a very high ceiling can be turned into an advantage. Where else will there be an opportunity to hang a huge stylish lamp or place a large antique painting? Only in a room with a high ceiling!

Works of art as elements of decoration

The high ceiling allows you to decorate any room with large-scale works of art. These can be individual canvases, modular paintings, photographs in a dense “carpet” hanging, posters, modern installations, bas-reliefs, panels, frescoes, graffiti elements.

The main rules for placing art objects on the walls:

When hanging, use the horizontal direction as the main axis;
Accentuating one wall;
Choice of square or horizontal rectangular frames.

Switching the viewer's interest: focusing on the wall

A structural lowering of the ceiling level can make an unplanned gap in the renovation budget. However, there is the possibility of visual "deception". An accent wall can distract attention from the excessive height of the room. Depending on the preferences of the home owners, it is designed:

wallpaper that contrasts with the main tone of the finish;
wallpaper that repeats the basic tone, but differs ornamentally (options with large patterns are used);
volumetric planar installations;
finishing materials with a pronounced texture;
light decorative panels;
mirror imitation of window openings.

The bright decorativeness of one of the walls is capable of holding the human gaze and arousing the viewer’s interest. Other surfaces remain out of focus, look neutral, flaws in the proportions of the room are smoothed out and made invisible.

Standard ceiling height

For standard high-rise buildings, the minimum ceiling height is determined by the type of building, as well as the time of its construction. Apartments located in different parts of the country are identical to each other not only in layout, but also in standard ceiling heights, which may differ slightly by a few centimeters.

Stalinka ceiling height

This is perhaps the only option for buildings that are distinguished by a large scale. The height of the ceilings in such houses is approximately 3-3.5 m. Previously, ceiling spaces were often decorated with stucco elements to give the room additional comfort and harmony.

Khrushchev ceiling height

From the name it is clear that these residential buildings were built during the time of Khrushchev. They are represented by standard five-story buildings in which Russian families have lived for several decades.

These apartments have the following characteristics:

the height from the floor to the ceiling space is small (a tall person can easily reach the ceiling surface with his hand);
The apartment area is also small. So, the kitchen is 6 m², the rooms are 12-14 m².

The standard height in Khrushchev-era apartment buildings is 2.5 m, but thanks to the low ceilings, such apartments have some advantages:

less money is spent on heating costs;
The ceiling structures are made of reinforced concrete floor slabs and are therefore durable.

Brezhnevka ceiling height

Similar apartment buildings began to be built in the 70s of the 20th century. The average ceiling height in the rooms of such apartments is 2.5-2.7 m, and the total area of the entire housing reaches 80 m2.

These values make it possible to implement many designer decisions without the need to spend large amounts of money on repairs and finishing. With a distance from floor to ceiling of 2.7 meters, the ceiling space can be lowered by no more than 20 cm. Therefore, even complex hanging systems or two-level tension structures can be installed in such rooms.

Panel and block houses ceiling height

Their initial construction took place in the 80s of the 20th century. Such houses are characterized by the presence of a large number of floors, spacious rooms and kitchen facilities. The ceiling height in block buildings is 2.65-2.75 m.

Finishing ceilings allows you to use many different techniques.

Modern apartments ceiling heights

In modern new buildings, apartments are distinguished by a variety of layouts. On the real estate market you can find both luxury and economy class apartments. The main differences between them are the area and degree of comfort, which are directly related to the height indicator. For example, if this is a small studio apartment, then to save money, when determining the height of the ceiling surface, use the permissible minimum in a living room. As a rule, it does not exceed 2.7 m. Large luxury apartments boast ceilings 2.8-3.2 meters high.

It is better to entrust the renovation of apartments with high ceilings to designers. They will help you choose the optimal distance from the floor to the surface of the decorative structure, which will express the advantages of the finish and hide the disadvantages of the layout.

Private houses

Your own home provides endless opportunities for developing your imagination. Here you can already choose absolutely any layout and height of the rooms. Usually, the architect helps decide on the last indicator.

In order to avoid creating a feeling of emptiness, and to make the room cozy and comfortable, ceilings should be made no higher than 2.9-3.2 m.

Ceilings in private homes can be decorated in various ways. Tension fabrics or suspended ceiling structures are most often installed under wooden beams. Combined options are often used. With reinforced concrete ceilings it is allowed to use almost any finishing method - from traditional painting to the installation of complex systems.

Outbuildings and premises

For such premises there are no strict restrictions on h. It is determined by the functional purpose of the building. For example, for a sauna or bathhouse it is better to make the distance from the floor to the top smaller in order to reduce the time it takes to warm up the room.

For a garage, h must be such that the vehicle for which the building is intended can fit freely in it.

List of sources

www.ivd.ru
okommunalke.ru
dekoriko.ru
potolokspec.ru
pod-potol.com
stroy-podskazka.ru
skedraft.ru
prostostroy.com
club-masterov.ru

Author: Sergey
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Decorating a window: using curtains in the design equation

Traditional blackout curtains placed on the sides of the windows visually increase the height of the room even more. It is possible to balance the proportions of the room with the help of decorative tricks:

Place curtain rods for curtains directly above the window opening or inside it;
Provide folded curtains that cover only the upper part of the window;
Decorate the lower half of the frame with curtains on a rail “a la paisan”;
Use Roman blinds;
Cover the windows with wooden blinds according to the size of the opening;
Install internal lattice shutters up to half the height of the window;
Refuse fabric decoration, leaving window frames open.

Each of the listed options will be appropriate only in a room of a certain style. Shutters will suit interiors in English and French tones, blinds and open windows will highlight the modern design of the home, curtains and curtains will pay tribute to the classics.

Ceiling beams are a good way to adjust height

One of the decorative techniques that lowers the overall height of a room is the use of open beams. Wooden structures built into the walls, painted with dark tinting compounds, are located significantly lower than the main ceiling. Against its light background, the beams create a voluminous ornament that fills the upper part of the space. Linear, diagonal options, as well as intersecting at right angles, are used. In private chalet-style houses, solid sanded logs can serve as beams, and the country style can be supported by trusses consisting of triangles.

Vertical dimensions in new buildings and old houses

For modern buildings under construction, special regulatory documents are provided, according to which the minimum limits for the vertical parameters of apartments are set at 250 centimeters. That is, you cannot build below the apartment. The maximum limit is not regulated, but the average vertical wall size is from 2.6 to 3.2 meters.

Panel houses

This concept includes not only modern buildings, but also those built during the times of Brezhnev or Khrushchev. Such houses also have names corresponding to the era - “Brezhnevka” and “Khrushchevka”. Fundamentally, they are not too different from each other in terms of size, except that the area of the apartments built during the Brezhnev era is slightly larger.

The standard ceiling height in a panel house built under Khrushchev is two and a half meters. Such dimensions are due to the savings in building materials and the speed of construction of houses in that era.

Under Brezhnev, comfort took on a more important position and the walls grew to 270 centimeters. It has become much more comfortable and convenient. This parameter is considered optimal to this day. In modern buildings, ceilings do not fall below 260 centimeters and are rarely raised above 280. According to standards, the average size of residential premises in most modern panel houses is 2.7 meters.

Stalinka

A separate story is the house built during the reign of Stalin. Back then, materials were not saved as much and the dimensions of the apartments were much larger. The walls could be 3, or even 3.5 meters above the floor.

The area of the premises was suitable for both sizes together, creating a fairly harmonious combination. Often, the surface of the ceiling in such houses was decorated with stucco, giving the rooms solidity and style.

Private properties

In buildings made according to an individual project, you can vary all the parameters as desired by the future owner. However, even here they try not to deviate from certain canons. All the same parameters, fitting between 2.5 meters minimum and up to 3.2 meters maximum. The standard ceiling height in a private house, unless it is built according to a too elaborate design, is about three meters.

This is the most comfortable height and ensures relative ease of construction. At a height of three meters you can already afford to build any ceiling structure or place a beautiful large chandelier. At the same time, maintaining such a ceiling will not be difficult.

Other buildings

Regarding other buildings, such as a bathhouse or a garage, there are no particularly strict limits. Here, everyone is accustomed to being guided by convenience and practicality. For example, in a bathhouse, there is no need to install high ceilings - it will take longer to warm up such a room, and the ease of use will not increase too noticeably.

In garages there is also no need for large distances from the floor to the ceiling. For a standard passenger car, two meters is more than enough. If you need to put something larger in the garage, for example, a jeep or crossover, then the walls will have to “grow” up to three meters. So you can open the trunk without fear of hitting something, and wipe the roof if necessary.

Textured ceiling - reducing the height visually and structurally

Any texture makes a smooth, boring surface interesting, adds volume to it, and enhances the play of light and shadow. In the case of the upper ceiling of a room, texture can be given to it both by structural elements and artistic techniques.

Volumetric structural elements	Planar artistic techniques
Caissons	Differently colored parts of the same surface
Fixed plasterboard multi-level ceiling	Decorative picturesque lampshades
Air ducts, pipes, metal suspended structures in loft style	Projector lighting
Chandelier sockets, decorative ceiling moldings in combination with bas-relief ceiling cornices

Correcting mistakes: 7 “best” ways to make your ceiling even higher

When developing a design project for an apartment with high ceilings, you should abandon techniques that can make the room elongate upward and disrupt established proportions.

Important Tips

You can organize a beautiful ceiling in the bedroom yourself. It is enough to follow the advice of professional stylists, which will allow you to create the maximum visual effect and balance practicality and aesthetics. They are as follows:

A small bedroom will be visually enlarged due to the glossy white canvas, which has the effect of reflecting space.
If you have to choose a pattern or texture, it is advisable to give preference to the type of surface. The presence of a pattern will require an appropriate atmosphere; the shade can be repeated with decorative elements or furniture.
Although experiments are not forbidden, the amount of contrast and dark background should not be large. An excess will lead to “heavier” space, creating visual “squeezing” of the walls.
When choosing a colored stretch ceiling, you can use the cardinal directions. For example, cool shades are perfect for bedrooms with south-facing windows. This technique will bring freshness and visually expand the area of the room.
You should not hang a volumetric chandelier on a suspended ceiling with photo printing. The maximum that can be done is to use several straight lines of different shades.
No need to rely on wall decoration. The ceiling design is more durable, so it should not depend on the color of the wallpaper. A similar requirement applies to flooring. In addition, the effect can cause the room to “flatten”.

Fabric stretch multi-level ceiling Source irkutsk.mnogosna.ru

Beige stretch ceiling with the effect of a starry sky Source www.comnews-research.ru

Suspended bedroom ceiling merging with the wall Source www.comnews-research.ru

Important! Be careful with glossy ceilings in the bedroom. Their surface has a reflective effect that replicates everything in the room. Although they can significantly expand the visual perception of space, not everyone can relax in such a “mirror” room.

Futuristic ceiling in a studio apartment Source www.remontbp.com

Bedroom with accent color purple Source design-homes.ru

Change minus to plus

A significant ceiling height can be both a big plus and a huge minus when decorating a home. It all depends on how well the space is designed, how the poor proportions of the rooms are corrected, and how visual accents are placed. Great heights are contraindicated for small nooks: being inside the “well” is too difficult psychologically. Perhaps, in order for an apartment to turn into a comfortable home, it will require redevelopment, thoroughly calculated zoning, and serious work on the selection of finishing materials. However, the end result - a spacious room, saturated with air, with expanded boundaries - is worth the maximum effort.

Series of houses

The height of the walls in a panel house depended on the series of production, their vertical height is more than 2 meters, but the spread varies within a fairly wide range

Usually the question arises when buying an apartment in Khrushchev, this parameter is important, as it affects comfort and coziness

The most common type of panel houses are Khrushchev-era buildings. Despite the demolition of such objects due to the end of their service life, they are still in demand in the real estate market. Their ceiling is 2.48 meters; it is difficult to find other buildings with such low ceilings.

The so-called “improvements” have slightly better parameters; they have an increased area of the rooms and a ceiling height of 2.55 m.

standard nine-story buildings, apartments in them can have different sizes, and the ceiling is 2.64 m;
houses of the 606 and P-44K series with a ceiling height of 2.7 m are in demand because of this feature;
Series 137 houses, which have spacious rooms that meet the requirements of modern standards, have a ceiling of 2.7 or 2.8 meters, depending on the time of construction.

The desire for comfort is a natural human desire, which is why modern nine-story buildings with more spacious rooms. Homes with low ceilings do not attract buyers. Psychologists say that living in such rooms has a negative impact on the nervous system; people need space to feel coziness and comfort.