Make a ceiling look taller with some visual tricks. Vertical stripes on the walls or a shower curtain give the illusion of a higher ceiling. Wood moldings, wallpaper borders, and tile designs placed where the walls and ceiling meet will also provide a splash of color and help naturally draw the eye upward.
Fit a flush shower head and tray to boost headroom
'A low ceiling requires careful showerhead positioning,' Yousef Mansuri explains. 'A flush-to-ceiling shower can help gain extra headroom, as will a low-level shower tray. '
Choose a lighter ceiling color.
Paint your ceiling a color lighter than the walls, preferably white. Some believe high-gloss paint is best because it reflects light and makes the ceiling look somehow less fixed and static, while others say a matte finish will help the ceiling to blend in more.
Pick the correct colours
Radiant white, soft cream or delicate pastel hues are best suited for low ceilings, as they open up the room visually, reflect the light better, and make the ceiling appear further away. This helps to make the space appear much larger and brighter.
The bigger the expanse of a paler color on your walls the better in a low ceilinged room, but using a darker color on the bottom half of a wall – up to the dado rail height, including the skirting board and dado too – can help the ceiling feel taller.
Water-resistant Fiberglass, cement board, tile, acrylic, and drywall are some of the best materials to consider when planning a bathroom ceiling. These materials help give your bathroom a refined, perfect, modern, and polished overall appearance. You can also use flat and semi-gloss paint to cover the bathroom ceiling.
"Lighter colors reflect light easily, which gives the room a bigger appearance," says Piercy. Unsurprisingly, a classic white paint is the perfect choice when it comes to creating the illusion of a bigger bathroom.
If you are painting the walls something other than white, try painting the ceilings that color, too. Doing so will draw the eye upward, making the ceiling feel higher. Some experts recommend choosing the same color, only 20% lighter.
For a grand change in ceiling height, you can vault the ceiling. Vaulting requires removing the existing 8 foot ceiling and framing the attic space above at the highest point possible, resulting in a sloped ceiling. Vaulting a ceiling in a larger room often requires structural beams or supports to be added.
Many homeowners hang curtain rods right at the top of the window frame. But this often breaks the visual flow and can make ceilings feel even lower. Try hanging the curtain rods higher than the top of the window frame. The closer the rod is to the ceiling, the taller the ceiling will appear.
Most homeowners pay around $60 per square foot to raise a ceiling. The price range for this project—between $50 and $75 per square foot—varies by home type and location.
It typically involves removing horizontal beams called joists and installing a new ceiling. If you don't have sufficient space above the room, then a contractor has to raise the roof in order to elevate the ceiling. They make the surrounding walls taller, often by adding taller support beams.
The average cost to raise a ceiling is $19,200, and the price breaks out to $50 to $75 per square foot—though this cost varies depending on many of the items discussed above (home type, location, etc.).
In some cases a low-hanging chandelier or pendant lamp can draw attention to the ceiling and make it appear higher. This can work particularly well for staircases but other spaces as well.
Go for See-Through Light Fixtures
When choosing hanging lights for low ceilings, it's best to choose fixtures with minimal designs. Pick a lantern-style pendant to add geometric structure and timeless style. The open metal frame maintains an airy feel that helps make your ceiling look higher.
Besides drywall, you can install beadboard, plywood sheets, tongue and groove wood planks, shiplap and cedar boards on drywall. You could also install a drop ceiling instead of drywall. You can see a beautiful example of the PVC drop ceiling inserts that are available in the list above.
Myth #1: My ceilings are too low for crown moldings.
In fact, using moldings that project further than the wall can provide an optical illusion that makes ceilings appear taller than they actually are. For rooms that are vertically challenged, use crown moldings to give modest spaces a sense of elegance.
' It's why color-drenched rooms feel modern and fresh - there's a minimalism to them that gives even spaces with traditional features a contemporary feel. Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls can also help a small room look larger, especially in rooms that have low ceilings.
Adding height to a room
Dark walls paired with a light floor and ceiling give the illusion of a taller room. There's no need to paint your walls black: just apply a bolder shade to a section of your room to illuminate and highlight the light shade above your head.