As you sit at home and watch an old episode of MTV’s Cribs, or even a more recent episode of HGTV’s House Hunters you will notice that high ceilings add pizazz to a home. While they do appear elegant, especially in a grand entrance, high ceilings do have their drawbacks, particularly when it comes to the expense of heating and cooling your home. If you are getting ready to remodel your kitchen, but lack the available space to lift your ceiling, there are ways that you can create the illusion of height making your kitchen appear as elegant as a grand entrance with 30-foot ceilings.
Paint with Metallic Hues…
Surprisingly, one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to increase the height of your ceiling is by using metallic paint. Colors, such as nickel, gold, and silver all have reflective properties which allows light to bounce off of them, creating the illusion that the ceiling continues forever.
Paint Crown Molding, Walls, and Ceilings the Same…
In most homes, the walls are one color, the crown molding another, and the ceiling a third. Although this is common, if you want to increase the visual illusion that your ceilings are higher than they are, opt for using the same color for all aspects of the room. It detracts the eye from being able to determine where the walls end and the ceilings begin.
Take the Walls Up…
Another painting technique you can use to make the ceiling seem higher is by extending the paint line of your walls. Do this by measuring 5 to 8 inches in from the wall on the ceiling. Use tape to create this ‘border’ and paint that part of the ceiling the same color as the wall. When using this technique, it is a good idea to use a dark color on the wall and ceiling border. Use a lighter color on the newly measured ceiling. This technique will trick the eye into believing the ceiling is higher.
Furniture & Materials Make a Difference…
Surprisingly, the size of furniture you choose for your kitchen can really make a difference in how you visually feel about your ceiling height. Choosing smaller scaled kitchen chairs and tables that have vertical lines are excellent options. You could also opt for wingback chairs that have a shorter profile. In addition, adding reflective surfaces, such as smooth granite countertops and a glass tiled backsplash can help increase the feeling that your kitchen ceilings are much higher than they really are.
Accessories & Artwork Trick the Eye…
There are a variety of ways you can use accessories and artwork to make your ceilings seem higher. Using mirrors to add reflective surfaces is an excellent idea. In addition, make sure that your curtains go from the floor to the ceiling to increase the length of drapes making your walls feel taller, thus increasing the visual feeling of height in the room.
Place a tall vase in the center of your kitchen table or as a decorative piece on your granite countertops. Add seasonal grasses with long branches that are beginning to blossom. It helps to slow the eye down as it looks up toward the ceiling, making it feel visually higher. In a similar way, walls of artwork tend to keep the eye moving along the room, and not necessarily up at the ceiling. It is also a great idea to hang art higher than you normally would. This draws the eye up, making it seem like it just keeps going.
Use Beadboard or Decorative Paneling…
A newer trend in creating tall ceilings is the use of beadboard or decorative paneling. Cover the lower two-thirds of the walls with the material. Paint the upper portion of the wall the same color as the ceiling and omitting crown molding. If you want to put in a chair rail, paint the upper part of the wall and the ceiling the same color – preferably a lighter one. This will also help trick the eye into believing the ceiling is higher than it is.
Omit Overhead Lighting…
Although chandeliers and overhead lights can really help brighten up a room, a kitchen with low ceilings is no place for these lighting fixtures. They tend to draw attention to the ceiling as opposed to the rest of the space. In the event you do opt for a chandelier or pendant light fixture, hang it slightly higher than normal to allow more space between the bottom of the fixture and the floor, which will make the ceiling seem higher.
To increase the overall height of the ceilings in your kitchen, try using several of these techniques to bring attention to other aspects of the room. For instance, combining reflective granite countertops with a striped tile backsplash and low-profile furniture could make a world of difference in how your view your ceilings when your remodeling project is complete.