Striking and imaginative patterns and textures on the oft-forgotten “fifth wall” can take a room to new heights. And we’ve got just what you need to get the look.
Going Bold
Good vibes abound at the office of designers Tali Roth and Tina Rich, who treated their ceiling with a cheerful stripe for a graphic punch and to serve as the focal point of the room.
Celestial Chic
A utilitarian space is transformed into something heavenly in this project by Archer & Buchanan Architecture. Paired with high-gloss cobalt walls, the star-pattern wallpaper on the ceiling looks truly divine.
Preppy Panache
David Cafiero enlivened this low-ceilinged bedroom with a Hollywood Regency-style wallpaper, giving the space an instant, happy lift.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Two almost-matching patterns—one on the ceiling, one on the walls—envelop a bathroom by Muriel Brandolini and turn it into a decadent space with exotic charm.
Layer of Luxe
With a not-so-subtle shimmer, silver leaf wallpaper draws the eye upward and adds an extra sumptuous note of polish to this dining room by David Kleinberg and Peter Pennoyer.
Classical Harmony
The trompe l’oeil ceiling in Massimo Listri’s 18th-century salon provokes a double take, with a coffered appearance that adds architectural interest and the illusion of depth.
Feminine Flair
At her country house, Elizabeth Mayhew embraced a bedroom’s slanted ceilings with the classic dormer treatment of wallpaper everywhere. The delicate floral pattern adds a girly touch without overwhelming the space.
History Lesson
Gio Ponti, the iconic Italian architect responsible for some of the 20th century’s best-known buildings, furniture and rooms, frequently used the ceiling as his canvas.
At the Bouilhet Villa outside Paris, here, Ponti grounded the double-height hall with a ceiling in pastel-tone, classical motifs.
At Venezuela’s Villa Planchart, in these two images, he deployed abstract patterns in lively colors to synthesize and animate the rooms.
