Beams In Vaulted Ceiling Living Room

Beams In Vaulted Ceiling Living Room

The vaulted ceiling is one of the most traditional methods for adding height and volume to limited vertical space. The added capacity invites personal design touches and allows you to be creative.

We seldom look to our ceilings for such possibilities; and what a pity indeed, for the vaulted ceiling is truly an interior renaissance man's dream.

These vaulted ceiling ideas are punctuated by their ability to open up rooms and lend the impression of infinite floor and wall space, as well as permitting more natural light to permeate. Many rooms with vaulted ceilings feature a skylight, an added luxury due to minimal roof inhibition.

For those who wish to forgo the skylight, there are still a wealth of materials to choose from, each designed to brighten and warm up the quarters.

Maple or pine are particularly cozy, cabin-inspired choices, blending golden-hued, woodsy familiarity and posing minimal risk of clashing with surrounding colors and textures. For the bolder at heart, darker shades enrich the dramatic effect, creating a more intimate environment, while rustic woods of the more traditional barn style keep things relaxed and chic.

Although vaulted ceilings are typically found in older homes, newer models are popularly embracing this space-altering transition with nouveau zeal. Whether you wish to open up your home's interior or add a more nuanced variation to the layout, the vaulted ceiling combines time-honored architectural perfection with an ever-evolving modern feel. Now more than ever it's time to look up new ideas and transformative ways to create and improve your home.

Here we'll take a look at your style options while also looking at the best rooms in which to have a vaulted ceiling. We'll then inspire you with some design ideas before taking a look at how to light your vaulted face. Let's get started!

1. Choosing your style

The first thing you need to ask yourself with a vaulted ceiling is whether or not you want to opt for a more modern or rustic style. Both of them can look fantastic so the answer partly comes down to your personal preference and also the style of your room.

Rustic

Having a bare beam rib vault exposed in your home will give a room a more ancient feel and make it look more warm and friendly. There are a few different styles you have, a ribbed vault can give you a cathedral ceiling, which is one of the more dramatic options. Many people love this look as it gives them that warm feeling inside where they can get cozy by the fire on a cold winter night.

Modern

If the rest of your home has a modern look, then having rustic beams may seem out of place. Others prefer to have a clean appearance and place emphasis on having as much light and brightness as possible. This is especially a good idea in smaller spaces.

A mix of old and new

Of course, you can throw out the rule book with vaulted ceilings and have a mix of the two styles. We love the white ceilings with an exposed beam. It can be the best of both worlds where you allow the space to feel light and spacious but keep a traditional feel.

2. Choosing your rooms

Living room

You want your living room to be a warm and friendly place. Having a low roof can ruin that can make it feel cramped and claustrophobic. If you wanted to open the space then a vaulted ceiling will do just that and allow it to be a great place for social gatherings.

Having exposed beams will also give it a special type of charm. Depending on our ceiling type, you can turn your great room into something that is the stunning focal point of your home.

Bathroom

Bathrooms are often put in awkward places in the home, almost as if the designers resented putting them in. This often results in cramped spaces. A vaulted ceiling opens that up and makes it a much more relaxing environment to unwind.

That increased square footage can be made with a higher ceiling and also give more room for the air to breathe. A small bathroom with a flat ceiling can get very steamy, very quickly.

Attic conversion

With an attic, it's almost certain that you'll need to adopt a vaulted ceiling as having a drop ceiling would mean that it is simply far too low. Due to the lack of space, it's usually best to make these areas as light and airy as possible.

Kitchen

Cooking in a cramped kitchen can quickly become unpleasant. It can become uncomfortably warm and it's easy to get stressed out. A vaulted ceiling can help to not only take away that stress but keep things light and cool.

Foyer

A foyer is there to invite people into your home. Due to that, you want it to make the right impression. Having vaulted ceilings helps to give it that 'wow' factor with plenty of natural light flooding in. This is a space where you're able to create something very special.

Study

A study or office is usually a place where plenty of thinking occurs. Having space to think can not only be metaphorical but also literal. You need to be in a relaxing space without any irritants and vaulted ceilings can do exactly that.

Open plan

For those that love the idea of an open planned home, a vaulted ceiling can make that happen. You can connect different rooms together and make the most of every inch of your home. It allows for a huge amount of light to enter while allows the house plenty of room to breathe.

Bedroom

The master bedroom is a very personal space. Some may like something more intimate whereas others will long for as much space as possible. Having one of these vaulted ceilings could help to make your sanctuary the most beautiful room in the home.

The bedroom is a great place to experiment with different types of vault for something truly unique such as a groin vault or a cove ceiling. They will help to give it that extra special feel.

Mezzanine

Having vaulted ceilings can unlock the space in your home. One of the best ways to utilize that space is by creating a mezzanine. This allows you to have an extra floor where you can put an extra bedroom, office space or whatever you wish.

3. Different types of vaulted ceiling

Block painted

The most modern and minimalistic way of having a vaulted ceiling is with block painted drywall. This gives you the cleanest possible lines and takes away any unique features. If you're a lover of a modern style then this is the type of vault that you're probably looking for.

Having drywall on your high ceiling will also allow you to hide some insulation. Energy consumption can be an issue with a high vaulted ceiling but adding some fiberglass insulation is a great way to counteract that.

Bare ceiling truss

There is something stunning about being able to see the inner architecture of your home. That visual element can be even more stunning then you combine it with bare wood beneath the roof. It gives you the feel of being in a medieval home but with 21^st century comforts.

A ceiling joist is usually hidden away but there is no need for this. You can get creative with your ceiling design and let everyone see that beautiful roof truss.

Stained wood ceiling truss

Want to firmly be in the 21^st century instead? Well a beautiful alternative is to have that ceiling truss vault covered either by paint or stain. It may also suit your space to have darker wood. This can look especially good when the roof already has plenty of brightness.

You can do whatever you want with a wood vaulted ceiling and you may want it to look like a gothic cathedral or have a raised ceiling that look clean and bright.

A mix of styles

As with anything in your home, it's your kingdom and you can do anything that you want. Mixing up elements can be a bold thing to do but it can also have a huge payoff. Combining elements with your vault can make your home look truly unique.

Timber clad

Another way to mix it up is to have a timber clad ceiling where you have multiple pieces of timber fixed together. This can either be in a barrel vault style or in a angular formation. These pieces of timber can then be painted or stained in any finish of your choosing.

A barrel vaulted ceiling can look great but is hard to do and doesn't make full use of the space. The angled variation is perfect and it can be ideal for places with a sloped ceiling such as an attic space. It's a much better way to create space when compared to crown molding or a tray ceiling.

4. Vaulted ceiling lighting ideas

One of the most important factors to think about when it comes to a vaulted ceiling is how to light it. With the roof often being so far away, you need to think about the practicalities of changing lightbulbs and not having any dark sports. Here we take a look at the best lighting options.

Chandelier

The grandest way of lighting your space is going to be with a chandelier. You may think a chandelier is old fashioned but there are plenty of beautiful modern options available. They can hang a long way from the vaulted ceilings and make a room even more special. They are the perfect complement to vaulted ceilings.

Spot lighting

As we've talked about a lot already, with vaulted ceilings you often get a clash between the old and the new. For those who prefer the modern touch, they may love the idea of spotlights. These can be quite awkward to change if they go out but they can also look fantastic.

Low-hanging lights

If you don't quite like the idea of having chandeliers then the alternative is to just have regular lights that hang a long way from the vaulted ceilings. The only issue here is that the wire can damage the aesthetic of your space. They are, however, the most practical solution.

Wall-supported lights

A bit of a cheat code when it comes to lighting is to have wall supported lights. This is when you have the lights connected from wall to wall rather than having them hanging from the vaulted ceilings. Whether you like the aesthetic or not will be personal preference but they are very easy to maintain.

Glazing

Of course, the lighting of your space isn't all about artificial light. You also need to think about your glazing and how much natural light you're letting in. Having large open windows can be a great way to add a special touch to an area with a vaulted ceiling. Having a badly lit space will ruin the look. Make sure you have enough natural light.

That can be helped by having a skylight which goes perfectly with domed ceilings. A dome vaulted ceiling helped to give that feeling on grandeur and is perfect for a living room or foyer. An alternative to a dome vault is to have a squared vault which is more of a modern look.

Ceiling fan

In addition to lighting, you should consider whether or not you'll require a ceiling fan for your vaulted ceilings. If you do, you need to work out where it's going to be placed and how far it needs to drop down. Knowing how to properly style out your fan vault will allow you to naturally get the air circulation you need.

Brian Cornwell founded Next Luxury in 2007 as a magazine for modern gentlemen.

Brian Cornwell founded Next Luxury in 2007 as a magazine for modern gentlemen.

Beams In Vaulted Ceiling Living Room

Source: https://nextluxury.com/home-design/vaulted-ceiling-ideas/

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