In many people’s homes, ceilings are the most unremarkable part. Unlike walls, which, even when barren, have some sort of ornamentation (at least family photos or patches of wallpaper), ceilings are just there. Even in accent wall painting, where a ceiling is supposed to add character and contrast, many people just take a lazy approach and apply some sloppy white paint.
However, this doesn’t have to be so, and coffered wood ceilings are a perfect example of how you can pick up an old architectural trend and make it new and unique. Here’s how and why you should do it.
1. Coffered ceilings and lighting
In theory, coffered ceilings would be difficult to illuminate because of their shape and nature, but this is always evened out by the fact that most people use them specifically for lighting.
Their shape creates an area of lighting, providing an enhanced ambiance and allowing much more room for shadow play. This indirect lighting is amazing for setting the mood in the room, which is why this method is especially popular for bedrooms, living rooms, and entertainment rooms. A home theater or a gamer’s den can be drastically improved with a coffered ceiling and adequate lighting fixtures.
This also allows you to highlight certain architectural features of your home or even shine a spotlight on the focal point in the room.
Since these coffers are individual, you can set different lighting intensities in each area and even appoint task lighting zones. For instance, many people have a dual-purpose room like a bedroom-office. Well, this way, you can illuminate the office part while keeping the “strictly bedroom” area relatively dark.
Ultimately, some people just love the way this lighting looks. It has a vintage vibe to some, while others turn it into a futuristic light. Either way, it’s unconventional and has a simple way of making your home unique-looking.
2. Affecting the optical size of the room
Coffered ceilings change the way your room looks in so many different ways. For instance, you can pick a lighter color for the coffered ceiling and surrounding walls to make the room appear larger. While lighter colors will make the room appear lighter by default, this way, you’ll also get that dimmed lighting effect, which will further enhance the color palette.
Another way in which these coffers can make the ceiling appear higher is by adding perceived depth to it. Sure, the absolute height of the room has shrunk, but you get to create an illusion of depth that’s far greater than the objective space you’ve lost. The best part is that this area is not used for anything specific. You see, the ceiling is strictly decorative unless you’re using overhead racks.
At the same time, if you pick an ornate design for your coffered ceilings, you can end up with a lower-seeming room.
You could also keep the coffered section shallower to maintain a lower ceiling height. This way, the room will have a much more intimate feeling. Larger rooms appear colder, and this is the impression that a lot of people want to avoid, especially in bedrooms.
3. Challenges of installing coffered wood ceilings
This installation’s challenges are numerous and are not to be underestimated. First, these ceilings are more complex and require more material, making them more expensive. Again, it’s not just the cost of the materials but the fact that you have to carefully and meticulously make them that’s the problem.
Second, since they’re more unique, a coffer wood ceiling cannot be installed by any contractor. You’re looking for people with expertise in these specific types of ceilings. In other words, you’re looking for specialists, meaning you’ll end up paying more and having a harder time finding the right team.
Then, it’s important to plan this out. If the room is particularly low, you might have to reinvent the way you want this installed. While coffered ceilings give you the perception of a room’s height, they reduce it. So, in some of the smallest (lowest) rooms, this might be especially problematic.
The maintenance of coffered ceilings is also going to be higher because there are additional nooks and corners that you’ll have to dust on a relatively regular basis. Sure, it won’t be that easy to see, but if you’re allergic to fine dust, this could become a problem.
Also, since it is a wooden construction, some people worry about making their home more susceptible to fire; however, with just a bit of fireproofing, there’s a lot you can do.
4. Styles that coffered wood ceilings go best
Now, there are so many styles that work really well with coffered wood ceilings. Here are some suggestions that you might find interesting:
- Craftsman: This is the bungalow-type of style, designed for people who hate the idea of only being able to vacation once per year. This way, you can create your own slice of paradise in your own home and use simple geometric design to give the room a craftsman-style vibe.
- Rustic: If you’ve always dreamed of moving to the farmhouse but never did so due to all the convenience of living in the city, now’s the chance for your design ideas to shine. Using a rustic design, you can transform the interior of your apartment into a room that defies time and space. Since this style heavily depends on wood finishes, wooden coffered ceilings perfectly match.
- Mediterranean: If you want authentic coffered ceilings, you need to figure out the region these ceilings originated from. Most likely, you’re looking for a Mediterranean or a Tuscan-inspired interior. All you need is a warm-toned wood finish, and your coffered ceilings will appear like those of a Tuscan mansion.
- Contemporary: For the longest of times, wood finishes were considered something that belonged only to traditional or vintage styles. Well, Scandinavian minimalism changed this for good, and now we have an abundance of wood-texture-friendly contemporary designs.
Overall, you won’t be left without design choices, even if you want to go heavy on wood.
Wrap up
Ultimately, this is more than just an aesthetic choice. It will affect the cost of your design, increase the resale value of your home, and completely change the mood. It will also give you more to clean, but most homeowners with coffered wood ceilings find this to be a fair exchange.
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