How much thought have you put into your ceiling? They’ve been dubbed “the fifth wall” for a reason and have a not-so-surprisingly huge impact on the aesthetic of a room.
One of the best ways to improve the look of your home is to install a coffered ceiling. This type of ceiling adds both beauty and value to your home. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, a coffered ceiling also has many practical advantages.
For example, it can help to reduce noise levels in your home and to improve the acoustics of your home theatre or music room. Coffered ceilings can also be used to create the illusion of a taller ceiling, which can make small rooms appear more spacious, but only in a room that is tall enough from the start.
With all the ceiling styles available to choose from, why should a coffered ceiling catch your eye? Let’s take a look at the many benefits of coffered ceilings to find out!
A coffered ceiling is a ceiling composed of a series of sunken panels, or coffers. Curious about this word, coffer? It basically just means “indent” in architecture speak.
The indents are created by exposed ceiling beams arranged in an interesting grid pattern. This pattern can create rectangles, squares, and other polygonal shapes. The beams can be “real” load-bearing beams, but most coffered ceilings are created using faux beams.
The panels in between the beams are often decorated with mouldings or embellishments and may be illuminated with spotlights or other forms of lighting. The indentations or overall design created by them add visual interest to any room. Tin ceiling tiles or wallpaper may be inserted into the indents to add another layer of interest.
A tall ceiling, such as nine feet or higher, is best when you want to install this type of ceiling. Otherwise, the beams sticking down into the room can make the space feel cramped or cluttered. Thus, this is a great way to dress up tall, vaulted ceilings but not so great for shorter ceilings, though you can find creative designs that work with 8-foot ceilings.
Coffered ceilings were popular in the classical world, and were often adorned with painted scenes or mosaics. In the Middle Ages, coffered designs were often used for cathedral ceilings and other grand public buildings.
Today, coffered ceilings are still used in some public buildings and homes. Their popularity has waned over the years, but they are poised to make a comeback as people look for interesting ways to perk up their indoor spaces.
A drop-coffered ceiling has many benefits that make it a popular choice for homeowners and businesses alike. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is its aesthetic appeal. A coffered ceiling can add a touch of elegance to any room, whether it’s a formal dining room or a more casual living space.
As long as your ceiling isn’t too low to start with, a coffered ceiling design can make your ceiling look taller. This ceiling style helps to open up the space and the crisscrossing beams divide the room into segments or add visual length depending on how they are positioned.
Furthermore, the little pockets help absorb sound. This can create a calming atmosphere or help contain noise so it doesn’t wander throughout your house. This is great for bedrooms or entertaining spaces.
Now let’s dive a little deeper into a few specific benefits.
You can create a lot of different looks with coffered ceilings. Designs vary widely from one end of the spectrum to the other.
You can choose a super elegant and ornate style that adds further grandeur to your vaulted ceilings. Or you can go simple by creating a rustic coffered ceiling from wood beams and skimp on the additional moulding. This rustic style is perfect for a country cottage or farmhouse feel.
Most coffered ceilings are built in a type of grid design.
Whatever you decide, the ceiling style offers lots of versatility.
Though many coffered ceilings are built with faux beams, they can also be built with load-bearing beams. This helps reinforce the ceiling and prevent sagging while increasing stability and flexibility.
Plus the materials used for the ceiling panels are specially made to resist dangerous mould and mildew growth. Both mould and mildew are serious problems, especially in humid climates. However, under the right conditions, they can both grow just about anywhere.
Many building materials are susceptible to mould or mildew growth if they get wet. Combine that with a dark, hospitable space and you’ve got a recipe for respiratory problems. However, the materials used to build coffered ceiling panels resist the growth of mould and mildew from the start.
As you might imagine, coffered ceilings are not the simplest to install. Still, some savvy homeowners might feel equipped to take on the project.
If you decide to DIY your ceiling, make sure you start with the design on paper. You have to take measurements and plan out the design first to make sure it will fit uniformly in the available space. Don’t forget to factor in the size of the beams as well as the size of the coffers. It’s best to draw it out with chalk before you begin to ensure accuracy.
If your head starts to hurt during this phase of the process, it’s probably best to call in a professional. Coffered ceilings can be complicated and it will cost more to fix your mistakes than to hire a professional from the start.
There are a lot of different looks you can achieve with coffered ceilings — from formal and elegant to funky and rustic. There is a ton of variety depending on the colours, materials, shapes, and adornments you choose. Here are a few ideas to get the creativity flowing.
The basic criss-cross pattern with square coffers (like a checkerboard) is popular for its simplicity. It’s the easiest type to install and still has quite the visual impact.
Variations of this design include making rectangles instead of squares. You could also turn the pattern 45 degrees so the corners of the squares are facing the entryway rather than the flat sides.
You may have heard of waffle ceilings and these are actually a subset of coffered ceilings. The beams cross through each other at the intersection point (as opposed to just intersecting). This makes the ceiling resemble a waffle.
Another stunning look is to break the pattern in the center of the room. Create the criss-cross pattern as usual but then place an extra square in the center of the four center squares. Hang a light fixture from that centre square and you have an eye-catching frame that adds significant drama to the scene.
The shapes aren’t the only thing you can change up. The colour scheme you choose for your coffered ceiling makes a huge impact as well.
Some designs stick with the same colour for the panels and the beams. This is a simpler, more muted look. However, you can create a bold contrast by painting the beams a dark colour and the panels a light colour or vice versa.
Alternatively, you can choose similar shades or complementing shades to create depth. In short, there’s a lot you can do here.
Overall, there are many advantages to installing a coffered ceiling in your home. Not only does it add an element of luxury and sophistication, but it can also help to improve the acoustics in your home, and even increase the value of your property.
There’s so much you can do with a coffered ceiling that there is something that will work for every home’s aesthetic. If you are thinking of making some changes to your home, then a coffered ceiling should definitely be on your list of potential additions.
If you live in the greater Ottawa ON area reach out us today to learn more and get your project started.
House of Fine Carpentry will be closed from December 23rd, 2023 – January 3rd, 2024 for the holidays. During this time our customer service, design
Discover how House of Fine Carpentry’s expansion revolutionizes custom cabinetry! Uncover the benefits of our expanded services.
How much thought have you put into your ceiling? They’ve been dubbed “the fifth wall” for a reason and have a not-so-surprisingly huge impact on
