Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Beaming...





In NYC a beamed ceiling is the norm. I live in a building without them, and am always thankful not to have to work around them when hanging lighting and curtains.

My friend Gabrielle just finished her renovation and took her beamed ceilings to the next level. By adding faux beams running opposite the real ones and framing everything in molding, she created a coffered ceiling. The concept is simple yet labor intensive, BUT it elevated the look of her space in a dramatic way.

In case you are wondering - a coffered ceiling is a series of sunken panels which form a decorative grid design. I always notice pretty ceiling details and this is one I love. Another good thing - coffers work magic in rooms with high and low ceilings.

I would place a plaster rosette in the middle of each coffer. I have seen this detail in historic buildings and love the look. In one landmarked building on lower 6th Avenue, they have a light bulb in the center of each rosette. Now that is something I would like to try out one day...

3 comments:

MaryBeth said...

So beautiful, I wish I could do this but in my house I either have cathedral ceilings (in new parts) or under 8 feet (in old parts) so I will only be dreaming of these. xo, MB

Kelly Giesen said...

Maybe one day... I am in the same situation myself at the moment.

shootermcg2 said...

Love the ceilings in these photos. I like it with a rugged accent(s) mixed in as well, like the faux beams here: http://www.owtraditions.com