When considering a paint colour or wallpaper, often it’s the four walls of a room we think about – but what about the fifth? With a little outside-the-box thinking, the ceiling can be ripe for a bold decorative flourish. These interiors from the ELLE Decoration archive show how a statement ceiling – whether cloaked in a mural, covered in wallpaper or even upholstered in fabric – can be the crowning glory to an artfully decorated room.
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A graphic upholstered ceiling in Melbourne
Interior decorator Simone Haag chose Dedar’s ‘Pazl’ fabric to decorate the ceiling of this Melbourne home, as well as a border around the top of the walls, to add a splash of geometric interest to this room’s smoky scheme. The chair and ottoman are the ‘The Tired Man’ design from By Lassen, the ‘G1’ floor lamp is by Sammode Studio and the two ‘Yumi’ side tables are by Bendtsen Design Associates for Moroso.
The home office with wall-to-ceiling animal print
This opulent home in London has the wow factor in every room, and the office is no exception. Inspired by the leopard-print paper and painted butterflies on the walls of Italian design trailblazer Carlo Mollino’s house in Turin, designer Trilbey Gordon wrapped the room in animal-print Pierre Frey wallpaper to pair with a Damien Hirst artwork. The office chair already belonged to the client but was reupholstered in a matching Pierre Frey fabric for a fabulous OTT take on animal print.
A monochrome moment on the ceiling in an Atlanta home
‘I love pattern, primary colours and black and white,’ says artist Angela Chrusciaki Blehm. ‘I also love parties, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to paint a permanent spray of confetti on my living room ceiling.’ In her Atlanta home, the design lover paired that energetic pattern with rich oxblood walls. The graphic ceiling is mirrored in the triangular ottoman upholstered in ‘Aimee’ fabric by Clarence House.
Groovy marbling in a Margate bedroom
In this bedroom the patterned ceiling complements a bold wall colour, creating a punchy but cohesive scheme. ‘My style is glamorous, camp and fun,’ says homeowner and co-founder of homeware brand Poodle & Blonde Whinnie Williams of her home in Margate which is an ode to the 1970s.
The exuberant country pile that’s an ode to English eccentricity
In this sprawling Cotswolds home the ceilings are given just as much decorative thought as the walls. In the dining room interior designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay paired ‘Coffered Rosette’ wallpaper from Adelphi Paper Hangings on the ceiling with curtains made from the equally exuberant ‘Burkhara’ fabric by Peter Dunham.
A luxe silk ceiling in Lisbon
‘Functionality is to be considered thoroughly in each space, but creating a mood or aesthetic is really what makes the client’s heart beat. Energy is everything.’ Designer Gracinha Viterbo injected this Lisbon home with high octane atmosphere by adorning virtually every surface with print and colour. The living room ceiling is adorned with de Gournay’s ‘Symphony’ silk wallpaper.
An abstract mural adorns this apartment entrance
This spectacular painted ceiling in sunset hues of blue, red and gold makes a statement in the entrance to an apartment in London’s iconic Centre Point, designed by Angel O’Donnell. The abstract motif subtly reflects the three-tone Bleu de Savoie bespoke patterned limestone flooring, which in turn suggests the building’s famous honeycomb façade.
A skyward mural in a London home
What looks like a hotel lobby, complete with check-in desk, is actually the entrance to a fantastical family home in London. Owned by artists and modern surrealists Philip and Charlotte Colbert and designed in collaboration with Buchanan Studio there are surprises at every turn, including on the ceiling. The mural that appears to give a glimpse at the sky above is just one of the bold decorative flourishes that define this fabulous home.
