Celebrating Ceilings

New home design begins in one dimension. Floor plans drive the design process. These plans come to life and take on three-dimensional form when the walls are lifted. Buyers, builders and architects describe the features of this new living space in terms of size, texture, finish, color and definition, all familiar terms that roll off the tongue when describing a new home - usually its exterior, floors, walls, countertops and ... ceilings.

Wait. Ceilings? Who talks about ceilings? The answer: You should.

The fourth dimension in home design - the interior space overhead - needs to be designed to complete the architecture. Remember, taller walls and higher ceilings - as well as sculptured elements - historically were used to invoke feelings. Mirrors adorned walls in palaces to double the perception of space and dwarf the human scale. Cathedral ceilings were painted to simulate the sky and heavens.

Look up - ceilings matter. This often-overlooked space presents a tremendous opportunity to add architectural value, create design excitement and set your homes apart in buyers' minds. As the soaring volume and two-story spaces of yesterday give way to a more human scale, architectural elements at the ceiling become:

• a tool to separate spaces in today's more open floor plans.
• breaks in a 9-, 10- or 12-foot ceiling.
• a way to marry a consistent architectural theme on the interior and exterior.

In the following sections, we'll look at ceiling solutions you can use on your next project.

Found space from roof trusses or unusable attic space can add value. Use it to create excitement inside. Truss fabricators can help accommodate your desired ceiling configuration. The bottom chord of a truss often can be reconfigured to create a coffered ceiling (or tray ceiling in some regions). This exercise is cost-effective because it helps avoid additive conventional framing. Also, view the wall-to-ceiling connecting line as an opportunity. Corner treatments can blend the two surfaces together and soften the transition. Crown molding celebrates the connection and provides a natural demarcation for colors and textures.

Think it costs a lot or increases build time to add ceiling details? Think again. Simple, cost-effective, easy-to-implement techniques - layering drywall, details and color - can achieve dramatic results.

Ceilings create an opportunity to carry an exterior architectural theme to interior spaces. Crown moldings, dropped beams and geometric grid patterns let you get creative with ceiling surfaces and finishes.

Note these basic rules of thumb for ceiling design:

• Lower ceilings create intimate spaces, and high ceilings evoke grand spaces.
• With either configuration, consider adding interest to break up cold, blank surfaces.
• Slopes, coffers, beams, trusses, color and texture create ceiling interest.
• Dark ceiling colors decrease the sense of volume, while light colors have the opposite effect.
• Color variation is the most inexpensive way to play up the ceiling.
• Texture reinforces a theme or delineates a mood.

Remember, for the best outcome, involve the interior designers early in the design process. They can advance ideas that augment ceiling design.

1. You can create a great ceiling and later discover that air registers, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads or speakers mar the surface and take away from your desired impact. Creating a reflected ceiling plan can help you locate these elements early and eliminate costly field changes.

2) Be careful about acoustics. Domes and pyramids often reflect sound undesirably. Sound-absorbing acoustic panels can correct this while preserving the architecture.

3) Raked ceilings have a dated look because sloped roof lines were overdone in the 1970s. They create an unbalanced space and can be uncomfortable. Today's trend is toward higher, flat ceilings. Palatial, soaring volumes have given way to more controlled dimensions that achieve balance and symmetry.

4) Beware of a room's width-to-height ratio. Awkward proportions can be uncomfortable. Eight-foot ceilings can feel top-heavy and restrictive. Very high ceilings in small rooms distort proportion as well.

Ceilings that create impact lend a sense of significance to a space. Exposed structural elements strengthen the architecture and add drama and authenticity to the volume. These ceilings draw the eye upward and expose the home's three-dimensional design.

Ceiling treatments add texture, geometry and architectural character to a space. Modulation, indirect lighting and design details create interest by introducing a fifth dimension to the design vocabulary in new homes.

Today, 8-foot ceilings consistently give way to more gracious 9-foot plate heights. This means we can raise door and window header heights from the standard 6 feet, 8 inches to 8 feet. This creates a number of transom opportunities for doors and windows. Eight-foot soffits become possible in the perimeters to create coffers even in secondary bedrooms.