Ditch The Wallpapered Ceiling Trend And Try These Unique Alternatives Instead

Despite the fact that ceilings are a huge design element both spatially and visually in any room, they are often forgotten about when it comes to decorating a home. This is a bit of an interior design tragedy, considering the fact that a well-decorated ceiling has the potential to completely elevate the style of a room. One way of decorating your ceiling that was popular up until the 1950s that is now making a trendy comeback is wallpapering. While this is certainly a way to make a statement, adding wallpaper to your ceiling isn't the only way to bring some personality to this surface. There are several other ways to jazz up the fifth wall of a room, whether it involves creating a warm and inviting space with a planked wood ceiling, or channeling your inner Michelangelo with a stencil and some paint. 

Before you get started turning your dusty popcorn ceiling into a work of art, consider that not all of these ceiling designs are suitable for every home. For example, if you have low ceilings, it's probably not the best idea to do anything to the ceiling that's going to take away any vertical space from the room. Additionally, you want to be sure that your ceiling is structurally sound enough to carry the weight of anything you add to it, whether it's tiling or wooden beams.

If you're not a fan of installing wallpaper on a ceiling but do love the idea of having intricate designs overhead, you can use paint and stencils to decorate your ceiling. Even if you didn't receive an A plus in art class, you don't have to be excluded from this eye-catching way to decorate your ceiling. Stencils are fairly easy to use as long as you work slowly and carefully. To be on the safe side, you can even practice your stencil a few times on a piece of canvas or cardboard before you take it to the ceiling. 

To get started, secure the border of the stencil with painters tape to avoid any "oopsies". If you're using a large stencil, you can secure it and then easily paint over it with a big foam roller. When working with smaller stencils that only leave a singular design on the ceiling, you may want to use acrylic paint and a paintbrush. Make sure you don't overload the stencil with paint. Thin coats will leave you with crisper edges and help to prevent any smears.

There are plenty of different design ideas you that you could use as inspiration when painting your ceiling. Opt for one large geometric pattern throughout, or a number of smaller designs in the corners of the room. Or, you could highlight any beautiful light fixture you might have on the ceiling, like a chandelier, by stenciling a design around it. You could even create a minimalist border running around the edges of the ceiling. There are a lot of options to get creative with this and make it match your space.

Tiles aren't just for the floors and walls — they can also transform an otherwise boring ceiling into the gorgeous focal point of the room. While there are a few different ways you could tile a ceiling, one of the most unique and dramatic ways is to use faux metal stamped tiles. We're not talking about just any faux tin tiles either, but specifically ones that have an antique, geometric shape stamped onto them.

If you want to make an architectural statement, vintage faux metal or tin tiles will do the trick. This look will give your room an antique vibe, and is fantastic if you want to run with that design. Keep in mind, tin ceiling tiles will definitely darken the room, so they're a better choice for someone who prefers a warm and cozy feeling room than one that feels light and airy. You also don't have to tile the entire ceiling with tin tiles to make a statement. You could only tile one rectangle in the center of the ceiling to create a focal point, or tile only in a rectangle around your chandelier if you want to add a hint of interest to your room without the darkness that will accompany an entire ceiling of the tiles.

Who doesn't love the warm, cozy feeling that stepping into a home with a wood ceiling gives you? If you'd love that coziness in your own home but your house doesn't actually have wood ceilings, don't worry — you can easily fake it! To start building your planked wood ceiling, decide what type of wood you'd like to use. If you're trying to save money, you can't go wrong with pine. Pine is naturally a pretty light colored wood, but if you'd like to up the warmth in the room, you can go a little darker by staining it. Other wood types like cedar, oak, cherry, and maple are also popular choices for ceilings, but they have more drawbacks than pine, such as being more costly and heavy. With that said, it's hard to beat the natural richness that stems from a cherry planked wood ceiling. 

There are a few different ways you could design your planked wood ceiling. One way is to keep it simple and install the wood flush against the ceiling. If you want to add some dimension, you can add beams over the layer of wood planks. However, this option is best for ceilings on the taller side as you'll definitely lose some vertical space with that method. Another option is to only install the wood planks on a portion of your ceiling. This could look like a rectangular section in the middle with wood planks surrounded by coffers as an accent piece, or a dramatic stripe across the middle of a ceiling.

If you love the look of houseplants and all the health benefits they can bring to your home, you might just love this next wallpaper ceiling alternative, which involves turning your ceiling into a lush canopy. There are a few different ways you can implement this fun idea to spice up a boring ceiling. One way is to hang a series of planter boxes from the ceiling and fill them with full, draping houseplants. Another way is to install a large trellis on your ceiling and drape ivy and Spanish moss through the boards of the trellis. Depending on the look you're going for, you can either use a metal trellis or a wooden one. 

A wooden trellis will give the room a more earthy feel, and a metal one will give it a more modern and industrial look. In homes with taller ceilings, you'll have more vertical space to hang greenery without it making your room feel smaller. You can even hang some ivy and let it grow wild, giving your room a jungle vibe. With shorter ceilings, a simple trellis design with plants that don't hang quite as low will help prevent the living ceiling from encroaching too much on your overhead space. Additionally, if you love the look but think the upkeep sounds like too much, you can use artificial plants for your canopy ceiling.