Overview:
The walls and ceiling are among the most important decorating elements when it comes to style and color scheme. The walls and ceiling are the framework for the rest of the room. They are therefor chiefly responsible for setting the mood and establishing the atmosphere. Walls and ceilings can be adorned with anything from traditional matte paint to wood paneling and from digitally printed wallpaper to AstroTurf. The possibilities are endless.
This article covers painting and trim, two of the ways in which decorators adorn walls and ceiling. The section on wall décor offers DIY suggestions for how to use faux painting techniques and covers wallpaper, a highly versatile and popular method of wall decoration.
11.1 Wall Décor
Paint
When selecting paint color, the first thing to consider is the mood. How does one want to feel inside a particular room? Does the homeowner want her bedroom to feel intimate or expansive, romantic or meditative? Does she prefer a living room to be dramatic or subtle? Is it important for the office to feel inspiring or to exude success? Should the living room be lively to foster conversation or more neutral to appear formal? Would a mother prefer the kid's room be active or restful? Color has a direct impact on the mood and atmosphere of a room. Remember, wall color will be the most dominant color in the room. Therefor, the colors found in textiles, hardware, furniture, and décor must work together with the wall color to create a harmonious and balanced color scheme.
Although matte paint is most commonly used, a decorator should consider other paint types as well as options for decorative finishes, if this is appropriate for the chosen style. On the more subtle side, gloss paint is shiny, while satin paint has a soft sheen. Decorators should know that both gloss and satin paint run the risk of highlighting imperfections. Other decorative finishes, like burnished mineral and layered colored glazes add depth to an interior. Some faux painting techniques are rather effective at mimicking a range of textures, including polished marble, rough stucco, granular sandstone, and velvety suede.
To achieve the look of white marble with black and grey veins, paint and prime a latex white wall. Using gray latex glaze, blot the glaze onto the wall, making bands of cloudy gray. Use a dry feathering brush or sponge dipped in white paint to smooth out some of the grey areas. To create a colored faux marble similar to pink-toned Italian Rosalia or multi-colored honey onyx, work in layers. Choose three or four colors based on the colors found in a particular marble that catches one's eye. In the case of honey onyx, these colors may be amethyst, alabaster, fawn, and lace. Paint the wall in the most medium-toned of the four chosen colors. In the case of honey onyx, the medium tone is alabaster. It is not too light and not too dark. When the base coat is dry, use a sponge to blot the darker color (fawn). Follow with the lighter colors (amethyst and lace), using the same sponge. The layers will build and blend, creating a deep, complex surface. Finish the project by drawing veins seen in real marble on the painted wall.
For a faux stucco finish, select a base paint color and darker glaze tone. A more traditional example would be tan paint with oat glaze. However, decorators can be creative and customize wall color to match the style and color scheme. An orange stucco wall can be quite beautiful in a Spanish home, for example. In this case, tangerine paint with a cider glaze would be a good choice. One can also take a cue from the tiny Moroccan town of Chefchaouen, which is filled with buildings in vibrant shades of blue. To make faux blue stucco, use sky blue and cerulean glaze, or for a darker look, cobalt paint and navy glaze.
Once a decorator has chosen her paint and glaze, apply the base color to the wall. Once it has dried for at least six hours, apply the second base coat. Wait a full day to allow the paint to fully dry. Next, use a 3-inch wide nylon brush to apply glaze onto the wall. When doing this, use only the very tips of the bristles and be careful not to saturate the brush. The base coat should show through at some points. Have fun with the painting process. Make random strokes that crisscross and overlap one another. Cover the entire wall until you are happy with the way it looks.
The secret to these and other faux finishes is variation. Nothing in nature is completely uniform. No two pieces of marble are exactly the same, and no application of plaster has exactly the same grooves. When creating one's very own faux finish, take advantage of this fact of nature and do not worry about making sure things are done "just right." A good amount of variation makes the finish appear even more authentic.
The uses of paint for wall décor are endless. A decorator can work with an artist to create a custom mural, or she can use stencils to make bold, graphic patterns. These decorating ideas may be unconventional, but when used tastefully, can make a big impact. For example, the dining room can become a massive statement when just one wall is painted.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper has been used since the 1400's to cover walls and keep chilly drafts from coming inside. It has long been an important design feature that at many times in history was important for communicating not only the mood and style of an interior, but also the age, status, and gender of the people occupying a particular room or home. Throughout history, textiles have been used as wall décor as a decorative element as well as an insulating necessity. This is why wallpaper was and still is sometimes designed to look like tapestry, velvet, silk, drapery, linen, and other textiles. Wallpaper also takes the appearance of murals and masonry.
In the 19th century, wallpaper underwent a revolution when machines for printing wallpaper made the decorative feature cheaper and more widely accessible. Wallpaper continued to be popular into the first third of the 20th century. However, midcentury modern aesthetics persuaded many people to paint their walls stark white. In recent decades however, wallpaper has made a comeback. Manufacturers are now producing stronger, more durable papers in a wider selection of digital colors, patterns, and prints than ever thought imaginable.
Decorators may choose to use wallpaper today because it adds texture and depth in a way that paint sometimes cannot. However, one must consider the fact that should a decorator or homeowner want to re-decorate in the future, removing wallpaper can be laborious and time consuming. It can also be difficult and expensive to install. Once it is installed however, wallpaper is usually very durable and resistant to all sorts of wear and tear.
Sometimes, a decorator needs to crank up the "wow" factor by more than a few notches. A textured wall is one way to do this. Texture can be created using anything from plastic siding to classic wood paneling, and from fabric coverings to elegant molding. Ceramic tiles and natural stone are two more methods of adding texture to an interior.
Trim
Trim is used to frame, highlight, and define architectural elements of an interior like windows, doors, walls, floors, and ceilings. It is an easy way to add panache and elegance to an interior and can work with a range of styles. There are a number of trims available and as a decorator works, she will become more familiar with the different variations. However, there are a few vocabulary terms related to trim that every decorator should keep in her arsenal.
The baseboard is the wide, flat trim at the base of the walls and against the finished floor. If a room has a baseboard, it will also have a shoe molding and base cap. Shoe molding or "base shoe," is the narrow, rounded trim that masks the joint between the baseboard and the finished floor, while the base cap is the decorative feature along the top of the baseboard.
Doors and windows with trim will have a flat board at the top of the frame called a head jamb and flat boards along the sides known as side jambs. The head jamb and side jamb create a finished surface, while another trim known as head casing and side casing have the purpose of covering the gap between the door or window frame and the wall.
Some rooms will feature a trim known as chair rail. This decorative feature runs horizontally along the wall at the approximate height of a chair back. Sometimes, chair rail is accompanied by decorating boards or panels that cover the lower half of the wall. This decorative feature is known as wainscoting and is an elegant way to dress-up a room. It is also a good method of protecting walls, which is why wainscoting is most often seen in kitchens, dining rooms, entryways, and bathrooms, where walls are most vulnerable to dirt, scuffs, and scratches.
11.2 Ceiling Decoration
Paint
The color one chooses to paint the ceiling is very important. The ceiling color reflects onto the rest of the room and impacts the style. There are four main strategies when it comes to choosing ceiling paint color. When most people think of ceiling color, they probably picture a white ceiling. White is a classic decoration choice. It is easy, elongates and brightens a room, and always looks good. White ceilings convey openness. If the walls are any color besides white, a white ceiling paired with crown molding works to frame the walls and draw attention to architectural features. Matching the ceiling color with the wall color is another common strategy. Doing so creates a sense of wholeness and harmony, and works to envelop the furniture and other décor elements, as well as the person standing inside. Depending on the color, matching the ceiling to the walls intensifies the mood of an interior. For example, a room coated around and above in Aegean blue will give one the soothing sensation of floating in the ocean, while one done in scarlet will feel fiery and romantic. An interior that is floor-to-ceiling pineapple yellow will feel intensely cheerful, while one painted in moss green evokes the humbling sensation of being directly connected to nature.
A more subtle paint strategy is to select a ceiling color that is several tones darker or lighter than the wall color. This method maintains unity and harmony, while also adding depth and variation. A darker ceiling color will make the space feel more intimate, while a lighter ceiling color will make the room feel more airy. It is important decorators consider ceiling height when deciding whether to go lighter or darker. Dark ceilings lower than nine feet can make a room feel claustrophobic or oppressive. One way to think about this phenomenon is to imagine a low-ceiling bedroom with silver grey walls. Imagine the ceiling the color of clouds and then the color of smoke. Consider how one would feel in one room in comparison to the other, solely based on ceiling color. You may find the lighter ceilinged room is inspiring, while the darker ceilinged room is stifling. Such an exercise also demonstrates the power of ceiling color.
For decorators who want to go bold, selecting a ceiling color completely different from the walls can be exciting and dramatic. One way to do this without ricocheting the room's balance is to use a color that picks up on various decorative elements seen throughout the interior. For example, a bedroom with a magenta ceiling and white walls may pick up on rouge and boysenberry tones in the bedspread and pillows. Another example is a living room with a large-scaled seascape painting as its focal point and ceiling the color of the deep ocean.
Trim
Crown molding, as an interior decoration trend, dates back 2,500 years to ancient Greece. Few other things have stood the test of time in such a way. Since the 18th century, craftsmen have used plaster and wood to make a lighter weight variety of the ancient stone decoration. Today in the 21st century, decorators can find crown molding made from foam and polyurethane.
Crown molding is a type of trim that frames the ceiling. It is installed at an angle where the wall meets the ceiling and is used to create an easier transition from the wall to ceiling. Traditionally, crown molding is defined by an S curve set above a concave alcove. Sometimes, crown molding is used with more dramatic trim pieces or detailing to create stylistic patterns. Classical casting, which refers to acanthus leaves of ancient Greece and robust egg-and-dart patterns, is just one style of trim that takes its cues from nature. Friezes with looping garlands, sweeping vegetation, or bursting floral patterns are commonly seen on trim. More geometric trim includes rectilinear dentil moldings and stair steps, which feature strips of solid stock overlain atop one another. Bead and curve, with a bead below and elongated S curve, is among the simplest trim options, as is the ornamental ovolo, in which a bulbous curve known as an ovolo sits above the traditional crown molding. The ovolo is a unique feature that forms a clean shadow. Other trim includes rope or bead details and gem-cut geometric patterns that put a room back in 1920s art deco.
Trim can sometimes be found directly on the ceiling in the form of a ceiling medallion. These decorative features are typically round or oval in shape and are affixed in the middle of the ceiling. Decorators use ceiling medallions to create dramatic focal points and to draw the eye upwards. They can be used alone or to frame a chandelier, pendant light fixture, or ceiling fan. Ceiling medallions come in a range of styles and finishes, from wood befitting a colonial-style home to metallic for Gothic settings.
The size of the ceiling medallion is as important as the style. As when working with chandeliers, it is important the size of the ceiling medallion does not overwhelm the room and works to balance the interior. As a guideline, a room of 140 square feet or less can hold a ceiling medallion of up to 20 inches; a room between 140 and 210 square feet commands a medallion 20 to 30 inches in diameter; a room between 210 and 280 feet fits 30 to 40 inches, and interiors larger than 280 square feet should have a medallion no less than 40 inches in diameter.
