As a Northerner who grew up with 8ft ceiling for many, many years, Texas homes provided an abundance of soaring ceilings. When you walk into a property and 10 foot ceilings are the main level is considered average, borderline small...you know you are dealing with some HEIGHT!
While the wide open space can lovely it can also be a daunting design challenge. When you are dealing with insanely high ceilings paint, art, millwork, and meaningful mantles all play a part in pulling a room together. Here are just a few of my favorites.
Image Credit - John Vessler & Jonny Valiant - Traditional Home
The use of an oversized rug is also, in my opinion, critical to flawless design execution. Many of these rooms can be viewed from an upper level of the home. I think it tends to look a bit disjointed when you have two area rugs or a rug that is simply too small for the space. Custom rugs don't have be thousands of dollars. Most carpet and flooring stores can convert a wall-to-wall carpet option to a custom size and serge the ends.
You can also make use of online stores like Natural Area Rugs for less expensive custom sisal, jute and seagrass rugs.
I am a bit Type A...so I tend to love rooms that provide perfect furniture symmetry as seen in the image below. The armoires that flank the fireplace are perfect...and that rug!
Using a chaise in a long, large room is a wonderful way to create two separate seating areas in one room. The versatility of the seating arrangement allows for distinct spaces to be seamlessly joined together. The photo below blows my mind. Multiple seating areas are combined and paired with an amazing bar! Those brass bar lamps are AWESOME!
Millwork is another way to tame an endless stretch of wall. This decorative molding detail is fairly simple for a carpenter to do and doesn't require a lot of lumber. Depending on your local contractor rates this type of millwork installation can be less expensive than artwork and provide HIGH impact.
In Texas we tend to opt for ceiling fans in these big old rooms with high ceilings. The summers are A LITTLE WARM! In more temperate climates you have the luxury of letting a gorgeous piece of lighting take center stage.
Love this room. It was done by a local designer in The Woodlands. Carla Aston did wonders with a dated space. She transformed this living room into a stylish, contemporary space with floating shelves, updated cabinetry, and a stunning floor-to-ceiling tile installation on the mantle. She even managed to weave in a flatscreen TV without missing a beat!
As you can see there are a myriad of ways to work with a space that has high ceilings. Embrace the size, apply some of these design tips and you will find it is easy to create a warm environment even in a cavernous room.
Image Credit - Hickman Design Associates
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