FIVE HACKS TO CREATE THE ILLUSION OF ADDING CEILING HEIGHT

Low ceilings? Digging out a basement or ground-level lower floor to create additional ceiling height is a major project that not everyone is willing to undertake. Here are a few inexpensive tricks that help create the illusion of ceiling height without actually adding ceiling height. Before we dive in, let’s check out exhibit A, the “before” picture, below.

The small, high set windows made this main floor suite look like a dark, cold basement. The dark wood trim against the cream walls made the doorways feel small and the flushmount light fixtures made the ceilings feel even lower. Also, what’s with hanging artwork an inch below the ceiling? So here is what we did: 

Ceiling Height Hack #1: Vertical Wood Detailing

Adding vertical lines to the walls with painted MDF helped draw the eye upward and create the illusion of added height. It also added character to an otherwise drap space. 

Ceiling Height Hack #2: Cofferd Ceiling

We created visual interest on the ceiling with a cofferd-style pattern done with MDF trim, but done in an a way that didn’t add more than a centimeter (we had no height to spare).  This helped draw attention toward the ceiling to create the illusion of added vertical space. 

Ceiling Height Hack #3: Contrasting Doors

To add some depth and create the illusion of taller doorways we painted both the doors adn the door frames in a dark colour (Hale Navy – can’t get enough). 

Ceiling Height Hack #4: Maximize Window Height

Basements are typically limiting in terms of window height – you can’t very well put a window underground! However, this wasn’t a basement. It’s a main floor suite that, for whatever reason, was outfitted with short, high-set basement style windows. We replaced the windows with longer, wider windows to let more light in and dial down the basement feel.

Ceiling Height Hack #5: Pot Lights 

I love me a flush mount – but not when your ceilings are less than 7 feet high! We replaced all the lights with pot lights – and sprayed the ceilings and walls in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and Benjamin Moore Pure White, respectively. This made a huge difference to the overall feeling of the space.