Interior Design Ideas to Raise Low Ceilings, How to Balance Room Dimensions Visually

A low ceiling creates an optical illusion of a small space, easily tricking the mind and blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s imagined. However, interior designers and decorating professionals know various ways and secret tricks to create the perception that the ceilings are higher than they look. The Lushome collection of modern interiors demonstrates how to incorporate these techniques into room design and decorating.

Take a look at the pictures and continue reading; you’ll be amazed at how easily low ceilings can visually elevate the space. With a raised ceiling, any room appears large and airier. When a room goes dark and the furniture shades start to draw the eyes up to the darkness, the ceiling seems to lower. If you like vaulted ceilings and a sense of infinity, you can apply the same strategy that plays with light and darkness to raise a flat ceiling and increase moderate room heights to the tall ones.

Beautiful interior design ideas for small spaces with medium and low ceilings

Clever interior design ideas for small spaces with antique decor

Matching interior design colors, floor finish, and ceiling and wall paint colors

Interior tricks to raise low ceilings

Open ceiling designs and moldings

Open ceiling frames are a modern interior design idea. It eliminates the ceiling covering, leaving exposed pipes and ductwork. The bare ceiling gives the room a more open feel and airiness. Removing crown molding can visually transform a room, giving it a clean, modern look. No molding or narrow designs are the tricks that raise the low ceilings.

Vertical elements and stripes in modern interior design

Small bathroom remodeling ideas and home staging tips

Impressive rooftop ceiling lights, unique ceiling design ideas

Lighting ideas and wall mirrors

Any pendant lights or chandeliers lead the eye to the light fixtures, making the ceiling appear lower. Flush-mounted or recessed lights are ideal solutions for rooms with low ceilings. However, if you want to create a cozy feel in your dining room, a chandelier or ceiling light with crystals or glass details will help to keep the interior design airy and bright. Leaving at least 36 inches of space between the table and the lighting fixture makes the ceiling seem higher.

Contemporary-style wall lights create vertical lines

Bright wall sconces trick the mind into believing the ceiling is higher. Decorative uplights and vertical-light torchiers bounce light off the ceiling, creating the illusion of visual height. Strategically placed near sources of natural or artificial light, wall mirrors help to bring more light into the room, stretching its dimensions.

Adding wall mirrors opposite to windows or glass doors

Windows and glass doors

The more windows you have in a room, the more natural light filters inside and the larger the interior feels. Sliding patio doors, half-glass entrance doors, and French doors help to connect your room to the bright outdoors and create the effect of a high ceiling. Stacking transom windows above doors and windows naturally draws the eye upward. The extra light and interior design details under the ceiling create an optical illusion of more height. DIY projects, such as adding extra windows and raising the interior door openings closer to the ceiling, can help increase the effect of a taller room.

Transom-style windows, living room design

Kitchen furniture placement

Hanging kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling creates a contemporary and attractive look. Glass kitchen cabinet doors also give the illusion of space. Changing the upper cabinets for open shelving adds the ultimate space maker, which works well in large and small kitchen interiors.

Fireplace and vertical architectural features

A fireplace or a vertical architectural feature, such as posts or a wall niche, often captures the attention. A fireplace makes a focal point in a seating area, and without a mantel creates a beautiful vertical architectural element. Using vertical lines to emphasize a tall interior design is a clever way to raise the ceiling visually.

Exposed ceiling beam, white paint, and vertical gray fireplace design

Painting ideas, colors, finishes

Light-colored paints are suitable for all interiors. White paint colors are known for their lightening and lifting qualities. Generally, if you opt for wall colors that are darker than the ceiling paint color, your interior design will appear to stretch vertically. Gloss and semi-gloss ceiling paints are excellent options for reflecting light and balancing the room’s dimensions. A matte finish paint is a better choice for the opposite effect. Additionally, allowing the ceiling to extend a few extra inches beyond the wall can balance the geometry and psychologically increase the perceived ceiling height.