Ceiling in the living room: 140 photos of the most beautiful and original design options for the ceiling in the living room

The ceiling is a bit like “sky” within four walls. It has become generally accepted that it should be white because it creates the illusion of space in the interior. It's true that bleached tones give a living room a light feel, but color can give a home's interior space a unique character. How to diversify the interior with the help of a ceiling? There are many ways to do this, but to choose the best one, you need to carefully analyze the specifics of the room. Not only its size is very important, but the height and amount of daylight that penetrates the living room. Check out the best ideas for a modern ceiling in the main room of your home.

Dropped ceilings

All types of finishes that are mounted on a lathing or frame are classified as suspended. When installing them, the height of the room decreases by 3-7 cm. This depends on the type of material used and the type of profile that is installed on the ceiling.

To make the frame, wooden blocks and mounting slats or a metal profile are used. They are mounted on a concrete or wooden ceiling, and parts of the finishing are attached from above using installation. For small elements, cellular jointing of suspensions is used.

They carry not only the function of decorative finishing, but also act as sound and heat insulation, lighting elements are mounted in them, they hide irregularities, wiring, cables, and with their help they mask ventilation and protruding pipes. When installing them, there is no need to level and plaster the walls or sand the joints. This saves money and time for repairs.

Drywall

Drywall is a universal material that allows you to realize your wildest ceiling design fantasies in the living room. It is lightweight, fireproof, environmentally friendly, lighting can be easily installed in it, and utility lines are hidden under it.

Drywall consists of sheets of thick cardboard between which there is a layer of hardened gypsum with fillers. The sheets are attached to the metal profile with screws. Ceiling guide and arched profiles with a width of 40 to 60 mm and a thickness of 0.45 mm are used for installation. With its help, you can create a two-level living room ceiling with a play of shadow and light, zoning the space, and highlighting individual interior elements.

Decorative plaster, paint, wallpaper, polystyrene or foam panels are applied to its surface. This is an affordable material; installation work can be easily done independently.

The disadvantage is that a plasterboard ceiling in the living room reduces the height of the room by 8-10 cm, so it is not recommended to do it in a low room.

Lighting

The hall is a functional room. The whole family gathers here, relax and work, meet relatives and friends. This means that this space should be well lit. One chandelier in the center of the ceiling, as a rule, is not enough to create a practical and comfortable interior.

Much depends on whether the living room is divided into zones.

• If the room is solid, it is appropriate to use one large central chandelier;
• in a zoned space, several lighting fixtures will be required.

The size of the room is also important. If it is small, then it is appropriate to use one lamp to illuminate each specific area. If the living room is spacious, you should go the other way - place the devices around the perimeter of the ceiling.

The chandelier must be selected taking into account the overall style of the interior. As additional light sources you can use:

• spots that, thanks to directional flow, emphasize certain interior elements;
• spotlights creating the illusion of large space;
• point devices that allow you to give consistency to the geometry of the room;
• diode strips, thanks to which the ceiling looks as if it is floating in the air.

Expert opinion

Olga Kovalenko

Since 2010 I have been engaged in interior design and architectural design.

A competent approach to room design will allow you to get rid of visual boundaries and add space to the living room. To do this, it is enough to correctly combine lighting fixtures with the selected color palette.

Stretch ceiling

Stretch ceilings are made from polyvinyl chloride fabric by welding the sheets on a high-frequency machine according to the size of the surface. When installed on the frame, the canvas is heated to a temperature of 700 C with a heat gun. The film softens, its plasticity increases, and it is stretched and secured to the profile with clips or glazing beads.

Before installing it, you need to mark and install the mounts under the chandelier or ceiling lights. The process of installing a 70 m2 canvas takes 7 hours. There is no dust, dirt or waste during operation. All irregularities, defects and communications are hidden.

The matte canvas resembles plaster, while the mirrored one visually increases the volume of the room due to the reflective ability of the material. It is easy to clean and is not afraid of high humidity. A variety of colors (up to 100 shades) and photo printing will help create the illusion of a starry sky or floating clouds.

The disadvantage of a vinyl ceiling is that it is susceptible to mechanical damage and is easily pierced by sharp objects and cut through. It can be repaired, but the seam will be visible.

Laminate, MDF, HDF, LDF

Laminate, MDF, HDF, LDF materials made from wood fibers and shavings by pressing with the addition of fillers and phenol-formaldehyde-based glue. An alternative to wooden lining. Lightweight, affordable material, environmentally friendly, hygienic, mounted on the frame using self-tapping screws, the plates are connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove fastening.

Wooden lining

Wooden lining is suitable for a log house, a room with a characteristic Scandinavian or Old Russian design. A light, pleasant color with a unique texture and eyes will add elegance and originality to the room.

Natural material, does not emit harmful substances into the room, gives the aroma of the forest, durable, easily combined with other materials. But it must be treated with impregnations and antibacterial agents to avoid damage by mold, bacteria and insects.

Mirror or glass

Glass or mirror inserts in the ceiling make the design of the room elegant. They visually expand the room and make it brighter.

The use of glass creates a weightless effect in the room and adds unusual light reflections.

Painting and whitewashing

Remains the most affordable type of repair. When whitewashing, an aqueous solution of lime or chalk is used, and painting is carried out with water-based paints. But before carrying out work, it is necessary to level the ceiling, clean it from uneven areas, and seal cracks and joints between the floor slabs.

Painting materials dry quickly, are easy to maintain, easy to select the desired color using the color scheme, are vapor permeable and environmentally friendly. When using them, the height of the room is not lost.

Selection of materials for cladding

The materials used to decorate the ceilings must meet certain requirements. If the living room is combined with a kitchen, then it is best to make the ceiling from materials that are resistant to moisture, oils, grease and high temperatures. If the living room is a separate room, then the ceiling should be made of environmentally friendly materials. They do not emit toxic fumes into the environment. They also do not contribute to the accumulation of dust and dirt. Their surface is easy to clean during regular wet cleaning. Those. Such materials are even suitable for finishing housing where allergy sufferers and small children live. The ceiling should not become a breeding ground for various pathogens: bacteria, mycotic microorganisms, mold, etc. And, of course, the ceiling decoration should fit well into the overall interior of the room.

Whitewashing and painting

Whitewashing and painting are among the simplest methods of ceiling decoration. Most often, they decide to paint or whitewash the ceiling in case of limited financial capabilities. But today these methods fade into the background, although sometimes they are an interesting design idea and fit perfectly into the overall interior of the living room. When painting, the surface of the ceiling is covered with water-dispersion or water-based paints, and when whitewashing, lime, paint or chalk are used, which are applied using special sprayers or brushes. Whitewashing and painting will look good only if the ceiling is perfectly flat, because... they are not able to hide surface defects. This design option is suitable for loft-style living rooms. Also, in unfinished loft rooms, an ordinary concrete ceiling treated with special protective substances looks stylish.

Wallpapering

If you choose wallpaper to decorate the walls, you can also use it to cover the ceiling. This is a cheap finishing method, available for any renovation budget. It is best to choose vinyl or non-woven wallpaper with volumetric embossing for the ceiling. Paper wallpaper that is too thin will look bad. If a person is renovating a room without helpers, then you can choose wallpaper of medium width (about 0.5 meters). Otherwise, you should opt for wide meter-long wallpaper. Before starting repairs, the ceiling surface is thoroughly cleaned. If there are still some unevenness on it, then it is better to choose voluminous wallpaper with an abstract large pattern to hide these defects. But it is better to choose plain, light wallpaper that harmoniously matches the color of the walls in the living room.

The presence of variegation on the ceiling can visually make the room smaller.

Expanded polystyrene tiles

Ceiling tiles made of expanded polystyrene (a type of polystyrene foam) are a very practical ceiling covering. This material is lightweight and convenient for DIY finishing of premises. Most often, these tiles are made in the form of a square 50 by 50 cm and have a small thickness - up to 14 mm. They are available in various colors, which allows you to realize any design ideas and decorate your living room with such tiles in any style. Expanded polystyrene can be easily painted in any color and can even be plastered. Some tile models even imitate antique ceiling stucco. Expanded polystyrene begins to emit harmful vapors only at very high temperatures, and the rest of the time it is absolutely safe for life and health. This material is also extremely convenient to use; it can be easily cleaned with a regular damp cloth and a simple vacuum cleaner.

Stretch ceiling

A stretch ceiling is a simple structure consisting of a panel and a profile (metal or plastic). It can be seamless fabric or welded vinyl. Seamless stretch ceilings are based on textile fabric of various shades. They are strong and durable. PVC stretch ceilings are made for a specific room and are compounds of strips of polyvinyl chloride. They are less durable, although they have excellent waterproof qualities. PVC stretch ceilings can be divided into satin, glossy or matte. The choice of material type depends on the design concept of the room. Stretch ceilings can be single-level or multi-level. The latter are most often used for additional zoning of the room. Moreover, when designing several levels, you can use tension structures of different textures.

Mounted

Suspended ceilings are attached to the main ceiling using special canopies, hence their name. They are based on a metal frame, which ensures the quality of the connection. Any materials can be used for decoration, but plasterboard is most often used. You can construct unusual elements from it. This material is environmentally friendly, reliable and durable. It does not require a finishing coat, although it can be wallpapered, painted, whitewashed or decorated with plaster stucco. Suspended ceilings look great in any interior and fit well into any style: baroque, hi-tech, romanticism, neoclassicism, minimalism, etc. Just don’t experiment too much with painting and tinting. It is best to paint such structures in traditional calm colors:

• white;
• cream;
• beige;
• lactic;
• baby blue.

From plasterboard

Suspended plasterboard ceilings can be single-level or multi-level. The latter are great for large rooms, but are lost in small rooms. If the living room is less than 12 sq.m., then it is better to limit yourself to a single-level ceiling. The same applies to rooms with low ceiling heights. But in spacious halls this design will look very advantageous. If the living room area is less than 16 sq.m., then two levels will be enough. In spacious halls you can make 3-4 levels. In such a ceiling it is worth installing economical energy-saving light bulbs, which will give the room some piquancy. Moreover, each level must have its own type of lighting; this will allow the living room to be zoned as efficiently as possible. The shape of the ceiling tiers depends on personal preferences.

Cassette

Cassette ceilings are one of the types of suspended ceilings. They are easy to install and clean. They have an aesthetic appearance, are durable and very durable. Cassette ceilings consist of a square-shaped slab (cassette), a mini-suspension, guide rails, a spring suspension and a corner. The cassette can have any color. Today, ceiling tiles are produced even with a mirror surface, which can visually enlarge any room. Most often, cassettes are made of aluminum or galvanized steel. The metal is coated with a special powder paint or bimetallic mixture. Cassettes can be painted in one color or have a pattern.

Thanks to modern high-temperature production technologies, this image does not fade or wear off over time. Ceiling cassettes are also made from:

• gypsum;
• acrylic glass;
• mineral fiber:
• wood, etc.

Mirror

Mirror ceiling tiles are often made from metals, acrylic or silicate glass. They look impressive and stylish. This ceiling design is suitable for small living rooms, as it can visually expand the space and make it brighter. Mirror plates can be colored. They are appropriate in any design project. There are 4 main types of these ceilings: tiled, slatted, suspended PVC and panel. Moreover, a ceiling with PVC film is not mirrored in the literal sense of the word. The desired effect is achieved only thanks to the glossy surface of the synthetic film. Mirrored ceilings emphasize the sophistication of the living room and fit effectively into any interior. You can choose not only light designs, but also mirrors in a dark frame with smooth corners and spotlights.

Hemmed

The design of false ceilings does not provide additional hangers for panels. The tiles are installed directly on the frame, which significantly saves space. Therefore, hemmed structures are suitable for rooms with low ceiling heights. The material used is wood, plasterboard, plastic or metal, as well as combinations thereof. Such designs are easy to install and look beautiful. They are easy to use, do not require significant cleaning and are durable. Hemmed structures have good sound insulation and ideally hide any unevenness in the ceiling surface. They are characterized by a wide variety of colors and textures. False ceilings can imitate natural stones, expensive wood, untreated brick, etc. They look stylish and expensive and are ideal for the living room.

Rack and pinion

The design of a traditional slatted ceiling consists of a frame and cladding. The facing panel is most often made of plastic, and then its surface is varnished to enhance its performance properties. It is best to mount the slatted ceiling on aluminum fasteners. They are quite durable, lightweight and inexpensive. The surface of the slats can be smooth or perforated. Slatted ceilings are divided into open and closed. The slats are suitable for living rooms that are combined with a kitchen, because... these elements are able to absorb excess moisture and steam. Slat structures look great in huge rooms with high ceilings, but, for example, in Khrushchev-era buildings they make the room visually much smaller. The slats “eat up” up to 10 cm of the ceiling height. Such designs can have different colors and textures.

Combined

Combined ceilings are suitable for large living rooms. The use of various materials allows you to productively zone a room by adjusting the shape and height of the free space. You can connect several stretched fabrics of contrasting colors or structures at once. Gloss and matte, smoothness and stucco, black and white colors look impressive side by side. Moreover, the joint of the canvases may not be parallel to the floor and have a crooked cut. You can also combine drywall and tension covering to create a multi-level structure. The combination of a stretch ceiling and mirrors looks much more impressive, but requires serious preparation and complex installation. But mirror inserts make the living room more luxurious and visually larger.

Any combined designs transform the room and make it more interesting and rich.

Wallpapering

The variety of colors, materials, types make it possible to quickly, efficiently, inexpensively and independently carry out repairs of the room. Traditional paper wallpapers have been replaced by vinyl, non-woven, velor, fabric, paintable and liquid wallpapers. They can be with gold and silver embossing, foam, with colorful designs, photo wallpapers and strict ones, which will create the impression of solidity.

Polystyrene and foam boards

Polystyrene and foam boards measuring 40x40 or 60x60 are mounted on the ceiling using glue. This type of finishing allows you to level out small unevenness and cracks, and you can remove electrical wiring underneath them. Moisture-resistant, durable, easy to clean, do not collect dust. But they are afraid of bright lighting and heating with a light bulb - the plastic turns yellow.

Decorative plaster makes the surface textured and hides minor imperfections; a wide range of colors allows you to choose the finish to suit any interior and maintain the height of the ceiling.

In repairs they use budget coating options, Venetian plaster, and multi-layer coating, followed by fragmentary removal of layers, called sgraffito.

Types of options

We propose to consider this issue comprehensively, and pay attention to possible combinations of directions, material and color.

Such an integrated approach allows you to take a broad look at the issue and simultaneously satisfy all the main criteria for choosing a design. Of course, the table shows the basic colors and implementations of each direction. Next we will look at them in more detail and draw your attention to several more interesting modern trends.

See also: Interior tricks: DIY living room decor

Original, chic finishing methods

These types of coatings will maximally enrich the interior, make it inimitable, stylish, and create an image of chic and prestige.

A mirrored ceiling will create the illusion of an expanded vaulted space, reflecting and scattering light with myriads of sparks. The massive frame requires careful fastening of the profile to the ceiling. Dust accumulates on the surface, so it requires frequent washing and polishing.

Plaster molding with gilding will suit the Rococo or Russian Empire style; your living room will turn into a masterpiece and a piece of art.

Draping with fabric will allow you to decorate the room in an oriental style and can be used in combination with other materials.

A wooden or plaster coffered ceiling is a type of timeless classic combined with modern materials. It consists of panels of complex relief, with patterns in the form of geometric shapes, flowers, birds, and animals. Suitable for large, bright rooms with a ceiling height of more than three meters.

Panels are produced in the form of squares measuring 40x40 cm. It is important to choose the color to match the shade of the furniture located in the living room. The abundance of carvings and decorations makes cleaning difficult. They are attached to a profile that is installed with cells corresponding to the parameters of the slabs.

There are many types of materials for design and decoration of premises. The main condition is to ensure comfort and coziness, because a modern living room ceiling should be part of the interior ensemble of the entire house or apartment. It should be the calling card of the owners, while not forgetting about the comfort of all family members.

Examples of design solutions

There are a number of design solutions for ceiling design:

1. Soaring ceiling. An LED strip installed along the edge of the surface creates the impression that it is hanging in the air.
2. Decorative beams. The surface is decorated with wooden beams, which divide it into sections, making the ceiling more attractive.
3. Combination of two materials. This solution combines two different materials, resulting in distinctive surfaces with multiple levels.
4. Application of patterns and drawings. A surface decorated in this way makes the room unique and has a distinctive style.
5. Photo printing. This solution gives the room volume and openness, thanks to photo printing with a realistic combination of image elements.
6. Stucco molding. This relief decoration adds luxury to the entire room.

Two-tone ceiling. A carefully selected combination of colors draws attention to the ceiling surface. Depending on the brightness of the color combinations used, you can choose the mood that will create the room.

With such a design solution, the room can both set up a fun time for its inhabitants and calm them down.

Ceiling with slots. This design solution consists of pseudo-3D patterns that visually change the size of the room.

Photo of ceilings in the living room