We love discovering delightful design details in homes and lately, we’ve been finding them on the ceiling. With wood panels, wallpaper and contrasting coats of paint, designers are making sure that these surfaces are the star of a space. Keep on scrolling to see what we mean.

Photo: Janis Nicolay

Wallpaper

We adore everything about this dining room, but especially the ceiling. The team at Oliver Simon Design covered it with the understated Flashdance in Put It In Neutral wallpaper by Abnormals Anonymous, which gives the space a soft, surprising twist. “It’s subtle but unexpected,” says co-principal Jamie Hamilton. Learn more about this look or check out what a more boldly patterned wallpaper looks like on the ceiling.

Photo: Ema Peter

Teak Boxes

Designers and homeowners often wish for higher ceilings, but that wasn’t the case in this Vancouver condo. The two-feet concrete beams, while beautiful, made the space feel a bit cavernous. So, Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Renolds of Falken Reynolds Interiors installed teak boxes—each at different heights and lengths—to bring the ceiling down a bit.

As an added bonus, the boxes help with sound baffling and disguise electrical and mechanical work. See more of this gorgeous renovation.

Photos: Phil Crozier (left) and Ema Peter (right)

Coffered Ceiling

A coffered ceiling is timeless and there are plenty of ways to pull it off. Take a cue from Stephanie Martin (above left) and incorporate a touch of crown moulding for a traditional look or follow in Andrea Rodman’s footsteps (above right) with cleaner beams and deeper coffers for a more modern style.

Paint

Almost every room in this Mount Pleasant condo has a crisp, clean, white-on-white palette. And then there’s the dining area. Homeowner and interior designer Vanessa Stark brought some contrast by painting the wall, ceiling and bulkhead a deep navy blue. “With so much white, if you have pops of dark, you stop noticing how much white there is,” she says. Peek inside this beautifully curated Vancouver condo.

Photos: Janis Nicolay (left) and Ema Peter (right)

Ceiling Medallion

A ceiling medallion is the perfect solution if you want to bring a subtle heritage element into your space. While Emma Kelly proves that they look great with frilly chandeliers in the living room (above left), Heirloom Projects shows that they pair just as well with sleek pendant lights in the kitchen (above right).

Photo: KM Photography Interiors

Wood Panelling

We could go on and on and on about how much we love wood-panneled ceilings (and in fact, we already have). This primary suite is just the latest space to draw inspiration from; Studio Felix used a cedar tongue-and-groove treatment that nods to ’70s yet still feels fresh and modern. Get more trade secrets from this Calgary bedroom.

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn is a design-obsessed writer, editor and content manager based in Vancouver. When she's not busy swooning over gorgeous homes, you can find her reading, hiking and befriending as many dogs as possible.