How to Heighten the Appearance of Ceilings

Paint the walls cool colors such as pale blue, light green or violet. Cool colors appear to recede from view, creating a spacious feeling. Stay away from warm shades such as yellow, red or orange, which seem to make ceilings feel lower than their actual height. Open up your ceilings by painting them a lighter shade than the walls. Choose a focal wall and paint vertical stripes to further the illusion of height. Make trim lighter than the base color to further the feeling of spaciousness. Use high-gloss paint for a reflective, mirrored effect throughout the room.

Use lighting to heighten the appearance of your ceilings. Tall floor lamps, recessed lights and wall sconces draw the eye upward without sacrificing space overhead. Avoid using a single light for the room; it creates shadows and the illusion of darkness. Instead, use several lights to create zones throughout the room.

Keep your furniture low except for one focal piece such as a tall bookcase or high shelves. The single high piece will draw the eye upward, while lower pieces will make the ceilings seem high in comparison. Avoid large, overstuffed furniture that can make the room feel cluttered and crammed with furniture. Choose sparse pieces with open space beneath to enhance the sense of flow throughout the room.

Overextend your window treatments so your windows seem to reach higher and wider than their true range. Hang the curtain rod as close to the ceiling as possible and extend it beyond the window on both sides. Hang curtains that cascade to the floor. Cover the distance between the top of the window and the top of the curtain rod by hanging a bamboo shade to camouflage the visible wall space.

Hang mirrors to reflect light and amplify space. You can hang artwork in vertical groupings on the upper half of the wall to draw the eye upward and boost the appearance of height.

Mount a television to maximize floor space. Use multi-purpose furniture to keep the room clutter-free and organized. A cluttered floor makes the room seem closed-in rather than open and spacious.

Put down bold, dark-colored floor rugs to make the floor appear deep and the ceiling seem high in comparison.