Decorative Painting Ideas for a Frieze Ceiling

Classical Motifs

• A frieze using classical themes emphasizes the grandeur of a high ceiling. Typical motifs appearing in historic buildings include acanthus leaves, fleurs-de-lis and cherubs. Paint the ceiling, the frieze background and any moldings a single light color different from the wall color for a pleasing, harmonious effect. Repeat your chosen motif, such as fleur-de-lis, in a slightly darker neutral color or gold. Pale neutral tones are best for this treatment, because these colors suggest age and quiet elegance.

Vines and Flowers

• Vines and flowers, with tendrils twisting their way around a frieze, create a flowing, romantic look within a space. The drawings may be stylized in imitation of historic architecture or be contemporary interpretations of natural vegetation. For example, a sinuous vine of grape leaves rendered in tones of golden green and accented with cascades of red-violet fruit against a creamy yellow background will lift the spirits in a dining area with walls painted a rich, deep violet.

Maritime Images

• Maritime images suitable for decorative frieze painting include ships, lighthouses, dolphins, mermaids and waves. Any of these motifs, alone or in combination, contribute beauty and memorable style to a room. A maritime border could begin with a rendering of a golden rope against a pale blue background, trailing and knotting its way around the ceiling's perimeter. In between the rope's path, add ship's bells, lanterns and anchors, painted in red, white and gold, to build on the nautical theme for an eye-catching frieze.

Period Styles

• Period styles, such as art nouveau or art deco, offer design motifs to repeat in a frieze, subtly reinforcing the design theme of the room. This simple treatment involves selecting an appropriate motif such as an angular chevron from the art deco era, sizing it to fit in the frieze space and then repeating it to encircle the ceiling. Using metallic paint to render the design will heighten the effect of richness.

Contemporary Design

• Design motifs for contemporary spaces must be clean and simple to accentuate the uncluttered, functional appearance of this style. An example is a parade of circles, sized to the width of the frieze, surrounding the ceiling. The circles could be rendered light against a deeper color or dark against a lighter color. The circles could repeat all of the colors in the palette for the room, reflect different tones of one color or all be painted one color.