High ceilings call for large-scale furnishings
Building trends have been incorporating high ceilings in many rooms in a home. The feeling is majestic, but sometimes we run into problems with how to furnish such spacious spaces. Common ceiling heights are anywhere from 12 to 22 feet. You will not want to put small-scale furniture in a room with such towering heights.
Many furniture manufacturers make large-scale pieces with higher back sofas, fuller and more substantial looking upholstery, larger cocktail tables and bigger end tables. For the high-ceiling bedroom, you can easily find taller beds and higher headboards. If the bedroom has a tall ceiling, most likely it will also be spacious in its length and width. The use of chests instead of night tables will fill the space with a feeling of grandeur. Large armoires help make the large room cozy.
Added space in the bedroom allows for generous reading areas or writing areas. A large chaise with an ample accessory table and lamp will not only be useful, but also attractive. Or if writing is more your style, a desk looking out onto the view from the window should do the trick.
Just because the room is large, you do not have to overfill it with furniture. Pay attention to traffic flow. Leave some spaces open and fill other spaces with interesting artwork such as sculptures or an attention-grabbing lamp. Trees work well in large spaces, too.
Conversational groupings are important in large spaces. Set the furniture up so you can have a few people sitting close enough so they won’t have to shout across the room. In a very large room, you might need more than one conversational grouping.
You can accent and at the same time, bring down the ceiling with details such as coffered ceilings, faux paint and/or architectural molding. The molding will add depth as well as interest. Consider custom cabinetry in the living room or even in the large bedroom.
Most of the high-ceiling rooms also have very tall windows. The views from the windows are usually spectacular so you probably don’t want to over drape them. A tint on the windows will help protect from the ultraviolet rays. Most window tint companies have film that will not change the light spectrum coming in through the windows.
What about acoustics in large, tall-ceiling rooms? Some draperies on those tall windows will be necessary for framing the windows as well as helping absorb sound. Area rugs will delineate space, group furnishings and cut down on echoing sound. Heavy upholstery will swallow noise, too, and don’t forget the trees and plants. They bring the outdoors in, add warmth and help with that sound absorption.
Once the house is furnished properly, you can enjoy your palatial rooms with an intimate and cozy atmosphere.
Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of “Mystery of Color.”