Q: Finally, we had some rain this summer, but my relief over this for the sake the perennial beds was quickly quashed when I realized that over the winter the roof had developed a leak. Now, the roof is repaired, but the bedroom ceiling is ruined. It's never been that great; it's just plain white ceiling tiles that don't really go with the old Victorian house. Since I have to replace them anyway, is there anything I can use that would also make the room nicer?
A: Even though we don't usually look up and notice them, ceilings have a big impact on the overall look of a room. If you've ever been in a room with a dramatically painted ceiling - the Sistine Chapel, for example - you know how much a well-designed ceiling can influence a room.
But we don't often think of painting or refurbishing the ceiling of a room. We agonize over wall color, window treatments, and carpets and flooring, but the poor ceiling is overlooked - if it can be said that you can overlook something that's directly overhead.
All too often those plain white ceiling tiles are slapped up and the job is considered done, but indeed, options abound. Think of the exposed beams on ceilings often found in the Southwest or in Mexican design. Think of a plaster ceiling, painted a sky blue, perhaps with puffy clouds skipping across it.
The Sheffield Guidelines call for you to consider the function, mood, and harmony of a room. In thinking of mood and harmony, you want to continue the mood of the Victorian period, and you want the ceiling to harmonize with the rest of the room. If you've furnished the room with antiques, and have covered the walls with period wallpaper painted in colors of the Victorian era, then you've gone a long way toward harmonizing the room; all that remains is to get rid of that nasty modern ceiling tile and replace it with something more appropriate to the style.
In your Victorian home, you may do best with what are called "tin ceilings." I say they're "called" tin ceilings because they've never really been made of tin, but are more accurately called "pressed metal" ceilings.
These tiles can completely alter the look of the room, brightening it up and bringing the ceiling more in line with the overall look of the house. They're particularly appropriate for a Victorian because they were most popular from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, but they can harmonize with many different styles. Although they were first used as a fire-resistant barrier in commercial buildings, and are often found in older commercial buildings still standing, their popularity quickly spread to residential use, and they're now used in many restored homes.
They're not terribly difficult to install, and at between two and three dollars a square foot, they're not too pricey, especially in a smaller room. Several manufacturers include installation instructions, but even if you hire a carpenter to install them, it probably won't run that much more than other kinds of ceiling tiles.
Resources: Brian Greer's Tin Ceilings, Walls, & Unique Metal Work
www.tin-ceilings.com
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