The ceiling, or the fifth wall, as it’s referred to in design circles, is a decorators’ best-kept secret. “Personally, I abhor statement walls, unless the statement wall is the ceiling,” says designer Joni Spear. “When you paper the ceiling, it automatically brings your eye up and adds architecture and dimension to any space.”
Some rooms, more than others, lend themselves to wallpapered ceilings. Rooms such as foyers, powder rooms, dining rooms, and offices are good candidates because they tend to be smaller in size, adds Spear. “I think you could make a case for wallpapering most ceilings, but I would stay away from wallpapering the ceiling of an open concept space” where the kitchen, dining room, and family room blend into one.
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
Spear takes her cues from items in the room itself, like the rug, a work of art, or a piece of furniture when selecting the wallpaper. She also allows the height of the ceiling to dictate the scale of the pattern. Taller ceilings require a large print or pattern so that it’s visible from below. But a smaller room with a lower ceiling height can take either a large- or small- scale print. “Sometimes I like to paper lower ceilings and small rooms with bold paper for a real statement,” says Spear.
She also recommends steering clear of a solid, textured wallpaper for the ceiling, arguing that you might as well just paint the ceiling instead. In addition, the wallpaper motif should relate to the end use of a room. For example, Spear recently installed a dining room with a ceiling papered in a print of blue-and-white plates. However, she would not have used the same paper in an office or den.
To ensure the walls in the room compliment the ceiling, homeowners should choose a paint color with the wallpaper in mind. If the wallpaper features a white ground, paint the walls white not beige. However, there’s no need to stick to neutral paint just because the ceiling is wallpapered. “Take one of the colors in the paper, or a tone that the paper reads, to help choose a paint color. You want the color tones and intensity of the paint and paper to match,” Spear says.
From an install perspective, wallpapering a ceiling can be complicated. There’s the logistics of reaching a ceiling; the fact that ceilings often have a sandy or textured finish, can make the adhesion of wallpaper more challenging. Willie Ross, a retired paper hanger who worked in the business for more than 45 years, says an important first step is to prep a ceiling by smoothing its surface. He also recommends applying glue to the paper and to the ceiling to ensure adhesion. (When applying wallpaper to a traditional wall, only the wallpaper is glued.)
“Not everyone is brave enough to wallpaper an entire room, and wallpaper can be pricey,” says Spear. “Papering the ceiling is one way to enhance a room and is one of my absolute favorite things to do.”
