Make Ceilings Look Higher - Energy Shield Windows and Doors

Looking for some easy visual magic? Anyone who owns a home with low ceilings knows they need a little help. The problem you face is that low ceilings can make the whole room look smaller, even claustrophobic.

The reality, however, is that the height is the height. Unless you plan on doing some really involved renovating and literally “raise the roof,” you’re stuck with what you’ve got.

But “stuck” isn’t really the right word when we have a few easy tricks for fooling the eye into thinking you’ve got more soaring spaces than you actually do. Can you make a low ceiling look higher? Absolutely.

Here Are Eight of Our Favorites Tips to Make Your Ceiling Look Higher

Go light -- Dark wall and ceiling paint colors are fine if you’ve got ample space and want to make the room feel more intimate or dramatic. But if you’d like the space to open up vertically, use lighter paint colors -- especially on the ceiling. It suggests sunlight and open spaces.

Welcome the outdoors -- Ever notice how vast the world is? Let it into your problem room. Avoid heavy window treatments, keep the glass clean and not obscured by tall furniture or closed drapes or blinds. Consider expanding your window space or going with designs that draw the eye to the outdoors. You could do it by expanding your window spaces and incorporating transom windows to give you a more panoramic view. You can also gain more mental "breathing space" by raising the room's door openings. You’ll find plenty of stylish and useful door and window replacement guidance here. The bottom line is that you're never stuck with such basic architectural features as windows and doors. We'll help you cost-effectively improve on the basics.

Use vertical lines -- What do you do with your personal attire if you want to look taller and slimmer? You wear vertical clothing. Do the same with your “stubby” room. Consider using paint or wallpaper with a striping pattern. Bring in a tall bookcase. Display your wall art in vertical arrangements. Get the idea?

Scrap the low-hanging lighting -- Yours is no room for a chandelier on a long chain. You and your guests will duck every time you come near it. Also, it will draw the eye upward, right to your problem area. This is a great use for flush-mounted lighting hidden in the ceiling.

Don’t clutter -- Too much stuff makes any interior space look cramped, especially if you’ve got stacks of the unneeded and unwanted piled high. Do more with less, for an airier look.

Draw the eye to a better place -- If you have a bold or striking rug, this would be a great place to use it. The strategy here is to feast the eye on stuff that’s not going on up high. Let’s ignore that too-near ceiling for a while.

Ditch the crown moldings -- That architectural feature creates a clear division between wall and ceiling. The last thing this room need is something that trains the eye even lower.

Use mirrors -- That’s not a point of vanity. (Well, not necessarily.) It’s a way to create the illusion of space in a room begging for it. Again, it’s a matter of making more out of less.

So there you have it: several of our favorite tricks to make your ceiling look higher. These aren’t pricey tips, either. By using just a few of them (and avoiding doing the opposite of our points of advice) we think you and your guests will be convinced you have more vertical room than you actually have.