*****Edited April 23, 2014***** Originally Posted on October 9, 2011*******
I am happy to announce that my laptop is up and running, and fully operational again. I know it’s really starting to show its age; but I believe I can squeeze a few more miles out of her. Thanks to all my well-wishers for your support and encouragement during the dreaded 24 hours of no laptop!
Now I am back to business, and today I will be talking about ceilings.
This is a blog post I wrote back in October 2011 about the importance of addressing a room’s fifth wall…..the ceiling!
Please Enjoy this oldie but goodie 
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Is your ceiling blah and boring? Well, you are not alone. It always amazes me how many ceilings go untreated. Well my job today is to get people to think of their ceilings as the fifth wall in a room.
There are endless options available to rescue those tired, boring popcorn ceilings out there. Here are just a few ideas.
The simplest and least expensive option is simply painting your ceiling. Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, you can use a flat finish, eggshell finish, or a glossy or metallic finish. In general, I sometimes use a lighter value of whatever the wall color will be as my ceiling color. That usually gives the room some color consistency, yet noticeably different. But the sky is the limit when it comes to paint color choices. You can go much darker than the walls for more drama, which actually can cause the ceiling to appear higher since it seems to recede. The most common is painting ceilings white, but that can be very expected and quite boring.
Of course, there are several more dramatic options we should explore.
The classic, architectural look using crown mouldings, medallions, swags, traceries etc will always give a room a timeless appeal. While this will sometims create a formal look in a room, they can be faux painted for a less formal look. Decorators Supply is one company that has tons of options available to create that timeless character in any room. They offer 5 “families” of ceilings with coordinated center medallions, corner and side ornaments and moldings in the Empire, Colonial, Louis XIV and Louis the XV styles. Also available is a Gothic Tracery Ceiling.
Beamed ceilings is another favorite of mine. This will always add instant character in a room. Whether rustic or refined, beamed ceilings can also give a room a timeless look. There are several optins for real wood beams, but faux wood beams are also a great idea, and you really cannot tell the difference. FauxWoodBeams.com has many great options
How about a wrought iron ceiling? Helser Brothers does it like no one else can. It is actually not wrought iron, but a resin that looks exactly like wrought iron. It is available in several designs and finishes and can be applied inside of wall niches, as window treatments, and of course ceiling treatments.
This is one ceiling treatment that even Michelango would appreciate; ceiling Murals. While these might be a bit over the top for an average home, you can take ideas and inspiration from these murals and do them in your own home
These photos are from various sources
Who says that wallpaper is just for walls? You can definitely wallpaper ceilings to add that special, custom touch.
These photos are from various sources
Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com