Having ceilings that are 8-foot high doesn’t mean you have to give up on beauty or roominess. Using a few smart design strategies, you can design a house that feels spacious, welcoming, and very stylish.

Choose Vertical Garden Pieces

Vertical garden for a fresh, airy feeling.
Vertical garden for a fresh, airy feeling.

Adding vertical garden pieces can bring a fresh, lively feeling while drawing the eye upwards. A vertical plant wall in my living room adds greenery and height without taking up floor space.

Give these a look:

  • Modular Vertical Garden Kit: Change your space easily with a modular vertical garden kit, adding height and nature indoors.
  • Wall-Mounted Planter System: Get the most out of space with a wall-mounted planter system and add lively greenery to your home decor.
  • Self-Watering Vertical Plant Holder: Make plant care easier with a self-watering vertical plant holder, great for busy lives.

Add Mirrors Smartly

Smart mirror placement for depth.
Smart mirror placement for depth.

Mirrors can reflect light and make a room seem deeper, so put mirrors smartly to improve room size. I’ve used a big mirror in my hallway to visually double its size.

Check these products out:

  • Big Wall Mirror: Improve your hallway’s look with a big mirror to visually double the space.
  • Fancy Framed Mirror: Add style and depth with a fancy framed mirror for a stylish statement piece.
  • Full-Length Floor Mirror: Put a full-length mirror to make a room seem deeper and brighten your living area.

Follow Minimalism

Minimalism for a spacious feeling.
Minimalism for a spacious feeling.

A minimalistic way can stop a room from feeling cramped. I’ve realized that keeping decor simple and neat lets each piece stand out beautifully.

Some handy options:

  • Minimalist Coffee Table: Pick a smooth coffee table to improve your living space with useful simplicity.
  • Neutral Shade Cushions: Add subtle style to your decor with simple, neutral shade cushions.
  • Simple Floor Lamp: Brighten your room with a modern, easy floor lamp that fits minimalistic designs.

Add Texture with Ceiling Designs

Textured ceiling for visual interest.
Textured ceiling for visual interest.

Think about adding slight texture to the ceiling, like beadboard or shiplap, to improve visual interest without taking over the room. In my house, this detail has added charm and warmth to otherwise plain ceilings.

A few choices to try:

  • Beadboard Ceiling Panels: Raise your room’s charm with stylish beadboard panels, adding warmth and texture easily.
  • Shiplap Ceiling Planks: Change your room with stylish shiplap planks, adding subtle yet eye-catching visual interest.
  • Decorative Ceiling Tiles: Add a stylish touch with decorative ceiling tiles, making your ceiling a point of interest.

Add Vertical Art

Vertical art to draw the eye upward.
Vertical art to draw the eye upward.

Hang tall art or make a gallery wall that goes upward to draw the eye higher. In my own house, vertical art pieces have added a dynamic, eye-catching part to the decor.

Might be a good match:

  • Tall Framed Art Images: Improve your room with tall framed art images to draw the eye upwards and add style.
  • Vertical Gallery Wall Set: Make a stunning visual effect with a vertical gallery wall set, great for high ceilings.
  • Large Canvas Wall Art: Add a dramatic touch to your room with large canvas wall art that goes vertically.

Design an Open Layout

Open layout for maximum space.
Open layout for maximum space.

Think about an open layout to get the most out of space and flow. In my studio, taking out a non-structural wall changed the area, making it feel twice as big.

Items that may come in handy:

  • Sunken Lighting Fixtures Set: Light up your open space with smooth sunken lights for a modern, airy feeling.
  • Chic Hanging Ceiling Lights: Add style to your dining area with stylish hanging lights, making a consistent open look.
  • Modern Bar Stools Set: Improve your kitchen island with modern bar stools for a seamless and practical open layout.

Choose Light Color Palettes

Light color palettes to amplify space.
Light color palettes to amplify space.

Using light and neutral colors for your walls and ceiling can create an open feeling, making your room seem bigger and more airy. In my own Boston apartment, I’ve realized that soft whites and beiges are great for visually enlarging a room.

Explore these options:

  • Gentle White Wall Finish: Change your room with a gentle white paint, which will make your space feel bigger and more airy.
  • Tan Decorative Carpet: Bring warmth and depth to your room with a stylish tan decorative carpet.
  • Neutral Shade Cushions: Emphasize your furniture with neutral shade cushions for a welcoming and airy living space.

Add Vertical Wall Detailing

Vertical detailing to enhance height.
Vertical detailing to enhance height.

Vertical wall detailing or wood accents can draw the eye upward, creating the idea of height. In my house, I’ve used vertical shiplap in the entryway to get this result.

May just do the trick:

  • Adhesive Wood Strips: Easily change your space with adhesive wood strips, enhancing the illusion of height easily.
  • Vertical Overlap Boards: Improve your entryway with vertical overlap boards, creating a striking vertical point of interest.
  • Layered Wall Detailing: Add depth and style with layered wall detailing, drawing eyes upward for a spacious feeling.

Maximize Sunshine

Sunshine to brighten rooms.
Sunshine to brighten rooms.

Make sure your room is full of sunshine by keeping windows clear and using thin window coverings. In my own space, this method has made every room feel brighter and more inviting.

A few relevant products:

  • Thin Window Coverings: Brighten your room with thin window coverings that let sunshine come through beautifully.
  • Window Washing Kit: Make sure your windows are spotless to let in as much sunshine as possible and brighten your space.
  • Adjustable Window Covering Pole: Set up an adjustable pole for the best window covering placement to get the most sunshine.

Use Clear Furniture

Clear furniture for an open look.
Clear furniture for an open look.

Clear furniture pieces, like glass tables, can lower visual mess and make a room feel more open. In my dining area, a glass table helps keep a feeling of flow and space.

These products might be useful:

  • Round Glass Dining Table: Improve your dining area with a smooth glass table, promoting openness and flow easily.
  • Acrylic Dining Chairs: Add modern acrylic chairs to get a spacious look without losing comfort or style.
  • Glass Console Table: Pick a glass console table to lower visual mess and make the room lighter.

Install Top Trim

Top trim for a stylish touch.
Top trim for a stylish touch.

Despite what people think, top trim can actually improve the height of an 8-foot ceiling when done right. I suggest picking a medium size and painting it the same color as the walls for a seamless look.

Try these:

  • Decorative Top Trim Set: Improve your ceiling’s style with this easy-to-install decorative top trim set.
  • Indoor Wall Trim Glue: Secure your top trim easily with this strong and reliable wall glue.
  • Trim Installation Tools Set: Get a perfect finish with this full set of trim installation tools.

Use Sunken Lighting

Sunken lighting for a smooth look.
Sunken lighting for a smooth look.

Replace big lights with sunken lighting to keep your ceiling clear and smooth. This change in my studio made a huge difference, giving plenty of light without taking away headroom.

These products might help:

  • LED Sunken Ceiling Lights Set: Improve your ceiling with smooth LED sunken lights for a modern, unobtrusive lighting option.
  • Adjustable Sunken Light Fixtures: Change your mood with adjustable sunken fixtures, providing flexibility for any room setting.
  • Smart WiFi Sunken Lighting: Control your lighting using a phone app and set the mood with smart WiFi sunken lights.

Hang Window Coverings High and Wide

High-mounted window coverings for added height.
High-mounted window coverings for added height.

Putting your window covering supports closer to the top and making them wider than the window frame can make your ceilings seem taller. I really like how this easy trick gives any room style and height.

A few suggestions:

  • Adjustable Length Curtain Poles: Improve your space by setting up adjustable length curtain poles for high and wide window covering placement.
  • Full-Length Window Coverings: Enhance your room’s appeal with elegant full-length window coverings for a taller room look.
  • Top-Mount Curtain Fixtures: Make a dramatic change using top-mount fixtures to hang your window coverings higher.

Set Up Skylights

Skylights for a light-filled feeling.
Skylights for a light-filled feeling.

If you can, adding skylights can flood a room with light and visually raise the ceiling. My own experience with skylights in the studio has been life-changing, making the room feel very high.

Useful items to consider:

  • Adjustable Skylight Shades: Improve your skylight by controlling light levels with these easy-to-use adjustable shades.
  • Energy Efficient Skylights: Brighten your room with energy-efficient skylights, lowering heat in warmer months.
  • Skylight Air Flow Kit: Improve air flow and feeling with this effective skylight air flow kit, perfect for any room.

Use Tall Bookshelves

Tall bookshelves to draw the eye upward.
Tall bookshelves to draw the eye upward.

Include tall bookshelves to draw the eye upward and add storage. In my living room, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf has become a focal point and improves the feeling of height.

A few helpful options:

  • Tall Floor-to-Ceiling Bookshelf: Get the most storage and make vertical interest with this stylish, space-saving bookshelf.
  • Adjustable Height Bookshelves: Change your bookshelf to fit your needs and decor, improving your living space easily.
  • Modern Wooden Bookshelf Unit: Add warmth and style to your room with this chic wooden bookshelf unit, great for showing off books.

Use Low-Style Furniture

Low-style furniture for roominess.
Low-style furniture for roominess.

Choose low-style furniture to keep the focus on height and openness. I’ve realized that by picking lower sofas and chairs, rooms feel more spacious and balanced.

Some ideas to consider:

  • Modern Low-Style Sofa: Enhance roominess by adding this smooth, low-style sofa to your living area.
  • Simple Low Coffee Table: Complete the look with this chic, low coffee table to emphasize room height.
  • Modern Low Accent Chair: Pick this stylish, low accent chair to keep an open and airy room feeling.

Paint the Ceiling the Same Color as the Walls

Unified color scheme for a seamless look.
Unified color scheme for a seamless look.

Painting your ceiling the same color as your walls can create a smooth line, making the room feel bigger. This is one of my favorite tricks for keeping a consistent and spacious feeling.

A few things you might like:

  • Indoor Wall and Ceiling Paint: Pick high-quality indoor paint to get a smooth, consistent look on walls and ceilings.
  • Paint Roller Kit: Use a full roller kit for easy and efficient painting on ceilings and walls.
  • Painter’s Masking Tape: Use painter’s masking tape to protect edges and make sure lines are clean and sharp when painting.
Maya Franklin
Author Maya Franklin

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