The Fifth Wall: The Importance of Decorating Your Ceiling

While I am awaiting the news of my new granddaughter’s birth (it should happen within a few hours…I can’t wait!!), I thought I’d share a project that I did in my home recently…my dining room moldings and some metallic plaster and decorative pattern on the ceiling. Here are some before shots…

A nice dining room with a pale glazed wall and pale pink window treatments

Above, you can see that adding new window treatments, artwork and carpeting helped a lot. It was very nice…but it wasn’t “me.”  You know that feeling you may get about a room in your house that you’ve decorated – but you hardly ever sit in it?  Well, that’s because it doesn’t speak to you and I believe every room should speak to its owner! I had done a lovely faux finish a few years back and I loved it…but it wasn’t enough.  The lace curtains were not me – so I changed them. The ceiling and the moldings were just “so-so.” Adding a small crown molding and decorative base – and antiquing them helped a lot.

I love my dining set (love it but it needs to be updated with some new upholstery and some paint and antiquing still! Another post perhaps!) But…something was still missing.  It needed more cohesiveness and extra intimacy (every dining room needs this!).

So, I went to my favorite stencil designer, Melanie Royals’ Modello Designs, and I ordered the largest stencil (a special, one-time use one) I had ever seen – and got to work! Here it is laid out on the floor – Yikes!

Above, the first part of the stencil is adhered to the ceiling. That only took about an hour to get put up correctly!.

Then I added 2 layers of Brown Metallic Plaster for the first part of this process.

Once the plaster is dry, you put up the next part of the stencil.

That only took about 2 hours!!! Eh, maybe longer!

For the scrolled part of the design that was on the Brown, I troweled an antiqued metallic gold plaster and then I threw some large Mica flakes onto it while wet so there’d be a bit more bling! More bling than this?? For the scrolled parts that were on the lighter part of the ceiling, I alternated between the Brown and the antique gold plaster being troweled on.

Modello design on ceiling with metallic plaster
Modello design on a metallic plaster ceiling in a dining room

I love how it came out.  When you sit at the dining room table, the design helps to make the room more intimate. Now when I go into this room, I’m happy!  I’ll even sit there and pay bills! It was hard to do (a lot of measuring, which is not my forte) and you do need an extra set of hands to help you place it on the ceiling (and to give you a rest when your back and neck are aching!).

I have done many different stencil designs on ceilings before – but they were smaller and easier to do.  This takes more time, patience and skill…but it is well worth it!  Melanie has a lot of helpful directions on her website – so if you are thinking of doing something like this – you’ll have some help along the way.  Start out with something small (like a design in the four corners of a ceiling).  Do something manageable before you tackle something like this!

If you would like to read how to do a somewhat simpler version of this technique, click here

Baby update:  My daughter had the baby while I was writing this post.  Little Peyton weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces and mother and baby are doing great!

Thanks for reading.  I welcome all your comments and questions!

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38 Responses to The Fifth Wall: The Importance of Decorating Your Ceiling

  1. Spectacular ceiling! The step by step was terrific to read and follow along.

    Delighted to hear that mother and daughter are doing fine!

    Cheers,
    John

  2. Anonymous says:

    Congratualtions on your new grandbaby!
    Beautiful ceiling… the room is elegant!
    dee dee

  3. Marisa says:

    It is so beautiful. Love it.

  4. Maggie says:

    What a true labour of love (and apparently you weren't the only one). This is gorgeous and yes, makes the room far more intimate. It's absolutely stunning – brava!!!!!!

  5. Kristi says:

    Just incredible. I've never thought to stencil my ceiling. This turned out so amazing…well done!! Would be delighted for you to link up with us at Mop It Up Mondays (going on all week): http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2012/04/mop-it-up-mondays-11.html.
    {HUGS},
    kristi

  6. This redo is GORGEOUS!! My husband and I have moved into our dream home… but right now the finished product is just that – a DREAM… nothing is finished! I am compiling binder upon binder of ideas that I want to use… this is DEFINITELY going in a binder! I wanna room just like your's! 😉 Would love for you to share it with my readers at my linky party… http://www.stringtownhome.blogspot.com
    -heather

  7. Barbara Jean says:

    WOW! WOW! That is incredible!!!

    Beautiful. I do not know what to say.

    blessings
    barbara jean

  8. Linda,
    Very cute blog! Happy to get the chance to check it out. Thanks for stopping by mine as well (www.lovelystruck.blogspot.com) WIll you be taking BYW 1.5 or 2.0? I think I will wait until 2.0 from what I'm seeing on the outline.

  9. Hi Linda,
    beautiful job on the ceiling.Wow.That could not have been easy.
    Thanks for stopping by.I always appreciate your comments.I've been so very busy that I've been unable to cruise my favorite blogs….hopefully that will change soon.
    Take care and glad your daughter delivered uneventfully.Love the name Peyton….
    Shawn

  10. Spectacular ceiling. Great job.

  11. Wow oh wow!!! That is spectacular Linda!!! I am super impressed with this~great tutorial as well…I would love to try this in my new shop! Such inspriation!

  12. Wow, that is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing at Wow. Do wish you would turn off word verification.

    thanks

  13. Rooms by Ann says:

    That is beautiful. you did an amazing job. Happy to be your follower.

  14. Oh my gosh, that's gorgeous! I have a great trey ceiling in my dining room, with lots of thick mouldings, and now the wheels are spinning in my head about how great something like this would be in that space. Wonderful job!

  15. Oh my gosh, that's gorgeous! I have a great trey ceiling in my dining room, with lots of thick mouldings, and now the wheels are spinning in my head about how great something like this would be in that space. Wonderful job!

  16. Effie says:

    Congratulations on the little one! WOW, love the ceiling stencil!

  17. Wow! So beautiful!! You did a fabulous job. Congratulations, too! Love the name Peyton. 🙂

  18. Oh, my goodness! That is simply stunning. It makes the room so much more intimate. I wish my home were the sort that'd support that type of ceiling design, but it doesn't really go in a 50s ranch! 😉 Still, what a fantastic job you did. I'm seriously impressed.

  19. Miss Kitty says:

    That is just stunning, Linda! Thanks so much for sharing with us how you made your ceiling such a knock out. I saw your post over at “weekend Bloggy Reading”. Congratulations on your new grand daughter!

  20. Congrats on our new granddaughter's arrival and love your dining room. Well done.

  21. First of all, congrats on the birth… So precious! Secondly, I think i've died and went to Heaven! What a glorious stencil project. Your a grammy with GUTS (no disrespect meant). I to am a decorative painter and am always so happy to run across another. New follower here!
    Kim

  22. aimee says:

    wow it looks great what a fantastic post xxx

  23. Oh wow!!! That is so incredibly gorgeous and I'm just so impressed! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it with us at Inspiration Friday and congratulations on your new grand baby!
    Vanessa

  24. Jami says:

    Thanks so much for linking up to the Tuesday To Do Party at the Blackberry Vine! You are one of this week's List Makers! Feel free to stop by and grab a button…can't wait to see what you'll share this week!
    Smiles!
    Jami
    http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com

  25. Bliss says:

    That is awesome and my neck hurts just thinking about painting that!

    ~Bliss~

  26. Scribbler says:

    Unbelievable!

    I think you get the prize for the Wow factor!

  27. Scribbler says:

    Oh — congratulations on the new brand baby!

  28. Mary Ellen says:

    Congratulation on being a grandma!!

    I love your ceiling. I have a very old home with high ceilings and have thought about something like this for my dining room.

    bee blessed
    mary

  29. That ceiling is spectacular! Your room went from ho hum to wow with your redo. Congratulations!

    Judy

  30. Grandma is my favorite name, it will be yours too, congrats. The ceiling looks fabulous!!! Thank you for linking up to the Thursday hop. Sorry I'm behind in saying thank you. My Monday post will explain my delay.Hope to see you again this Thursday. xo

  31. Hi Linda,

    I love how you transformed your dining room. The ceiling is now fabulous!

    Dee

  32. There are no words that haven't been said! You truly transformed your dining room! Wow…..I have done stenciling before, but that is really a labor of love….
    Glad you have a grandbaby….
    Nancy
    http://wildoakdesigns.blogpsot.com

  33. Sherry says:

    Beautiful! Thank you for joining me at Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

  34. Abbie says:

    Absolutely stunning! I really love what you did with your “5th wall!”

    The whole space is so lovely!

    Great job!

    Thanks so much for linking up at Feature Friday FREE-FOR-ALL!

    ~Abbie

  35. Terry says:

    Congrats on the grandbaby and the ceiling is more than beautiful…it is stunning!

  36. That's so awesome!! Looks like a LOT of work, but the result was definitely worth it! So inspiring. Love following all your projects, your home is so lovely! xox Linda =)

  37. Tisha says:

    Wow, that's some fancy stuff! Props for all your hard work. Thanks for linking up.

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