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 and the ceiling.

Dining room "before"

Dining room "before"

It was OK when it was plain...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."

New window treatments, dining set, some artwork and a carpet

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

The dining room with additional moldings, painted, antiqued - plus metallic plaster finish on the ceiling

But it still needed that extra touch! So I decided to go for broke in this room!  I wanted a bigger statement that would be more "me." My husband was cringing when he saw that look in my eye that said "I'm still not done with this room!"

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!

This is it, on the floor. It came in sections for easier application

Starting the first part of the design on the ceiling

The completed first part of the design on the ceiling

On this first part of the design, I troweled on a different color - a Brown Suede metallic plaster

Then you add the rest of the design over that

Finding Fabulous

You keep adding the rest of the design around the first part of the design (the Brown Suede)

For the scrolled part of the design that was on the Brown Suede, 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 Suede and the Antique Gold Plaster being troweled on.

Right after it was finished

My dining room ceiling now

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!

TIP:  If you would like to read a step by step of a simpler version of this project, 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!

Linking this project up to...

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