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...

 Addicted 2 Decorating

Between Naps on the Porch

Be Colorful

Home Stories from A to Z

Today's Creative Blog

I Should be Mopping

StringtownHome

Primp

Clean and Scentsible

Savvy Southern Style

The Charm of Home

52 Mantles

Five Days Five Ways.com

Alderberry Hill Monday Link Party

DIY Showoff

Cowgirl Up at The Farmhouse Ranch

Tatertots and Jello 

The Delectable Home 

Common Ground

Stuff and Nonsense



Glazed Burlap Inserts in Faux Woodgrained Wainscoting

Just a quick post today.  I did a really beautiful project awhile back that helped amp up the beauty of this home. The homeowner wanted something different yet rich and more classicially traditional.  Her entryway, especially her stairway to the second floor, was quite tall - and there was very little architecture.  To help ameliorate (sorry for the high-end vacab...I was an English major!!) this "tallness," I suggested that she add some wainscoting with panels and some crown molding.  Once that was done, we went to work doing a faux mahogany finish (with a dollop of eggplant in the glaze mix).

Once white and plain...

The Recipe...

The base color was a brownish red (Leather Red from Aqua Finishing Solutions).  Then I floated Dutch Metal Gold - also from Aqua Finishing Solutions - on the edges for a little sophistication.  It's not quite visible in the photo...but that's because it's suffused under a glaze of Antique Mahogany plus some Eggplant Stain and Seal and a dash of Ebony (also from Aqua Finishing Solutions).

The finishing touch came by adding the burlap to the inserts.  I purchased the burlap online - but you can buy it anywhere as long as it's a burlap that has more of an open weave.  If it's tight, it won't work - well, maybe it will but I don't recommend it.  I put it on with carpenters glue (Elmer's).  You need to try to get the edges as clean as possible.  Mine were not perfect - so I added the cording to neaten it up.  After the glue was dry, I gave the burlap a clear topcoat. The client wanted to retain the light color of the burlap but I darkened it a bit with some dark brown glaze.

I've done this finish on furniture as well.  You can put it on just about anything that has an insert (it would look beautiful as an insert in a ceiling panel!) Come to think of it, I have an end table with a raised molding around the top (sort of like a tray table top) that could use this finish!

Above is a sample I did for a client where I painted and glazed the burlap in the same color. I just added some black accents to the sides of the insert.  Here you can see the burlap weave better - it's more open.  And you can see the edges. If you don't get it down close to the edge - it will look unfinished.  In the darker sample you don't see the edges quite so much...but on the lighter wainscoting inserts that I did for my client - the edges were more noticeable.  But, no big deal - that's what they make cording for!

It's a beautiful finish.  So - give this burlap finish a try in your own home!!

Linking this project up with Between Naps on the Porch

and some of my blog friends HERE