Is it possible to install suspended ceilings with low ceilings?

Apartments in standard city high-rise buildings cannot be called spacious. Residents of small cottages may also encounter this problem. In cramped spaces there is discomfort due to lack of space and light. Literally moving the walls apart is unlikely, but there are design techniques that can correct this shortcoming. If you properly decorate the ceiling in a small room and choose the right design, you can visually increase the space. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

Benefits of the solution

A lot has already been said about the advantages of suspended ceilings. But in small rooms these advantages will be even more significant. However, we list the main advantages of the material:

1. The minimum distance from the base surface to the tension fabric allows for maximum preservation of free space.
2. With the help of textures such as a glossy ceiling, it is possible to visually expand the boundaries of space. This canvas has reflective properties.
3. With well-chosen lighting, it is possible to functionally zone the room.
4. The variety of textures and colors allows you to choose the material to create an original and individual interior, even in a small apartment.

It is worth adding that film materials, despite their fragility, are able to withstand huge volumes of water when flooded by neighbors above. If you want to create a truly luxurious design indoors, then you can give preference to fabric canvases. The disadvantages of this coating include a modest selection of colors.

More light

Determine where the most natural light comes from. Use it by covering the window or windows with the lightest window treatments. If you need privacy at night, hang side curtains to cover your window when needed. Choose fabrics for curtains that are light and light, no brocade, jacquard or damask.

You can also use different types of blinds, which will allow you to make the most of the light coming through the window. Install spotlights on the ceiling so that the long, narrow room is always filled with light.

Nuances of choice

When choosing the color of the material for small rooms, you need to remember that it is highly undesirable to purchase canvases in dark colors. This will not have a very good effect on visual comfort and sensations.

Another point that makes sense to pay attention to is the texture of the canvas. If you want to visually enlarge the room, then it is better to purchase glossy ceilings. They have a mirror surface; all furnishings will be reflected in this coating, which will make the room visually larger and taller.

The third significant nuance is the correct choice of color. It is better to give preference to cool tones, they will make the space of the room larger. You can choose other colors, but you should wisely combine them with other interior elements.

Which ceiling to choose

Lighting is usually interconnected with the texture of the fabric for a tensile structure. So, depending on the level of illumination of a small room, the canvas is usually chosen for it. Let's look at the different types of material:

• Glossy PVC film. Perfect for a small room, as it reflects what is below, including duplicating light sources. A light canvas is suitable for a small room. A dark space in the center is appropriate in combination with a light canvas around the edges.
• Satin. This vinyl film has a slight reflective effect, less noticeable than gloss. Daylight causes vague pearlescent reflections on it; in evening light, satin looks more matte, so it is important to take into account the main time of use and the type of lighting.
• Matte ceiling. It does not reflect light at all, but you can use any type of lamps with it. An LED strip around the perimeter of the walls or in a cornice niche also looks good.
• Fabric ceiling. It looks expensive and noble. Goes well with any type of lamps. In terms of matte finish, it is similar to matte type PVC film, but is more textured in appearance and has some characteristics that differ from PVC.

Design Features

In addition to the color scheme and texture of the canvas, the overall impression is also influenced by the design features of the installed ceiling system. There is no need to select bulky structures for small rooms. You can opt for ceilings with one or two tiers or one small volumetric figure.

Combinations of contrasting tones in one composition look great. You can find many photos of such combinations on the Internet.

Often in small rooms with low ceilings, preference is given to traditional materials (wallpaper, paint, whitewash). But such methods do not make the room larger; the ceiling seems even lower. If you want to choose just such materials for decorating a room, then you need to consider the following points:

1. When using paint you need to use color techniques. A flat white surface will not visually change the proportions of the room. If you choose a smooth or contrasting transition of the light center, you will be able to visually raise the ceiling and achieve an attractive appearance of this part of the room.
2. A stretch ceiling will allow you to implement a variety of decorative solutions. With the right combination of color and texture, you can create not just a beautiful ceiling, but also make it taller. You can apply a variety of pictures or photos to the canvases.
3. Suspended structures significantly conceal space. But from an aesthetic point of view, it is possible to achieve a spectacular result. Height differences on the tiers visually expand the space of the room.
4. In small rooms, you can use suspended structures made of gypsum board. This is a fairly flexible material. It can be formed into a variety of curved surfaces and painted in various ways.
5. Suspended structures can be combined with tension fabrics. Such models are aesthetically attractive and suitable for installation in the kitchen, bedroom, or children's room.

Hanging mirrors

Suspended ceilings are not the best choice for small spaces. Justified if the surface has defects and irregularities that are difficult to eliminate. Hanging structures with mirrors add sophistication and unusualness to living rooms. If the height of the rooms allows, then completely mirrored areas, or individual inserts, visually expand the room . They look impressive in living room studios.

Related article: 12 ideas for furnishing small rooms

Room configuration

The main factors when creating the design of a small room are not even the dimensions, but the proportions. They must be taken into account if you want to achieve the desired effect.

1. A small square room with a high ceiling is the simplest option. The correct proportions in this case allow the use of both film stretch ceilings and plasterboard structures.
2. An elongated room with high ceilings. Here you can install structures with several tiers. Asymmetrical surfaces look good, but their size and direction must compensate for the excessive length. The desired effect is easy to achieve if you choose the right color scheme and texture.
3. Square and low room. There is no need to change the proportions here. It is recommended to visually raise the ceiling. This can be easily achieved with glossy stretch ceilings. In the bedroom, you can highlight the area above the bed, simulating a ceiling niche. A small room will appear taller. Glossy canvases are actively used when decorating large but low rooms. But in this case, it is better to combine them with matte or satin finishes.
4. An elongated room with low ceilings will require visual compensation for the length. If the ceilings are very low, you can limit yourself to a single-level design. You can visually enlarge the room with the help of built-in lamps located parallel to a short wall.

Installing complex structures will also be a good solution for a small room. You can develop a system with columns, niches, and numerous corners. With the help of interesting color solutions it is possible to effectively emphasize the original interior.

Tips for decorating rooms

Let's consider recommendations for each room. These tips will help you choose the right ceiling finish depending on the purpose of the room.

Living room

In a small living room, designers often install mirrored slabs. But then the interior should be minimalistic and neat, since all the flaws will be reflected from above. Another option is perforated stretch ceilings with small patterns in soothing colors. They look beautiful in the evening when the interior lighting is turned on.

Glossy canvases are chosen for small rooms in high-tech style. Lighting in the form of light strips is perfect here, the direction of which can be used to adjust the proportions of the room.

Bedroom

Only dark colors are contraindicated here. It is better to highlight one wall, decorating the rest in the same tone as the upper part. The “starry sky” composition looks ideal, but not on the entire ceiling, but in a false window format. A ceiling niche is often installed above the sleeping place. Using a translucent stretch fabric, it can be decorated in the form of a lamp.

Kitchen

For a small studio up to 10 sq. m, two-level plasterboard structures are suitable. But it’s better to limit yourself to a narrow cornice above the work area. This will raise the ceiling and delimit the space. The number of tiers should not exceed two; they are decorated in similar shades. In the center, instead of gypsum board, a glossy stretch fabric is often used.

Read more: Which ceiling design is suitable for a small kitchen

Bathroom and toilet

In these rooms, the ceiling can be decorated with light mosaics. It is not only easy to clean, but also lasts for decades. Stretch fabrics provide a large field for imagination. Classic options for the bathroom - marine themes, tropical landscapes, sky, clouds.

A narrow and tall toilet is an exceptional room where you can make a dark-colored ceiling. This design helps get rid of the well effect.

Corridor

A long corridor is found quite often in apartments. Visually, it can be expanded if you install a backlit box or a multi-level structure along a short wall.

A row of lamps across the room also solves the problem. The correct proportions can also be achieved using transverse or diagonal lines on the ceiling.

Children's

Bright multi-colored two-level ceilings look great here. Using drywall you can create any shapes - circles, waves, sun, clouds, UFOs and others. In addition, due to multi-tiered structures, the room can be easily divided into areas for sleeping, active recreation and activities.

Often, suspended ceilings with photo printing are installed in children's rooms. A three-dimensional print allows you not only to add volume, but also to delight your child with an image of his favorite cartoon character or other theme that matches his hobbies.

Some features of installing suspended ceilings in small rooms

If you decide to install tension fabrics in a small room, you should consider a number of nuances:

1. Stretch ceilings with three-dimensional printing will help to achieve a visual expansion of space. Ceilings made in the “Starry Sky” style look original and interesting. The starry twinkling effect is achieved using special LED or fiber optic lighting.
2. To illuminate the ceiling surface, it makes sense to use an LED strip. It does not require the installation of special mortgages and is easily attached directly to the canvas itself.
3. It is better to give preference to cool colors (blue, purple, green). It is desirable that the color of the ceiling is in harmony with the walls and other interior elements.

Optimal options for finishing a small area

The most suitable finishing materials for Khrushchev and modern small apartments are those that do not eat up space physically or visually. Taking into account these requirements, we can distinguish three methods that are most affordable in terms of finance and implementation:

1. Whitewashing is a budget option for decorating a ceiling using lime. In addition to cost, it has another advantage - surface disinfection. But such coverage must be renewed every 1–2 years. And the color palette is limited to white and different shades of blue, and the surface can only be matte.
2. Painting is a more reliable option if latex, acrylic or silicone based compounds are used. Such a ceiling can often be washed; some coatings can even withstand cleaning with a brush and household chemicals. Choosing a shade to suit your personal taste or to match the rest of the finish is not difficult. The texture can be glossy or matte.
3. Wallpapering is used less frequently, hides minor imperfections in the ceiling, and is more labor-intensive to perform. Glass wallpaper is especially practical, as it not only reinforces the surface, but also withstands several painting cycles. Among the advantages of rolled materials, it is worth noting the huge variety of colors and patterns. You can choose an ornament or order photo wallpaper that visually expands the space.

At the same time, many designers are of the opinion that renovation with these materials, although it allows one to maintain physical height, but the ceiling seems lower, especially with matte finishes.

In any case, these methods are only suitable if there are no critical defects, large differences in height or open communications on the concrete floor. Engineering systems can be left on public display only if the interior design is made in the loft style, which is rarely used for small spaces. In other cases, you will have to consider options for ceilings with suspended and frame structures.

Stretch ceiling design in a small room

When developing the design of a stretch ceiling, you need to take into account the color scheme and style in which the room is designed. It is also recommended to take into account the functional purpose of the room. Stretch ceilings can be:

1. With several tiers. Similar designs are used in rooms with ceiling heights of 2.7 m. Such ceilings are made of plasterboard.
2. Glass. This design is used in bathrooms or living rooms. The reception allows you to visually enlarge the room.
3. Volumetric. Imitation of three-dimensionality is achieved through the use of a 3D drawing. This is a great idea for decorating living rooms or children's rooms.
4. With artistic painting. The canvases are printed with a print made in African or ancient Greek style. Oil or water-based paints are used. An interesting technique is the use of luminescent paints that glow at night.

Combination of ceiling and walls

The interior of the room should not be monochrome, otherwise the room will resemble a hospital ward. If you are decorating a bedroom, then dark colors can only be used in contrasting combinations. This role can be played by furniture or one wall, and the rest - to match the ceiling.

In a living room, this can be done using wallpaper or self-adhesive film with a bright pattern. Lighting fixtures, curtains, cornices, and bedspreads can also be contrasting.

You can visually expand the boundaries of the room with the help of curtain wall lighting. “Floating” ceilings look original when installed using spectacular lighting around the perimeter of the room. Often designers use mirror elements on the wall to visually enlarge a room.

Molding

To give to a long, narrow room , you need to force the eye to move across the room without pausing. If there is a ceiling cornice, paint it the same color as the walls. Make door and window frames the same shade as adjacent walls so that they look like one. There is no need to paint baseboards or cornices in a dark color against the background of pale walls; this draws attention to the parameters of the room.

Let's sum it up

A small room can appear taller and larger if you design suspended ceilings correctly. Although it seems that this is almost impossible to do. Standard bathrooms and kitchens usually have a small square footage. Therefore, proper organization of interior decoration in these rooms is extremely important. It has a number of nuances, without which the room will turn into an uncomfortable room.

If you have a desire to transform a small apartment beyond recognition, contact our company. Any renovation begins with the design of the ceiling. And the final perception of the room depends on how competently the design of the ceiling surface is developed.

Stretch glossy

Stretch ceilings, especially those with a glossy effect, have a number of advantages in the design of small rooms. They expand the space, are easy to clean, quickly installed, and match any interior . The disadvantage will be the cost, which depends on the area of ​​the room, the number of bypass elements, and the manufacturer of the canvas. The canvas is resistant to sharp objects, but can be repaired. In case of replacement, you will have to order dismantling.

When choosing a stretch ceiling, you should remember that as a result of installation work, the height will decrease by 5-7 cm. Creating a two-level ceiling will steal even more height from the room, but the result is worth it. Built-in lighting around the perimeter will make the room appear larger, and glossy inserts will visually add height to the walls.

Plain stretch fabrics are suitable for the hallway and kitchen. In the living room and bedroom, if space allows, it is worth experimenting with color, levels and lighting.