While high ceilings are often celebrated, rooms with slanted ones are often difficult to work with. It can be common for the attics, but now that space is premium, many owners of modern homes and penthouses have to put up with rooms that have slanted ceilings. It’s a challenge to decorate, but once you exert some effort in planning and getting creative, you can turn this space-deprived area into a charming chamber. Here are a few tips and tricks to make the most out of this area:
1. Choose a light colored paint.
When it comes to painting a room with slanted ceilings, it’s best to stick with light and airy colors. A simple and neutral color scheme would be your best choice. But if you want, you can create interesting angular features by using bright colors and simple stripes on the walls or ceiling. Just limit your wall-and-ceiling color scheme to only two to three colors as much as possible, because more colors in a small space can look cluttered.
White can open up the room, making it look more spacious and airy, but avoid coloring the whole room white. For people entering the room, it could be difficult to distinguish the ceiling from the wall, and they might walk straight and bump their heads on the sloped area. If you want an all-white room, use accents like trim or decorative ceiling beams to visually show where the wall ends and the ceiling begins.
If you’re dealing with a long and skinny room, visually break up the space by painting the short walls with a darker color than the longer ones.
2. Add skylights
If it’s feasible, add skylights to let natural light in and open up the space. You can also add windows, but not all people have that option when all the walls are (or has to be) occupied. Having skylights is one of the best benefits of slanted ceilings, and is the best way to beat the claustrophobic look that the slanted ceiling could give. Modern skylights can come in different shapes and sizes, and they add the sense of awe and splendor to the room, especially if it gives a great view of the after sunset and the beautiful night sky.
3. Scale your furniture and accessories
If your room with slanted ceilings is small and low, going small and low with décor is just common sense. But if the room is a big loft with a slanted roof and high ceiling, keep it proportional by using taller décor pieces. Floor lights and oversized pendants work best for these types of rooms. The general rule is to keep your furniture, paintings, wall hangings, decoration, and lighting fixtures to scale so as not to overwhelm a small room and not to make a big room unwelcoming.
4. Create a theme
As mentioned earlier, a room with a slanted ceiling can easily become a charming chamber. It already gives off a certain ambiance that has to be emphasized with design and decoration. Whether your room is short on space, or occupies the entire living area of your loft, playoff with the already existing proportions and create a theme of its own. The slant on the ceilings is a great avenue to adapt the exposed steel and wooden beams of the industrial style; the cozy and comfy look of the cottage style; or the eclectic feel of the bohemian style. This room is your opportunity to break away with the interior style of the rest of your home and create a unique showstopper.
5. Be creative with storage space and nooks
Given the kind of space available, you cannot simply place a regular cabinet or a shelf. But you can install custom pull-out drawers, smart bookshelves and cool storage units that fill the sides of the room, which also cuts down the steep angle of the sloped ceilings.
A snug window nook for reading and relaxing is also one of the best things to include in rooms with a slanted ceiling.
6. Add texture
Accentuate the architectural details of your room by adding a touch of textural contrast. You can use wooden panels for the walls while keeping the ceilings plainly painted, or adding exposed beams on the ceilings for the style. Adding wooden elements gives off a homey and cozy ambiance. Or you can simply add custom murals, wallpaper or fabric canopies as creative alternatives.