20 Vaulted Ceiling Ideas That Create a Dramatic Look

Exposed beam vaulted ceiling — Photo:
Astrid Templier

With the right design, vaulted ceiling ideas can make your home feel larger and even increase your property value, and the right styling and design will help open up the room and help your house feel more open and airy. Some simple tricks, like painting the ceiling white, will make the room brighter and reflect more natural light. In some spaces, you can use dark colors for vaulted ceilings, making a room look more dramatic and elegant. Adding exposed wood beams can create a rustic design. However you choose to style the ceiling and the rest of the room, these vaulted ceiling ideas can help spark your creativity for your home.

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Keep the Ceiling Simple

Sometimes, the best vaulted ceiling idea is understated. By keeping the ceiling white, it matches the airy quality of the rest of the room. Painted beams continue the all-white theme in the room. Tall windows let in plenty of natural light, while the white brick of the fireplace and light wood flooring carry the brightness through the space.

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Soak Up the Sunlight

Bathroom vaulted ceiling — Chad R. Mellon

Bathrooms can often feel small or tight, but a vaulted ceiling makes this room appear much more spacious. The white panels match the white bathroom floor tile, countertops, and walls, bringing plenty of light into the room and providing contrast for the dark bathtub and pendant light. The pale wood on the vanity adds warmth to the wide-open room.

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Panel Vaulted Ceilings for Warmth

Wood panel vaulted ceiling — Anne D. Schlechter

Many vaulted ceilings have a triangular shape, meeting at a central point. The wood-paneled ceilings in this room are more angular, which opens up the space, draws the eye, and creates interest. Paired with a natural wood door, bar, and leather couch, it gives this living room a rustic vibe. The white walls and glass-paned doors allow light to bounce around the room, which keeps the dark ceilings from overwhelming the space.

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Take Vaulted Ceiling Ideas Outside

outdoor kitchen vaulted ceiling — Julie Soefer

An outdoor porch or patio might already have sloped ceilings, which you can use to create a sophisticated living area. This vaulted ceiling idea includes exposed beams and rustic brick, creating a sense of enclosure in this open space and encouraging hours of lounging and relaxing. A ceiling fan adds a breeze on the hottest days. Modern furniture and outdoor appliances, like a mini fridge and TV, help the area function as an outdoor living room.

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Open Up a Small Space

This bathroom has a relatively small, narrow vaulted ceiling, but pairing it with white panels and walls makes a room that could seem confining feel more open. Marble tile and a long wood vanity bring an elegant touch. The glass shower enclosure, paned window, and oversized mirrors add light to the room.

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Highlight Wood Details

A vaulted ceiling already adds drama, but this room accentuates it. Leaving the dramatic wooden beams of the frame exposed is a vaulted ceiling idea that adds contrast to the white panels and draws the eye straight to it. Dark cabinets and tile throughout the room also ensure the vaulted ceiling is the focal point. Decorative cutouts frame the arched opening for additional style and detailing.

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Amplify the Height with Pattern

The furniture placement and fabric patterns used in a room with vaulted ceilings can help the space seem larger. In this bedroom, a tall, dark-colored headboard makes a big statement, and its vertical lines help to draw the eye upward to the ceiling. Wallpapering the walls and painting the ceiling white also creates separation between the two, making a small bedroom look bigger, while the horizontal lines add a sense of coziness.

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Light Up the Room

Vaulted ceiling with chandelier — Edmund Barr

Due to the height and grandeur it brings, a statement light fixture is a vaulted ceiling idea that adds a big design statement. Whether you choose a rustic yet sophisticated look like this round candelabra or go with something more dramatic with sparkle and shine, your room will look more substantial. Adding lighting is always a good idea in any space.

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Double Up on Windows

Modern living room vaulted ceiling — David A Land

The vaulted ceilings in this modern living room open to the second story of the home, allowing for two stories worth of windows. These let in a ton of natural light and contribute to the spacious, airy feel. The stone fireplace extends much higher than in most settings, creating a stunning focal point and drawing the eyes upwards. Keeping the wood floors light, along with white upholstery and walls, gives the room an exceptionally bright aesthetic.

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Go Retro with Decor

Dark-colored vaulted ceiling ideas can make some rooms look smaller or too dark. However, windows in this living room, including clerestory windows that follow the lines of the ceiling, let in plenty of sunlight, which helps this vaulted ceiling with dark wood beams look brighter. Low-profile retro furniture and bright yellow cushions and pillows give the space a cohesive look. A Noguchi-style paper lamp brings character and additional lighting to the area.

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Showcase Favorite Artwork

Artistic vaulted ceiling — Adam Albright

The natural wood beams across this white vaulted ceiling have a framing effect. They guide the eye directly to above the fireplace, a great location for a large, abstract work of art. Boldly colored furniture and accent pillows tie in with the statement piece.

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Infuse a Small Kitchen with Style

Kitchen vaulted ceiling — Dana Gallagher

A painted wood vaulted ceiling makes this compact kitchen feel more spacious. The white wood panels meet at the peak, where a natural wood beam gives the room a slightly rustic atmosphere. The beam also matches the darker wood floors, where an area rug adds color and pattern to an otherwise neutral space. Open shelving emphasizes the ceiling height and displays brightly hued glassware.

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Bring Warmth with Beams

Natural wood vaulted ceiling — PANICHGUL STUDIOS INC

Vaulted ceilings can sometimes feel empty and bare. Horizontal wood beams across this vaulted ceiling add warmth by bringing the ceiling down to scale. The wood beams and floors provide texture and color to this all-white kitchen, as does the butcher block peninsula countertop with wood-topped stools beneath it. On one wall, exposed brick reveals the house's history, as do the painted wood beams on the back wall, where a small window lets in additional sunlight.

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Expand a Bathroom's Function

Shower vaulted ceiling — PANICHGUL STUDIOS INC

Make the most of a small bathroom with a clever vaulted ceiling idea to add function and decor. Placing the shower against the vaulted wall creates more room for a tub-shower combo. Natural wood beams also help break up the white tile used throughout the room, and along with the distressed wood countertop, bring style to this simple bathroom.

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Increase the Spacious Feel

Tiny Home Vaulted Ceiling — Ellie Lillstrom

A vaulted ceiling helps maximize the space in this tiny home. A one-wall kitchen allows the rest of the space to be used as a living area with plenty of seating. The one wood beam helps guide the eye through the room and towards the kitchen wall. This vaulted ceiling idea is an excellent example of how going up for more space makes a room seem larger.

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Focus on the Furnishings

Grand living room vaulted ceiling — Dane Tashima

In this small living room, the vaulted ceiling gives the space a lofty quality. Keeping everything white adds to the spaciousness, and built-in bookshelves prevent furniture from cluttering the room. The sleek sofas and contemporary armchairs become the focal point since the rest of the room is one cohesive color.

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Use Casual Distressed Paneling

Larger paneling with a slightly distressed look makes this room feel more casual. The hanging swing is the focal point in this sunroom, but the ropes help bring attention to the vaulted ceiling. A simple woven rug also gives the entire room a casual vibe.

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Design a Cozy Cabin

The natural wood and exposed darker beams of this vaulted ceiling give the room a cozy mountain cabin quality. The white walls let the ceiling grab the attention, and undressed windows bring the outdoors in for plenty of light.

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Create a Wall of Windows

Vaulted ceiling windows — Katie Charlotte Fiedler

The windows leading up to the vaulted ceilings in this bathroom allow for tons of natural light, providing an ideal setting for prepping and getting ready each day. The white tiles on the floor, countertops, and walls add to the bright look. The soft green on the vanity reflects the stunning view outdoors.

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Flood the Room with Light

Skylight vaulted ceiling — KELLER & KELLER PHOTOGRAPHY INC

Exposed beams and wood panels add drama to the room yet still give it a casual feel. A skylight is a vaulted ceiling idea that increases natural light. The room's brightness helps offset the darker fireplace at the center of the space, and the light furnishings keep the focus on the beautiful stone and artwork.

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