Vaulted ceilings angle upwards, expanding the ceiling height and creating a sense of spaciousness. There are different types of vaulted ceilings, but the traditional kinds carve into a triangular shape point.
With intense architectural appeal, vaulted ceilings are a popular design feature. Their elements encourage natural light right into the alcoves, creating height and design drama in the home.
Modern vaulted ceiling designs vary, with each option capable of transforming your living space into an elegant home with architectural charm.
Some designs feature clean edges and high pitches, while others showcase subtle, delicate curves. In living rooms and bedrooms, vaulted ceilings can be enhanced by skylights or exposed beams for extra beauty and style.
Let’s explore 15+ beautiful vaulted ceiling ideas to inspire your next home makeover.
Types of Vaulted Ceilings
Vaulted ceilings, by definition, are any type of ceiling that extends up high and angles into the centre, often to a point. However, there are specific architectural styles of vaulted ceilings, the main options being:
1. Cathedral Ceilings
An ideal choice for adding granduer to a living room, cathedral ceilings are the most traditional and periodic type of vaulted ceiling. Featuring two symmetrical slopes that join at the centre, adding exposed wood beams enhances it by adding height, light reflection, and gracefulness to a lounge area.
2. Half Vaulted Ceilings
Source: Pinterest
Also known as a half cathedral ceiling, half-vaulted ceilings are slanted on one side with a clean vertical wall on the other. These are subtle and space-efficient room designs, which work best when styled into cozy areas and modern additions.
As a modern vaulted ceiling idea, half-vaults are well-suited to attics, sunrooms, reading rooms, home offices, and nurseries. The refined architectural interest these ceilings create particularly benefits areas that are otherwise understated, like mudrooms and ground-floor water closets.
3. Arched Vaults
Source: ArchDaily
Arched vaulted ceilings are dramatic, visual, and a break away from the ordinary. Featuring arched contours that blend into a soft middle, it’s a popular design feature for building character homes, stately residences, and Mediterranean-inspired homes.
These types of ceilings vary dramatically, with the option to have a singular ceiling curve, multiple arcs, slight bows, or deep, visually intense crescents.
4. Asymmetrical Vaults
Asymmetrical vaults are modern and dynamic design choices, ideal for contemporary living spaces with a varying roof pitch . Seeking inspiration from late Gothic architecture, these types of ceilings ooze visual complexity.
With diverse curves and wooden beams that form a geometrical pattern, these vaulted ceilings are uniform in their appearance. Visually, they curve into a central point, with diamond-shaped ribs separating each element.
Design Elements for Vaulted Ceilings
From dramatic wooden beams to subtle wall paneling, vaulted ceilings can be styled via distinct methods. With each design, you can curate a unique style for your home, from rustic and antique to minimalist and contemporary-classic.
Keep reading to explore popular design elements for vaulted ceilings.
5. Exposed Wood Beams
Source: Mrtimbers
The most popular design choice for vaulted ceilings is to fashion the angled elements with exposed wood beams. This creates a rustic appearance that conveys a traditional, retro, and historic interior décor.
Benefits of using exposed wood beams for your vaulted ceiling include:
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Adds warmth, character, and natural charm
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Creates contrast between the walls and beams
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Draws the eye upwards, creating an illusion of depth and space
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Adds drama and rustic coziness, ideal for living rooms
Depending on your interior and preferred style, you can use light or dark wood beams to create contrast. Blonde wood offers a bright aesthetic, enhancing the sense of space and giving the room a modern appearance. Whereas dark beams create a heavier tone, creating more intimacy and classical charm.
6. Faux Wood Beams
Source: Pinterest
In place of solid wood beams, faux wood beams are an easier option to work with and feature a lower retail cost. Yet these affordable vaulted ceiling designs aren’t just attractive for their value for money.
The benefits of vaulted ceiling faux beams include:
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Lightweight: Which is better for ceilings with lower strength thresholds.
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Customization: Faux wood beams can be painted or stained without disrupting market value.
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Installation: Installation is easier and faster, making it a great choice for DIY remodel projects.
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Styling: Easy to style, faux wood beams can be paired with stone fireplaces and minimalist décor to create a contemporary-luxury interior.
Vaulted Ceiling Ideas by Room
Vaulted ceilings can feature anywhere in a home, from hallways and kitchens to open-plan living spaces. The most popular choices are living rooms and bedrooms, with the architectural features adding warmth to the spaces in your house where comfort matters most.
7. Living Room Vaulted Ceilings
Living rooms with beams and vaulted ceilings are a distinctive design idea. Our favorite vaulted ceiling living room ideas include:
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Maximize natural light: Style vaulted ceilings with large windows, skylights, and clerestory windows to boost natural brightness.
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Add drama: Feature items like chandeliers and statement lighting add drama to the space, often defining it.
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Create balance: With vaulted ceilings achieving height, create balance by making the space feel both open and cozy. Use colors and décor to achieve the best look for your home.
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Place furniture thoughtfully: Furniture should be grounded to maximize height, while lighting should be kept low or layered to add comfort and create a lived-in feel.
8. Cozy Bedroom Vaulted Ceilings
Source: Onekindesign
Vaulted ceilings can be styled to create a cozy, romantic bedroom aesthetic. Suitable with light or dark color schemes, depending on your preferences, our favorite vaulted ceiling bedroom ideas include:
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Use warm wood tones: Wood pairs beautifully with vaulted ceilings, particularly in bedrooms. Their natural hues make a room feel more personal.
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Apply soft lighting: Soft lighting, like lamps and sconces, anchors the room with warmth and creates a sense of relaxation.
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Utilize vertical space: Built-in features, like reading nooks and bookshelves, use the vertical space, drawing the eye upward and maximizing grandeur.
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Mix textures: A sense of calm is key for bedrooms, and mixing beams with fabrics, accent walls, and other tactile elements achieves this relaxing aesthetic.
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Create mood lights: Mood lights, like smart ambient lighting, string lights, or wall sconces, help bedrooms feel more tranquil and open.
Architectural Interest and Finishing Touches
Vaulted ceilings are designed to be a statement architectural feature. Styling them in the final stages is key to accentuating their natural beauty and letting their decor uniqueness shine.
Here are several tips and statement ceiling ideas to help you curate the perfect architectural vaulted ceiling design for your style.
9. Combine elements for depth
To highlight vaulted ceilings and bring their beauty to the forefront, consider adding extra elements, such as arches, columns, and shiplap.
These details draw attention to the ceilings and ensure they are the main focal point of a living space, from open-plan living rooms and kitchens, to bedrooms and hallways.
Popular elements to add to vaulted ceilings to create depth include:
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Arches: Consider integrating arches below the vaulted ceiling, above doorways, or inside recesses to increase visual interest and frame the ceilings with added elements.
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Columns: For a grand, classical theme, place decorative or structural columns in the living space. These can be freestanding or built into walls to break up the vertical space.
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Shiplap: Wood paneling on the walls and ceiling adds texture and warmth, highlighting the vault and making it more pronounced.
Pro tip: Combine these elements and use a well-blended mix of these additions to create layered depth and design emphasis.
10. Highlight ceiling angles
Source: Realhomes.com
Color can be used to frame vaulted ceilings and enhance their beauty and lighting. Natural shadows already define the ceiling and its depth, but color can deepen its impact to create more attention.
This is best achieved when color is used to create a contrast between the walls and angles. For example, using sage green for the vertical walls and soft white paint for the angles.
Or using this same trick in reverse, with a darker color (like navy blue) for the angled ceilings and a light color (like pastel gray) for the verticals.
You can also pair neutral colors together to create more distinction between the shadows, such as by pairing soft gray with white.
11. Add finishing touches
Architectural vaulted ceiling design is defined by its finishing touches. In addition to any design elements, such as skylights or exposed wood beams, you can warm up the space with painted beams adding more detail and dimension. Trending finishing touches for vaulted ceiling design ideas include:
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Ceiling fans: These are multifunctional, serving as a dramatic focal point while lighting the area and optimizing airflow.
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Pendant lights: Draping pendant lights on longer cables add layers to your interior. The closer the light lies to head height, the more intimate the space can appear, without disturbing ceiling height.
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Chandeliers: More vintage and stately, chandeliers are well-placed in living rooms and bedrooms to emulate a cozy, regal aesthetic.
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Spotlights: Well-placed spots are clean, bright, and modern. They can be positioned to enhance the shadows cast by angled ceilings.
Ceiling Design and Styling Tips
Color schemes, lighting, textures, and proportions are important to keep in mind when styling rooms with vaulted ceilings.
Explore trending vaulted ceiling design ideas:
12. Use light-enhancing color schemes
Source: Edward George
You can choose the color scheme that best meets your individual styling preferences. However, when working with vaulted ceilings, some options are particularly popular and beauty-enhancing.
Our favorite vaulted ceiling paint ideas include:
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Patterns: Work with patterns to create a collection of visual colors in block shapes and curves. This achieves a bold, playful aesthetic.
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Neutrals: Light neutral paint schemes accentuate natural light and maximize the height of your ceilings.
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Subtle contrast: Create subtle contrast with paint colors, such as by pairing light grays, pastels, whites, beiges, and other soft colors.
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Darker contrast: Add deep, rich depth using darker paint colors, such as pairing neutrals or white walls with dark color (like forest green, navy, burnt orange, dark gray, burgundy, and black).
13. Blend the right textures
Blending the right textures in a living space with vaulted ceilings shapes the area. Popular textures to pair with the smooth walls and clean edges found in vaulted ceilings include:
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Natural elements: Such as wood planks, shiplap, and tongue-and-groove wall paneling.
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Soft features: Including woven rugs, chunky knit throw blankets, velvet drapes, or wool cushions.
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Earthy décor: Like woven baskets, living plants, sculptural items, terracotta pots, or stacked books.
These add warmth and a sense of calm, and they can be used to align an interior with slightly distressed both a modern and traditional décor scheme.
14. Layer lighting intentionally
Use lighting strategically to define zones and ambiance. Our favorite lighting ideas for vaulted ceilings include:
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Recessed lighting: To improve spatial perception.
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Skylights: To boost natural light and enhance modern appeal.
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Sconces: Which layer lighting and create depth.
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Spotlights: To increase height and create an airy feel.
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Floor or table lamps: To add intimacy and ground the space.
15. Maintain proportions
The best part about vaulted ceilings is that they add height to your living space, transforming your home into an elegant, refined, and luxurious residence with new heights .
Yet it’s crucial when styling these rooms that you maintain proportions. This avoids creating an empty, unhomely environment.
Here are our favorite vaulted ceiling design ideas to cozy up the space:
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Use larger couches to visually anchor the room
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Keep furniture grounded (not raised) in tall spaces to create intimacy
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Fill vertical volume using layered lighting and low-hanging lights
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Break up vertical spans with arches or columns
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Use tall drapes to soften the height while adding grandeur
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Guide the eye upwards with tall wall art and vertical mirrors
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Use rugs and grouped furniture to avoid echoes and create coziness
Conclusion
Vaulted ceilings can truly transform the feel of any room in your home. Selecting the right style means blending your own aesthetic with materials that suit the architectural tone of your space.
Whether you love rustic charm or modern elegance, these vaulted ceiling ideas can bring new life to your home – transforming its style from modest to magnificent, one stunning ceiling at a time.
