How to Decorate a Living Room with High Ceilings

Whether you feel delighted or daunted by living rooms with high ceilings, these impressive spaces can be some of the most rewarding places to decorate. The scope of tall rooms provides so many design options that it can sometimes feel a little difficult to select a colour.

Paint the ceiling a bold or contrasting shade

When considering how to paint a room, it can be tempting to go for the obvious choice of painting the ceiling white. Instead, emulate majestic spaces like cathedrals and art galleries, which often have ceilings painted in bold colours to draw the eye upwards. Highlight ornate cornicing and ceiling roses in complementary colours for an opulent feel that is redolent of a stately home.

Pink and green is a classic colour combination that sits comfortably in the home due to its association with nature. Pair Sir Lutyen’s Sage walls with the soft warm pink, Blush, on the ceiling for an elegant living room. Or, if you are using wallpaper, choose a deep coordinating shade from within the paper to achieve a cocooning feel. Briar Rose – Green Verditer works well with Mid Azure Green on the ceiling and woodwork for a vibrant and immersive living space.

Create an accent by defining the ceiling line

High ceilings offer the luxury of plentiful wall space for accent wall colours. Accentuate the space where the wall meets the ceiling for a clever design trick that allows guests to appreciate the scale of the room.

You may choose to highlight door frames, large window surrounds and flooring in the same colour to create a visual journey through the room. This approach can also bring an unexpected, contemporary twist to your scheme.

For a modern and sophisticated monochrome scheme, paint cornicing and picture rails in Jack Black alongside walls in French Grey – Pale. Add personality by introducing Cape Red as a bold pop of colour on the door.

Alternatively, try a contemporary take on a timeless pink and green colour pairing. Pair Pea Green walls with the statement pink, Leather, on the upper walls from the picture rail and above. Create a focal point by using the deep green paint colour, Obsidian Green, on the window frames.

Celebrate your high ceiling by embracing full-height wallpaper

Rooms with high ceilings provide the perfect opportunity to fully embrace wallpaper. By featuring detailed and eclectic patterns on all four walls, you will submerge the room in the details of the design and emphasise the expanse of space.

For a dark and sophisticated design, use Carlton House Terrace – Blue Plume wallpaper alongside Hicks’ Blue on the woodwork. If your living room has a central fireplace, continue this deep blue shade onto this feature for a cohesive, encompassing finish.

Celebrate sun-drenched rooms with a yellow wallpaper such as Dahlia Scroll – Giallo. This warm, sunshine yellow colourway works well with our Silent White family for a living room that feels cosy and inviting.

Introduce mural designs to large walls

When decorating rooms with high ceilings, use your vast expanse of wall space to create real impact with a mural wallpaper.

Belton Scenic is an elegant botanical mural wallpaper featuring birds, butterflies and flowers. In a spacious living room, it harnesses the calming effects of nature. Pair the Oyster colourway with woodwork in the muted dark green, Ambleside.

For a moody yet restorative atmosphere, use the Night Garden colourway of our Upper Brook St. wallpaper. This dark green design works particularly well in a living room with high ceilings, as the eye is drawn towards the bright pink kniophfia flowers at the bottom of the paper. Create a cocooning effect with woodwork in Dark Brunswick Green.

Use stripes for a design illusion

Stripes are a great choice for those who wish to either emphasise the height of their ceilings or distract from them.

To elongate the walls vertically, paint one long stripe in a contrasting shade. For a warm living space with an element of design interest, team Middle Buff with one stripe of Hammock on one of the corners of the room.

If you are looking to draw the eye downwards, paint a wide horizontal stripe around the walls in a contrasting colour. Consider incorporating the shelving and accessories to create uninterrupted flow around the room, diverting attention from the height of the ceiling for a cosy effect. Try Mazarine and Cool Arbour for this horizonal-striped look.

Consider colour drenching for a wrapround feel

To create cosiness in rooms with higher ceilings, paint all walls and woodwork in the same colour. Choose a rich and sumptuous shade for the ultimate wraparound effect. The mischievous deep green, Puck, is a fabulous choice to create a vibrant scheme that has real connection with the outdoors.

Introducing panelling adds depth and interest to large wall areas and creates an ideal base for colour drenching. The rich brown, Chocolate Colour, creates a luxurious setting when paired with decorative panelling in an all over scheme. Incorporate tonal accent shades on furniture and accessories to draw the whole space together and create a warm, cosy finish.

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