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Decorative Ceilings Are Back, Opening up a Hot New Niche

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Decorative Ceilings Are Back, Opening up a Hot New Niche Beaux Artes Melanie Kershner puts the finishing touches on a corner ceiling ornament, which she had attached by drilling holes through the centers of several flowers. Kershner then glued Swarovski colored crystals in the drill holes and touched up the paint. Decorative ceilings LookingUp are back, opening up a hot new niche. By Eileen Smith Dallabrida all it “the fifth wall.” air conditioning vents, ceiling deco- dining room. A subtle wash in shades An artfully decorated ration was a hallmark of a fashionable of umber can soften the harsh lines of ceiling can top off any home. Plaster ornamentation in- a typical white “bed sheet” ceiling. project, elevating an eye- cluded opulent ceiling medallions An image of a vintage map, enlarged catching room to a spec- and moldings. The Victorians reveled and replicated, brings distinction to tacular space. in lavish wallpapers applied in mul- the ceiling of a cozy study. “A beautiful ceiling is, literally, the tiple patterns. Michael William Kirby, of Murals crowning touch,” says Thea Holmes of Today, the trend toward tray ceil- of Baltimore LLC, transformed a plain Fauxcus on Walls in suburban Wash- ings in modern houses is helping to vanilla coffered ceiling with faux bois ington, D.C. return attention to the surface over- beams detailed with stenciling in an Whether finished as a stand-alone head, resulting in more opportunities ornate Byzantine pattern. Cproject or part of a larger job, decora- for decorative painters. “Many times, we use the ceiling to tive ceilings are more popular than Options for ceilings cover the spec- create an illusion of more space with ever. Decorative painters everywhere trum of decorative techniques. These faux skies,” he says. “Plus, it adds are finding a growing market for all include faux painting, wood graining, light to the space.” manner of dramatic and subtle fin- stenciling, plaster work, gold leafing, ishes high above the traditional wall murals on canvas, and any other tech- Selling it space. nique that springs from an artist’s in- In pitching a ceiling project, project spiration. photos are worth a thousand words— Options and opportunities A celestial circle of cherubs might and significant dollars, veteran Up until the early 20th century, in look heavenly surrounding the painters say. Before-and-after shots the days before recessed lighting and medallion of a chandelier in a formal are especially effective in showing 28 PWC SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 the difference a well-appointed ceiling can make. Taking clients to see ceilings you have already completed can also be effective, especially if the style is similar to their proposal. “Decorative ceilings are an easy sell if the client has seen one,” says Melanie Kershner of Beaux Artes in Churchton, Md. “The room makes such a wonderful impact on you by creating a sense of volume in the space and a feeling of grandeur.” That said, brace yourself for some pushback. “Clients don’t realize how much extra work and effort a ceiling is,” Arteriors Holmes notes. “They tend to react with Arteriors created a trompe l’oeil conservatory ceiling with wrought-iron mullions over a skyscape of aqua, plum and apricot for this sunny sticker shock.” Still, there are plenty of homeown- niques and sure-fire products. Rule had to be removed from tin panels. Number 1: Start with an impeccably “It was the worst job in the world,” clean surface. he recalls. “No matter what you use, your ma- Prepping the 120-by-150-foot ceil- terials are only as good as the sub- ing wound up taking six months. But strate you are working on,” Kirby problems can pop up on jobs of any says. size. He restored the ceiling of the Ma- While working on a 12-by-12-foot jestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pa. But residential ceiling, Holmes found that before he could apply burnished her meticulously applied design did glazes, Kirby and his crew had to dis- not adhere properly because there solve layers of bird and bat guano that was drywall dust under the primer. had accumulated over decades. That “The contractor had not taken exposed black spray paint, which also See CEILINGS on next page Kami Tremblay Design Kami Tremblay completes a marble effect on a dining-room ceiling. ers and businesspeople who will sign the check in pursuit of striking interi- ors. Making it happen Finishing overhead surfaces is much more cumbersome than prepping and painting walls. In estimating ceiling work, factor in such expenses as scaf- fold rental, although many painters stick with a ladder for small jobs. Most likely, the primary cost will be labor. To achieve a jaw-dropping look, de- Jean-Luc Sablé velop a repertoire of reliable tech- “The only ceiling who has forever inspired me is the sky,” says Jean-Luc Sablé, honored in 2000 as “the Best Craftsman in France.” WWW.PAINTSTORE.COM PWC 29 CEILINGS from last page proper care to wipe over the entire area before he primed,” she recalls. “The big lesson I walked away with was to be sure you check every square inch of any surface.” Tips for success Working with ceilings requires some special considerations. Remember, for example, that whatever ornamentation you apply must withstand the pull of gravity. “To install plaster on the ceiling, we Deelite Design Dee Cunningham gave drywall beams and crown molding the look of mahogany with a simple straight grain use special space-age adhesives that using two custom-tinted base colors by Sherwin-Williams and Stain & Seal by Faux Effects International. work well on pre-painted ceilings,” Kershner says. “We also use some dry- Preventing a pain in the neck wall screws to hold up the heavy cen- ter medallions and cornerpieces until ichelangelo described the physical discomfort of painting the ceiling the adhesive dries.” of the Sistine Chapel in a humorous sonnet in a letter to a friend. Hide screw holes in the deep de- “Crosswise I strain me like a Syrian bow,” he wrote. pressions of ornamental plaster. Dis- While painters have many more products to choose from these guise the screws with a bit of drywall days, the back and neck pains that are part and parcel of working on ceilings haven’t paste and some touchup paint. changed. Still, painters find ways to cope. Contractors can save time by mini- MTo minimize the strain, complete as much of the job as you can before climbing a mizing masking, advises Kami Trem- ladder or scaffold, suggests Melanie Kershner of Beaux Artes. blay of Kami Trembay Design in “We try to do as much work as possible in our studio first,” she says. “If we are in- Baltimore. stalling an ornamental plaster ceiling, we paint the plaster pieces first, before the in- “If you’re going to paint the walls af- stallation.” terwards, there is no need to mask Murals are hand-painted on canvas in her studio, then installed on the ceiling with with blue painters tape,” she says. wallpaper paste. “Otherwise, tape off the walls where Thea Holmes, of Fauxcus on Walls, stretches before painting. She also takes weekly the ceiling hits and protect other walls yoga classes. with plastic because drips will hap- “Yoga helps to keep me extremely flexible, which helps tremendously when you’re pen.” working on a ceiling,” she says. Rita Melnick, of Willow Lane Designs, says a scaffold is a good investment, even for World-class craftsmanship small jobs. Ceilings are a favorite of painters “A scaffold reduces the number of trips up and down and gives you access to a worldwide. Take Jean-Luc Sablé of wider area,” she says. “You also have a bigger area to place materials and tools.” Versailles, France, a descendant of a Melnick also takes regular breaks to stretch, to relieve the effects of working with family of decorative painters who was her head tilted backward and holding her arms overhead. awarded the 2000 gold medal as “the “Scheduling a massage after the job is done is also a good idea,” she says. Best Craftsman in France” by his gov- Contrary to popular belief, Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel reclining ernment. on his back. He stood and reached overhead to paint. Sablé takes his ceiling inspiration Still, there’s value in creating a comfortable spot where a painter can lie down and from the sky, executing his projects in take pressure off the lower back, says Michael William Kirby, of Murals of Baltimore. both oil- and water-based paints. He “Make a bed,” he says. “Really. If you can get a mattress on the scaffolding, it is well likes oils because they give him more worth it.” See CEILINGS on page 32 30 PWC SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 Zinsser in Quark:Layout 1 8/27/09 10:16 AM Page 1 CEILING PAINT TECHNOLOGY HAS REACHED NEW HEIGHTS. SUPERIOR STAIN-BLOCKING IN JUST ONE COAT. Imagine a low-VOC water-base ceiling paint that features Zinsser’s “next generation” stain-blocking technology to seal water stains and more and give you a bright white finish in just one coat. And it’s mold & mildew resistant, backed by a Lifetime Guarantee. Sound too good to be true? New Zinsser Ceiling Paint is the only ceiling paint that does it all. Save time and money on your next job. Learn more at www.zinsser.com ©2009 Rust-Oleum Corporation 30 PWC SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 Circle No. 44 on Reader Service Card CEILINGS from page 30 Holmes also has achieved excellent time to perfect his artistry. But if the job results with several metallic specialty can be completed quickly, he chooses products, including Ronan, which was acrylics, for easier clean-up.
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