Look Up! 7 Accent Ceilings that will Transform Any Space

So much of people’s time when thinking about home renovation is put into the walls and flooring, but what about the ceiling? An accent ceiling can completely change the vibe of any room! Let’s go over 7 accent ceilings that I have done that will transform any space!

Table of Contents

• Wood Plank Ceiling
• Simple Beams and Faux Shiplap
• Galaxy Ceiling
• Lakehouse Living Room Rustic Beams
• Office Fretwork Panel Ceiling

Wood Plank Porch Ceiling

When I was redoing my front porch for the first time, it was clear that the ceiling needed to be redone. There was so much black and white on the exterior of my house that I wanted to add wood to warm it up. This project is very cheap and quick. It only took me three days and cost me a little over $80.

To do this project, I cut strips of very thin plywood to the same width. I chose to run these strips horizontally across the ceiling, which is perpendicular to the existing ceiling planks. For this project, I went to the hardware store and got seven sheets of 1/8 inch thick plywood. I ripped all of the wood down to size using my circular saw. I used polyacrylic on all of the edges once they were cut down. This avoids moisture getting into the plywood planks. To attach them to the ceiling, I used an air compressor and brad nailer combination. In order to get the exact same spacing, I used a quarter between each plank. To finish this ceiling design, I rolled polyacrylic across all of the boards!

This ceiling has now been on my porch for about five years! I still love the way it turned out and how much warmth it brings to the space! If you want to watch the full video tutorial on how I did this, click here!

Simplistic Beams With Faux Shiplap Planks

The next ceiling makeover that I did was in my living room. My living room has beautiful nine-foot ceilings, and I knew they needed something more than just popcorn texture. I chose to make three large beams to accentuate the height of the ceiling. To put anything up on the ceiling, you have to look for the joists. It turns out, my joists run every 32 inches across the ceiling. Once I had my joists marked, I could screw my 2×6 support beams to the ceiling. If you are going to do this, I would suggest predrilling and half-sinking your screws. This wood is heavy, and predrilling makes for less time holding it up on the ceiling! Once my beams were installed, I added my planks. These are made from 1/8 inch thick plywood. I used a nail gun to install these planks. This is a super cheap way to get a faux shiplap look! Once all of these beams were in place, I went around all of the edges with caulk and painted them all white.

Next, it was time to move on to constructing the beams. I used 1 x 6 x 14 feet long lumber for this project. When you buy lumber, you have to sand it down. There are always a ton of slivers, and if you want them to accept stain, they need to be sanded. I used my random orbital sander on all of my wood. After sanding, I went over my wood with a pre-stain wood conditioner. Once that was dry, I went in and stained. When the stain dried, I cut all of the planks to length. I created the beam shape using a homemade jig and finish nails. I attached the beams to my 2×6 support beams using 1 1/2 inch screws.

This ceiling still, 4 years later, looks so good! It is definitely a focal point in my living room. These beams are much easier to build than they look. If you want to try to build them, this video is a step-by-step process!

Galaxy Wallpaper Accent Ceiling

All of the ceilings in my home are plaster and so boring. My daughter requested a galaxy ceiling to make her bedroom more interesting. To make her dreams come true, I found peel-and-stick wallpaper that is an image of a galactic scene. The dimensions of the wallpaper were not quite big enough for the room, but I figured I could add some molding along the edges, and it would work. This solution works well for ceilings that do not look good. You can use any peel-and-stick wallpaper you want to create an accent ceiling. This process is a little bit tedious, but the result is worth it! To install this, you peel the backing of the paper off little by little and stick the wallpaper down. The toughest part of this is getting the seams to line up! Once all of my wallpaper was placed I added molding to cover up the unfinished edges!

This accent ceiling option is one of the easiest to do and I think that you can really transform a space with this. The options for wallpaper are almost endless, so you can customize this however you like. If you want a full install tutorial, check it out here!

Slat Wall and Ceiling Design

This design is not limited to just the ceiling! It flows from the wall up onto the ceiling. I wanted to add visual interest to the bedroom in my lake home so I chose this project! To install the slat wall design, I am using a laser level; however, a regular 4-foot or 6-foot level can also be used. The first step, being straight, is the most important; from there, you can use a spacer to build off of it. I am using a nail gun with 18-gauge brad nails about an inch and a half long, shooting them in at crisscrossing angles. If you shoot your nails straight into the slats can pull right out of the drywall. My slat design goes onto the ceiling; to install these 10-foot-long slats alone, I put up a temporary ledge. I put one end of my slat on this ledge board, then lift the other side and put my nails in.

I love the way this ceiling and wall design looks! It matches the vibe of our lakehouse so well! If you do not want a full ceiling design, this might just be the problem for you. If you want to read about how this entire bedroom turned out, here is the post!

Diagonal Rustic Ceiling Beams

This next accent ceiling is also from my lake house! I had such an extravagant idea that would absolutely transform this formerly dark and dingy space. The beams I built in this space are larger and more difficult to build than the ones I built for my home living room. Using 16-foot-long pieces of grade 2 pine, I cut beveled edges lengthwise on my table saw. I assembled them using packaging tape and wood glue. To get the perfect long beveled edges looking distressed, I came in with some power tools to beat these beams up. Once distressed and sanded, I used a custom mix stain of Chestnut and American Walnut to bring life to the beams. For beam installation, I planned out my wood supports with a laser level and put blocks in the ceiling, then screwed the beams in.

These rustic beams truly make this room look so warm and welcoming. If you want to learn how you can build your own, you can watch the YouTube video!

Fretwork Panel Ceiling

This accent ceiling might be my favorite one I have done. I transformed a bedroom in the lakehouse into an office, and I wanted to add a wow factor. I landed on a fretwork accent ceiling. Not only did I add fretwork panels for a design, but I also painted them and the ceiling green. This created so much visual interest in a space that would have otherwise been a little bit boring.

To install these panels, I used a laser level that was centered on the light fixture in the middle of the room. Then installed my first fretwork panel centered on that. Every other panel was based upon the placement of that first panel. I used a cordless brad nailer to nail them into place. Once all the fretwork panels were in place, I installed crown molding to coverup any edges that were not cut the smoothest. I finished this ceiling off with a beautiful chandelier.

This DIY accent ceiling transformed this office space. It feels so upscale and unique. Want to see the whole bedroom-to-office transformation? Here it is!

Kitchen Accent Above an Island

This is my most recent accent ceiling. I am remodeling my kitchen and I wanted a whole new ceiling! I used to have wood running across the whole ceiling, but I wanted something more exciting than that. Last year I built an amazing kitchen island, so I decided I wanted my accent ceiling to highlight that. This accent is directly above the island and the rest of the ceiling is drywall. I used wood planks to design a rustic, yet modern, look.

I am truly so proud of how this accent ceiling turned out. It was a difficult build. I think it matches the rest of my kitchen and home so well, so all the hard work was worth it.

I hope at least one of these accent ceilings that will transform any space inspires you!