Improve your overhead
Question for Francesca Diggs, owner of The Feathered Nest: What are some things I can do to a plain drywall ceiling to make it an attractive part of the design of a room?
Answer: Diggs says that whether you are working with new construction or planning a renovation, there are many ways to make any ceiling easy on the eyes. Here are her suggestions:
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“Decorative ceiling tiles are a terrific way to cover an unsightly ‘popcorn’ ceiling without a lot of mess or effort. The tiles are placed right over the popcorn sheetrock. They are inexpensive, easy to install and great insulation. There are PVC ceiling tiles, decorative Styrofoam tiles and painted tiles. All give the look and feel of tin or ceramic and can be found online or in your local building/home stores.
“Faux painting is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to make a ceiling look like stained wood, or just to add some interest and depth. Murals can be fun on larger ceilings and add personality to an otherwise uninteresting space. There are many faux painting services in our area. You may want to contact one of them before taking this project on by yourself, especially when dealing with high ceilings that may need extra scaffolding to reach.
 This ceiling incorporates two of our expert’s suggestions—beams and faux painting (the latter, in this case, by local team John and Sarah Owen). These tricks can work just as well in much less dramatic rooms. |
“Beams can add interest to a room with vaulted ceilings, particularly a great room or gathering space. Whether you choose real wood beams or faux beams painted to accent the ceiling, this look can have an inviting and interesting effect in many rooms.
“Finally, my personal favorite, easy-to-tackle, ceiling fix is to use the color of your walls (this obviously doesn’t work with white) and take the color down a shade or two. It’s easy to do yourself and has a great, subtle effect.”—Reporting by Doug Nordfors
Garden tour, the long version
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With a different lusciously green image for each day, Mick Hales’ Gardens: Around the World in 365 Days proves that it takes more than 80 days and a hot air balloon if you want to see the gardens of the globe. The selection ranges from opulent palace gardens in New Delhi, to cactus plots in Southern California and everything in between (including good old Monticello). Don’t look here for practical gardening information; instead, you’ll find high-flown green-thumb inspiration, now that spring’s sprung.—L.R.
Orange crush
The Space Age jets off to Japan and comes back looking like some slim-waisted Soda Pop Princess from Palm Springs. Very illuminating! We saw the light from this hanging paper lamp at Cha Cha’s on the Downtown Mall.—Erika Howsare