1. Design and Style of your house – if your house is an open contemporary style with natural finishes such as wood and iron with large windows, white ceilings may in fact be the best choice to maximize the design of the home and light factors. However, if your home is a traditional style with separate rooms, adding colour to some or all of your ceilings may enhance the attributes of each room.
   
   
2. Lighting and Purpose – always consider both natural and artificial light sources in the room, as well as the purpose of the room. Dining rooms are usually used for entertaining so a dimmed chandelier and accent lighting are often enough even if the ceiling finish is in a darker colour. However, if your dining room is used for dual purpose such as a homework area or project area, you should look at the natural light factors in the room as well as light fixtures and their placement. White or light coloured ceiling will reflect the light, while darker finishes will absorb the light.
   
   
3. Faux finishes/murals – faux finishes and murals on the ceiling can make a very dramatic statement in the room. Faux finishes can be as subtle or as bold as you wish. Ceiling murals in Dining Rooms, powder rooms and master bathrooms give a bold and interesting statement.
   
   
4. Wallpaper/tin ceilings - historic homes or very traditional homes can benefit from the installation of a real tin ceiling or the textured wallpaper that can be painted to look like a tin ceiling. The textured wallpapers also come in other designs. I recommend you hire a professional installer, since applying wallpaper can be tricky at the best of times, never mind installation on a ceiling!
   
   
5. Crown mouldings – act as a divider between the finish of the wall and that of the ceiling. The division gives the eye the opportunity to separate and enjoy each finish. Many people will paint the walls and the ceiling the same dark colour. This can make the room appear cave like. With the addition of a crown moulding and cutting the colour intensity of the ceiling, the room will take on a different look and the ceilings can appear higher.
   
   
6. Colour and height – colour can affect the appearance of the height of ceilings. Many of the new houses today have double story spaces. Colour can be used to make the space look even grander or make the ceiling look lower.
   
   

As the saying goes “keep your chin up” and look up at the ceiling now and again!