Fantastic Transformations

Before and After Images

CLIENT COMMENTS
“It has been a pleasure to work with you and your company.  My family loves the room and deck and all we get is OOOH’S and AAH’S when people first see the room.  More than one person has suggested we should be featured in Southern Living Magazine!”
Richard and Patty Felker

“Very happy – would not change anything.  I am thrilled with the job.” 
Mary Lou Chambers 

“A 10 – Couldn’t have been better.”
Earl Brill 

“I just sit here in my new kitchen with a grin on my face.  It’s so beautiful.  It’s everything I could have wanted.  And we absolutely love Steve.  He was great to work with.” 
Liz Kaplan
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Focus on Ceilings

Let’s face it, most people hardly give ceilings a second thought. After all, it’s just a big flat area over your head. Everyone has ceilings in their home and no one is going to be terribly offended if they’re nondescript. This is the accepted norm.

That’s exactly why ceilings hold out such promise for improvement. Since no one expects anything other than the norm, anything creative tends to really stand out. And, because there is such a large space involved, even a little embellishment makes a significant impact. Keep in mind that the object here is not to make ceilings the focal point of the room; that would be a big mistake. The idea is to enhance the existing space and give it a finished, custom look. Pick up any magazine which features nice homes and look at the pictures. A high percentage have interesting ceilings which richly enhance the overall look.

Let’s start with the space where the wall and ceiling meet. Since this area goes completely around the room, anything placed here acts to frame the ceiling. The simplest way to do this is with crown molding. This comes in a variety of sizes and styles to suit almost every taste. But the real gains can be made by combining several different shapes to make one, large crown. This produces a beautiful, impressive look to any home. Traditional homes can make great use of this technique, but even contemporary or modern styles can benefit. It’s just a matter of designing the molding to fit the situation.

A more prominent way of framing the ceiling is by modifying this area with sheetrock. A dropped soffit can be constructed so the ceiling has different levels to it. Crown molding can be added at the wall, inside the soffit, or both. In addition, the soffit is a perfect place to install recessed lighting. Or, the sheetrock can be angled between the wall and ceiling to form a tray ceiling. It looks just like a tray that has been inverted. Variations on these two techniques can be used in almost innumerable combinations or sizes to customize any home.

Most of the techniques which involve the whole ceiling use texture to impart interest. No, I’m not referring to that ubiquitous sprayed on acoustical texture. That stuff is so overused that it borders on being trite. There are other kinds of texture which are much more attractive. Wood planking is the first thing which comes to mind. This can be painted or stained and can be finely milled or rough hewn. It all depends on the look you want to achieve and what will best compliment the room.

However, there are other textures besides wood. Old fashioned tin ceilings have made a resurgence in recent years; and, for good reason. These come in many different patterns and can be left natural or painted any suitable color. In the same vein, molded plastic trims, domes and other pieces made for ceilings provide interesting texture and design. These are normally used in more traditional homes, but with a little creativity they’ll work with other styles, as well.

Sometimes, textures can be developed with materials not normally used in this area. Wallpaper, stenciling, or even fabric, can produce a dramatic effect. This needs to be handled with care, however. Remember the basic rule - the ceiling should enhance the room, not steal the attention from it. It’s probably best to be subtle rather than risk being too bold.

One of the most common ways of developing an interesting ceiling, is to vault it at the same angle as the roof pitch. Most people think this must be done at the time of construction. But, as long as there is attic space to expand into, a vaulted (or cathedral) ceiling can be accomplished in an existing structure without much problem.

All of the above ceilings can be enhanced with the addition of beams and cross ties. In fact, for shear simplicity these are hard to beat. They don’t have to be structural, either. Decorative beams are easy to construct and install. Some are made out of foam to make installation easier.

It doesn’t have to end here. The possibilities are limited only to the imagination. How about skylights or custom lighting? What about all the different textures possible with plaster? When it comes to ways of making a room exude style and appeal, all you have to do is look up.