Above & Beyond

Atelier considers your ceiling as a fifth wall, as important as any aspect of your room. Our design experts look at the ceiling as the umbrella or canopy that covers your living space. We can add depth and interest, giving your room an amazing feel by creating visual impact and accentuating your room. Attention to your ceiling can change a space from great to show stopping fabulous!

We ask you to just stop and look above you! What do your ceilings look like? So you think you rarely notice what is over your head? Au contraire, what is above and beyond has a huge influence on your space. You may not be aware of what is overhead but there is a subliminal affect of ceiling décor that can really enhance and finish a room.

Following the advice of Arcwest architect Kevin Anderson who often brings the color of the ceiling down 6-15 inches onto the wall (depending on the room size and ceiling height) to add architectural interest. According to Anderson you can use molding or just a clean, straight paint line as a transition. “Using the same color paint beyond the corners of the ceiling onto the walls humanizes the height of the walls in a room, veritably marrying the wall to the ceiling,” remarks Anderson. “The contrasting or complementary colors of the ceiling softens the transition of the horizontal and vertical planes which is more pleasing to the eye.” Traditionally crown molding was used to connect a tall ceiling with the walls but now a more contemporary solution is the use of different paint tones to add warmth, interest and detail. Molding on the wall where the two colors merge is another option, leading the eye from the wall to the ceiling.
There is no design rule that says that you have to paint your ceiling white – with color, the sky’s the limit! In fact, Atelier prides itself on breaking the perceived rules since by adding drama in design we can truly make your space sensational. We want to go beyond the ordinary and mundane to transform your spaces beyond your imagination. A colorful ceiling can make a big difference in a room. Adding a harmonizing hue to a ceiling is a simple, effective and economical design technique, enlivening the area and balancing the rest of the room’s colors and textures.


A room with a high, formal ceiling can feel cozier when topped with a warm or dark color. Lighter ceiling shades visually enlarge a space, which is a great trick for a small room! But even a dark ceiling in a small space can add a needed element of excitement. When selecting a shade for above, Atelier considers the size of the room, especially the ceiling’s height. A high ceiling painted with a darker color can make it appear lower and more intimate. For lower ceilings Atelier suggests choosing a high-gloss sheen or even metallic paint such as Benjamin Moore’s “Egyptian Gold”, which will reflect light and make the space appear larger.

Ceilings emphasize and add warmth to your room and a dropped paint line gives any space a more comfortable and human feel. Be brave, be bold and try some color on your ceiling . . . we promise you will be thrilled with the stunning end result!