How to Choose a Suspended Ceiling. Types of Ceilings
How to Choose a Suspended Ceiling. Types of Ceilings
- Tweet
- Blog Post
About how to choose suspended ceilings from a technical perspective, we wrote in one of our previous articles. Now let's talk about something beautiful: selecting a suspended ceiling from an interior design standpoint. The best suspended ceilings are those that appeal to you. How to choose a suspended ceiling — continue reading.
Photo 1 — Trendy combinations of drop and suspended ceiling in high-tech style
Photo 2 — Suspended ceiling with butterflies
Types of Suspended Ceilings
There are two main types of materials used for suspended ceilings: film ceilings made from PVC and so-called "textile" ceilings — a strong mesh with a textile texture, impregnated with polyurethane. Film ceilings require heating the room using a special thermal blower during installation, while textile ceilings are cold suspended ceilings: they are installed exclusively by feeding into the frame. Room heating is not required.
Photo 3 — Multi-level suspended ceiling. With a small height margin, a rainbow, chameleon coating, multicolored sphere or an entire multi-level galaxy can appear on the ceiling
Photo 4 — Transparent luxury suspended ceilings in a bathroom
As subtypes, the following are distinguished:
- glossy (lacquered) ceilings,
- matte ceilings,
- satin ceilings.
Any of these types of suspended ceilings can be sold in white or any other color chosen by the customer (more about colors and types of suspended ceilings can be found in a separate article), or it can be custom-printed fabric (if the desired print is not available in the manufacturer's catalog).
Another type of ceiling deserves special mention. This is a "starry sky" suspended ceiling. The celestial vault above your head can not only be printed on the fabric but also depicted through properly installed lighting that imitates shining stars. Such ceilings are complex to install and cost 17-30% more than a regular one, but trust us, it's worth the extra cost. The "starry sky" ceiling will appeal to those who love modern technologies, original interior solutions, glamour or classical design elements blended with fresh ideas.
Photo 5 — Cosmos on your suspended ceiling
Criteria for Choosing Suspended Ceilings
When it comes to choosing the material for a ceiling, you should base your decision on several criteria:
- width of the room where you plan to perform renovations;
- functional purpose of the room;
- budget for renovation;
- level of illumination / installation of additional embedded lighting.
The first criterion
The first criterion should help you decide on the type of installation and material used. The reason is that textile and film fabrics are produced in different widths, and it's not always possible to install a suspended ceiling without partitions or seams. So-called "seamless" ceilings, ceilings with a seam — these are quality suspended ceilings, and having a splice in the fabric should not be considered a flaw. If the seam is made at the factory and meets all technical standards, the contractor should provide a guarantee for it of at least ten years.
Photo 6 — Elite suspended ceilings in the style of Leonardo da Vinci with angels
"Seamless" is often called textile suspended ceilings, referring to the fact that such ceilings are installed without a seam. The main misconception is that you can install film ceilings without a seam if the room width is less than the fabric width (the main parameters of suspended ceilings are given below). When the room width exceeds 5 meters, even a textile ceiling cannot be installed in one piece: the maximum width of textile ceilings is 5.1 meters.
The question of which suspended ceilings are better — textile or film — we dedicated an entire article to, where you can find more details about choosing between these two types of suspended ceiling fabrics.
Photo 7 — Perforated ceilings
For suspended ceilings, the following widths are typical:
- film — 1.3 m; 2.5 m; 3.0 m; 3.4 m;
- textile — 3.0 m; 4.0 m; 5.1 m.
The second criterion
The second criterion is important when choosing materials with special properties. The following table shows the correspondence between the type of material for a suspended ceiling and the room where it is more rational to use it.
Photo 8 — 3D suspended ceilings in a restaurant
What suspended ceilings to choose for:
- kitchen — film glossy (this type of ceiling best handles high humidity levels, is easy to clean, and the glossy surface reflects light and interior items, visually enlarging a small kitchen room);
- bathroom — film glossy (for the same reasons as in the kitchen).
IMPORTANT! All film suspended ceilings have 100% water-repellent properties. However, in a broader sense, than organizing the ceiling coating for a kitchen or bathroom, and more so for ceiling installation in a swimming pool or public building, special fabrics of type Clipso 705 Nosweat can be used.
- living room — matte textile, satin (if the interior design does not provide opposite options, a matte ceiling should balance the living room interior, not stand out too much from the room design; besides, the living room is not particularly dusty, so a matte textile ceiling won't need frequent cleaning and will not get stubborn stains; seamless installation creates the impression of a perfectly flat ceiling without extra details);
- bedroom — matte textile (for the most part, for the same reasons as in the living room; the atmosphere in this room should soothe our tired body after a long day, and not disturb us in the morning);
Photo 9 — A suspended ceiling for painting is also related to the room's interior — in color with the finishing materials and functional elements of the bathroom
- room with musical instruments or high sound insulation requirements — special acoustic, noise-absorbing ceilings: for example, Clipso 705 Acoustic ceilings (can be used in children's rooms for decorating rooms of young musicians or more broadly for organizing suspended ceilings in offices, conference halls, lecture halls, cinema halls);
- for children's rooms, as well as rooms with high sanitization requirements — special antiseptic ceilings (e.g., Clipso Specific) can be used in children's rooms, not allowing anxious parents to worry about the ecological safety of finishing materials surrounding the child or, on a larger scale, for ceilings in schools, kindergartens, private clinics, and any other medical institutions.
Photo 10 — A designer of such suspended ceilings tried to make your apartment look unique
Often, buyers of suspended ceilings are concerned about how to maintain the fabric. To be honest, there are no special advantages of different types of ceiling surfaces in terms of cleaning: textile ceilings, just like glossy ones, easily withstand damp cleaning with soft fabric and soap solution. The main condition is: do not use cleaning products containing aggressive components (such as acids, abrasive components).
The third criterion
The third criterion often spoils all your long-term plans you've already made. The first and last warning: suspended ceilings cannot be cheap! To save money on suspended ceilings is to waste money on the wind! What would you choose: buy cheap Chinese suspended ceilings that will last a maximum of 3 years, emit an unpleasant smell after installation, and are unlikely to return to their original shape in case of ceiling flooding or spend significantly more money but ensure your ceiling has a reliable cover for at least 10 years?
When we say that suspended ceilings cannot be cheap, we mean that a price of $5-10/m² should already make you suspicious. Good coating costs at least 1.5 times more, and premium ceiling — 3-5 times more.
Photo 11 — Vinyl ceiling. A girl's room
More details about prices for suspended ceilings, as well as brands and factories producing fabrics and accessories for suspended ceilings can be found in the relevant materials on our website.
If briefly, the industry leaders in producing suspended ceilings are only three trade brands:
- Clipso ("Clipso", Switzerland);
- Descor ("Descor", Germany);
- Cerutti ("Cerutti", Italy).
Photo 12 — Suspended ceilings from the 'Ellipsis' brand
Photo 13 — Suspended ceilings from the 'Gothic' brand
Average prices for products of these trade brands look like this:
- Clipso 705s fabric (white classic) — width 3 m; 4 m; 5.1 m — from $18/m²;
- Clipso print fabric — width 3.2 m; 5 m — from $13.5/m²;
- Clipso optical white fabric (white) — width 3 m; 4 m; 5.1 m — from $13.5/m²;
- Clipso acoustic fabric — width 3 m; 4 m; 5.1 m — from $21.75/m²;
- Clipso colored fabric — width 3 m; 4 m; 5.1 m — from $19.5/m².
The fourth criterion
Finally, the fourth criterion. The level of room illumination and ceiling height should primarily influence the color and texture of the selected fabric. For example, for low and poorly lit rooms, it is better to choose light-colored ceilings — white, cream, soft lemon shade, etc. Such ceiling coating will make the room visually larger and brighter.
It is not recommended to use dark saturated colors in rooms with insufficient illumination. If you like burgundy, blue, black and similar colors, leave the ceiling light-colored.
To some extent, installing additional lighting can help with dark colors.
Photo 14 — Pearl-like suspended ceilings. In manufacturers' catalogs for suspended ceilings, you can also find samples of 'metallic' ceilings, textile ceilings with color palettes and trendy colors for standard glossy ceilings
It is worth thinking about additional lighting before installing the frame for a suspended ceiling, at least because it will no longer be possible to install embedded lights after the film is installed. The only option for such installation is if there are combined suspended ceilings with drop ceiling elements (e.g., gypsum board figures with backlighting).
Moreover, the type of embedded lights and their presence on the ceiling will affect the height of the suspended ceiling.
Beautiful Suspended Ceilings: PHOTOS
Photo 15 — Glossy mirror ceiling in a bedroom. A rare case where black ceiling color is justified
Photo 16 — Simple white suspended ceilings can also add a unique touch to the room. The key is knowing how to play with color and texture
Photo 17 — Regular white suspended ceilings in a light room add a sense of open space
Photo 18 — Unusual semi-transparent film suspended ceilings and systems in an electronics store interior
Photo 19 — Designer textured suspended ceilings
Shapes of Suspended Ceilings
A suspended ceiling is a universal ceiling coating that can be given any shape if desired.
Thus, the following are distinguished:
- the classical shape of a ceiling (a flat surface that does not necessarily have to be perpendicular to the room walls, you can experiment and tilt the ceiling at any convenient angle);
Photo 20 — Classical ceiling shape in modern style
- arched ceiling (a suspended ceiling installed as an arch or truncated arch — with a slope on only one side);
Photo 21 — Arched suspended ceiling with beams
- with a local shape in the form of a bell (a quite futuristic shape for a suspended ceiling that is not always successfully integrated into any interior or ceiling design);
Photo 22 — Exclusive ceilings with a local 'bell' element, correctly used in ceiling design
- with a local shape in the form of a drooping cone (the cone can be complete or truncated, with lighting fixtures or an exhaust fan located in the truncation);
Photo 23 — Curved suspended ceilings can be used to mask utilities not only at ceiling level but also far beyond it
- the complex 'wave' shape in interiors looks impressive but is not suitable for all styles and types of rooms, optimal types of rooms for it are long wide corridors, spacious enclosed swimming pools.
Photo 24 — Complex shapes of suspended ceilings. 'Wave' ceiling
Suspension Ceilings with Clouds and Alternatives
For some reason, this print attracts the most buyers: artistic ceilings, just like any ceilings with photo printing capabilities, can do more than just depict clouds on the ceiling. In most interiors, especially such a ceiling looks like a lack of taste rather than a design element. Not to offend those who love a sky in their apartment, but there are more tempting ideas for suspended ceiling decoration.
To allow everyone to compare design options and see the difference, we will present below some successful examples of suspended ceilings with photo printing, in our opinion.
Photo 25 — How cloud models of suspended ceilings look
Photo 26 — Round suspended ceiling with cherry blossoms and clouds
Photo 27 — Oval suspended ceiling with a cloud image in economy class — without embedded spotlights
Photo 28 — Just like this leaf, a orchid, tulip, sakura flower in Japanese style or other natural plant images can be incorporated into the interior, supported by a restrained interior and highlighted with a monochrome color of walls and ceiling
Photo 29 — This suspended ceiling also gets a big thumbs up. First, the photo print does not seem flat due to texture in the original image. Second, the image is easy to integrate into the interior. Third, the lighting palette and its skillful placement form a cohesive image
Photo 30 — Similar color schemes, simple print, but still capable of catching attention. Such a ceiling is not suitable for small rooms but perfect for studios!
Photo 31 — This example will continue the comparison. Even though these are not 3D suspended ceilings, a subtle hint at another space is given
Photo 32 — Demanding, greedy for space image. A cityscape in perspective allows you to play with perception of the room and, without doubt, fits perfectly into the interior
Photo 33 — An excellent example of home creativity! The planet applauds standing up! Again, the photo print on the ceiling is skillfully integrated into the interior and plays a connecting role in it
Photo 34 — These suspended ceilings have the right to exist for one simple reason — the image does not try to become a loud detail, it is concisely integrated into the ceiling design, at the same time being both modest and vibrant element of the interior (very helpful is white color and chosen frame shape)
For decorating with equal success, you can also use ceiling moldings, vinyl stickers, and appliques.
However, moldings, just like decorative skirting boards, must be attached not to the suspended ceiling itself but to the room walls. If you glue such elements directly onto a suspended ceiling with liquid nails, wrinkles may form on the fabric and later even tears.
Also, vinyl stickers should be applied carefully without using additional adhesive compositions.
Photo 35 — Suspended ceiling with vinyl sticker
Mirror elements on a suspended ceiling, whether they are embedded lighting fixtures, stickers, or gold elements on a chandelier, can create an indescribable play of light and color.
Photo 36 — Gold suspended ceiling