Coffered Ceiling Design Ideas

Don’t let the crisp, contemporary look of this ceiling fool you: Architects have been deploying exposed beams to distribute weight and create dramatic coffers (or indentations) since the Pantheon rose in Rome more than 2,000 years ago. The feature roared back to popularity during the Renaissance and has long been associated with opulent and classically inspired interiors.

The latest coffered ceilings don’t usually perform structural work; they’re now used to disperse sound and reduce echo in rooms with high ceilings and wooden floors, where acoustic quality can be an issue. Their decorative impact, in turn, is practically (and fancifully) limitless.

This tone-on-tone white ceiling is rotated 45 degrees to create triangular panels that contrast gorgeously with the right angles on the four-poster bed and dramatic sliding door. Those angles appear again on the upholstered leather bench; clever, no?

Complementary shades of velvety gray paint update the oh-so-classic, floor-to-ceiling carved details in this masculine study. The coffered ceiling also lends the soaring space a feel of intimacy.

This Los Angeles foyer’s furnishings are pared back to highlight spectacular original elements of its 1930s Mediterranean design (arched doorways, tessellating tile, a sweeping Spanish staircase and, of course, that coffered ceiling). The Sputnik-style chandelier crowning the space adds luxury to the natural wood like a piece of statement jewelry.

The crisp, glossy white panels on this dining room’s coffered ceiling echo the menswear-inspired pattern on its darkly dramatic grass cloth wallpaper. Curvaceous pieces like the dining chairs and blown-glass chandelier, in turn, introduce a bit of geometric contrast to the space.

The sophisticated clay-toned paint in this transitional living room carries up the built-in bookcases and across the graduated panels in its coffered ceiling — and encourages the eye to do the same. The ceiling’s central indentation functions like an inverted mullion for the chandelier it supports.

Stained cedar beams in this coffered ceiling pick up the handsome, weathered tones in the barn wood fireplace surround and lend the neutral room an air of coziness and intimacy. Their deep tone recurs in the oxidized metal table behind the sofa.

This artistically two-toned living room is especially dazzling by virtue of the reflective blue lacquer that carries from the walls, sliding doors and built-in storage unit all the way up and across the white-trimmed coffered ceiling. (The difference between a coffered ceiling and a tray ceiling, by the way, is in the crisscrossing beams that create multiple indentations; a tray ceiling, on the other hand, features a single, uninterrupted indentation.)

The coffered ceilings of centuries past tend to draw attention to themselves; while some contemporary versions certainly do likewise, stealthier installations like this one add a hint of texture and visual interest to the room. The creamy panels here also frame no-nonsense recessed lights, which makes them feel just a bit more special.

From moody wallpaper and darkly fabulous metal chairs to a jewel-toned array of pendants and area rugs, this dining room is saturated with deep colors. Offset by a bright white window seat, chair rail and molding, those dramatic tones are intriguing rather than smothering.

The coffered ceiling in this ornate traditional kitchen captures some of its ancestors’ flair for the dramatic: With intricate geometry that culminates in a central indentation for a globe pendant, this space is culinary art.

The dark coffered ceiling in this open-plan country kitchen both complements its hardwood floor and, much like an area rug, provides a whisper of separation between this area and the living space beyond it. In this design, a wrought-iron chandelier is suspended outside the coffers rather than in one of their centers.

The accessories in this traditional master bath are craftily luxurious: Custom mosaic tile embellishes the floor and shower, art deco-inspired sconces frame the mirrors and a shallow coffered ceiling creates texture over head. That minimal depth is a canny choice here, as it adds texture without making the room feel cramped.