Creating Calm: A Three-Part Series on Designing a Tranquil Home: Ceilings and adding Character to Your New Build
The final instalment of the importance and part that walls, floors and ceilings play when designing any space in your home,
*The Vase game is strong in this collection.
I hope you have had a relaxing weekend! I am sure you have heard the news if you spend time on Instagram that Kelly Hoppen has designed her first Homewares Collection for Marks & Spencer, here is a preview. The neutral colour palette and using that as base to build the design of your home is a principle I am passionate about and can relate to. The collection goes LIVE on the 12th! I will share my favourites*, where would you prefer to see them?
Thank you for all your lovely comments on our previous post about choosing the right flooring. If you missed it, you can check it out here. Today, we're moving up, literally to talk about why ceiling design is just as important, especially when adding character to a new build and this post brings our mini series to a close.
When you walk into a historic building like those in Rome or the Vatican, it's often the ceilings that take your breath away. The grandeur, the intricate details, and the artistry overhead remind us that ceilings have always been more than just a structural element, they’re a space where history and creativity meet. Ceilings hold immense potential to transform a room from ordinary to extraordinary.
This is a photo of a ceiling from a trip we took to Matera last year. I was blown away by how it has been preserved and all of the stories etched there. Have you been to Matera?
In case like me you appreciate history and wish you had studied that (I wish I had carried on the subject beyond A Level) here is a little history lesson because I am sure you are thinking why did they do that?!
Matera, is known for its ancient cave dwellings (Sassi) and rock churches, and has a rich history shaped by different religious and artistic influences. The carvings and etchings, including human faces, are believed to have several meanings:
Spiritual Protection: Faces or other figures etched into ceilings may symbolise divine presence or spiritual protection, acting as a guardian of the sacred space.
Iconography: These carvings could represent saints, angels, or important religious figures. They were often included in religious architecture to inspire reverence or devotion.
Commemoration: Some faces might have been carved to honour local religious leaders or patrons who contributed to the building or preservation of the religious site.
Artistic Tradition: The tradition of etching figures and faces into church walls and ceilings reflects the blending of local art forms with Byzantine and Romanesque influences, which were common in this part of Italy during the medieval period.
Matera has so much history and culture, in fact so much of Italy has, and visiting it last year still makes it one of the most memorable holidays and places I have ever visited. If you are thinking you have heard of Matera but also can’t put your finger on it, it was where the last of Daniel Craig’s James Bond films was filmed. And also if you ever go to Matera, let me know as we had an amazing private tour with a brilliant guide.
Right, history lesson over :) Lots of you might be reading this and have lived or live in a period property with mouldings, intricate ceiling roses and detail or an old barn with original wooden beams or a renovation like mine and installed your own ceiling decor.
Or you might live with plain ceilings and are thinking about doing something with them. Read on to find out what to consider and why paying attention to your ceilings can make all the difference.