This One Simple, Inexpensive Touch Can Make Overhead Lighting Look More Luxe
As popular and useful as table and floor lamps are, quality overhead lighting is what often really transforms a room. If you currently have builder-grade fixtures or something you just don’t love, swapping in a striking pendant or chandelier will make a big difference. When you get ready to take on that DIY though, there’s one little upgrade that’s fairly traditional but could elevate the look of your space even more (and on a budget at that): ceiling medallions.
Think of a ceiling medallion like a fancy, decorative collar for your hanging lighting fixture; in the early 20th century, they were often hand-crafted from plaster and very intricate, but many of today’s designs are simple, sleek, and made of lighter, less expensive materials like plastic. They still can look very high-end, and are just the thing to take your lighting to the next level. Don’t believe me? Then take homeowner Shar Taylor‘s word for it. In her bold and colorful bedroom in Colorado, as shown above and below, Taylor’s funky light fixture sports fancy medallion. While this detail may seem subtle, it adds another touch of visual interest to the ceiling with its raised patterning.
An unexpected way Taylor added even more color to her bright bedroom is by painting the ceiling yellow then adding a ceiling medallion in a contrasting hue — essentially what looks to be the same dark blue of her bedroom’s side walls. “I feel I’ve always seen color and put colors together differently — in the most surprising ways,” she says, and that’s certainly the case here with this primary combo. As if the bright yellow ceiling isn’t enough to catch your attention, the contrast of the dark painted medallion immediately draws the eye up. Often, ceiling medallions are painted to match the ceiling or other trim work throughout a room, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that way, and this room is proof.
Out of all the rooms in her home, this bedroom is definitely Taylor’s favorite. “Walking into my room to the sunshine yellow and big windows just envelopes me in warmth and happiness,” she says. Taylor’s style is loud, eclectic, and unapologetic. She took a traditional design detail and really made it her own with a simple paint choice, and I suggest you do the same (even if you decide to stick with the same color for your medallion). Adding a ceiling medallion when you’re changing up your lighting can be a very inexpensive and easy way to emphasize your lighting choice and bring more architectural interest into your home — and if you dare… color, too!