Tented Ceilings Raise the Bar

Whimsical or elegant, fabric or paint tenting can take your rooms to new heights

Kristy Woodson Harvey and Beth Woodson February 15, 2012

We are the mother and daughter behind the blog Design Chic (www.mydesignchic.com).

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For aesthetic appeal of the whimsical variety, tented ceilings are a fabulous option. A tented ceiling gives a room instant pizazz before you've even picked the first piece of furniture. While a fun color or vibrant stripe creates a playful look, a solid or neutral can be elegant and glamorous. Either way, it's easy to create a tented ceiling that's right for your home, no circus animals required.

Vaulted ceilings can add amazing openness and height to a room, but sometimes they can leave the room feeling a little bit cold. Tenting the ceiling with fabric makes it warm and cozy, turning the height into an advantage. For a calming effect, a single color layered throughout the room is ideal.

Nothing takes a child's room from mundane to magical like a tented ceiling. Who wouldn't want to snuggle up in a cozy nook like this one? This white is beautiful for a little girl, but intermixing a colored fabric would be fun too. For an adult room, there's nothing more romantic that layers of tented fabric. It makes even a small space feel open and airy.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Talk about making a statement! In a living room or dining room, this look would be fantastic. The best part is that it can be created with inexpensive paint, making it a more cost-effective option than yards of fabric. This look would be precious in a playroom as well.

Amazon

A beautiful colored fabric in an outdoor room can make it feel worlds away from your own backyard. The right colors and textures can take your patio to Mexico or Morrocco in a flash. Plus, changing the fabric can create an entirely different look and feel.

Elizabeth Dinkel

A patio is wonderful, sure, but adding a cover creates an entirely new realm of décor options. While even outdoor fabrics and rugs don't hold up to rain, wind and sun over time, a tent adds protection and options. An outdoor space is also a great place to take chances with vibrant colors and furniture that you wouldn't necessarily want to commit to indoors.

escale design

Tenting outside is the perfect way to add an outdoor living room to a home's square footage. Fresh air and comfortable furniture make this a wonderfully livable spot. Adding a fire pit makes it enjoyable year-round.

Samuel H. Williamson Associates

What an incredible way to create an outdoor dining area, no construction required. The architecture of this cover is incredible, making it much more appealing than a plain old ceiling. A built-in, outdoor kitchen would be amazing in a space like this — entertaining wouldn't even have to involve the indoors at all.

Allison Cosmos

While a solid color can make a space feel warmer and smaller, a light stripe can make the ceiling feel as if it goes on for miles. A chandelier is a glamorous way to attract the eye to a focal point. This one's color is great, but for a more subtle look, plain crystals would be beautiful too.

More:
Not-So-Circus Acts: Tent-Inspired Spaces
Not Exactly Roughing It: Fancy Camping
Patio Design: Here Comes the Sun