Remodeling Guides
Raising the Bar for Vaulted Ceilings
Slanted Ceilings: Opportunities for Skylights, Desks or Sleeping Nooks
Living spaces that occupy the top floor of a home or building can present an interesting design challenge in the form of steeply vaulted ceilings. The result is often lower clearance over at least some of the square footage and reduced vertical wall space. But there are smart ways to create opportunities out of what might at first seem like limitations. We love how these spaces address the challenge.
A loft that might otherwise feel close becomes bright, open and airy thanks to four large skylights.
An inverted slope doesn't easily invite hung wall art. But something large, lightweight and graphic – not seeing the heart dead-on doesn't change the viewer's perception of what it is – works perfectly. We love that leafy shade of green, too, evoking the feeling of being under the boughs of a tree.
It makes perfect sense to tuck a desk against the wall beneath a steep slope, since you're expected to be seated there, anyway. This corner desk makes smart use of every inch.
We love the way the dormer windows also have vaulted openings, making the most of the light the windows invite in.
Steel joists and long, bright skylights give this space a high-energy, industrial feel. Low, lounge-y couches and a strategically placed pool table make it into a functional recreation space.
We like the way the bed was positioned here to maximize its occupants' enjoyment of whatever can be seen through the windows. Its position below the especially low slope of the ceiling creates a cozy, protected nest.
This space is impressively hardworking. A small room that clearly needs to serve at least a few functions, its layout makes smart, strategic use of its challenges and its assets. And long vertical skylights keep it from feeling claustrophobic.
Hard to say if this was the intent, but the ornate bed, tufted armchair, and subtle curve atop the window make us want to hole up in here with a favorite Victorian novel. They add up to create a romantic space that looks like it might have actually been part of one.