When you’re designing your dream home, it’s important to consider all aspects of your house. This includes looking upwards and making plans for your ceilings. They might not be something you necessarily think about, but ceilings, especially high ceilings, can make a big difference to a room. As you begin the design build process with JM Construction, consider the pros and cons of high ceilings to determine if they’re for you.
Pros of High Ceilings
Aesthetically Pleasing
High ceilings bring a certain look to a room or home, and for some, that’s a major draw. They make the room look and feel bigger. High ceilings also allow you more room for chandeliers and ceiling lights, wall art, and more. The more room you have vertically, the larger your wall art and decor can be.
Abundant Natural Light
Natural light can really make a room feel more open, airy and welcoming, and high ceilings can help let in lots of natural light. High ceilings allow for larger walls which can accommodate larger windows to let in more light. You might also find that they can accommodate skylights better due to steeper angles.
Great for Tall People
The taller you are, the smaller the world can feel, especially when you’re in a room with low ceilings. However, high ceilings can really make a room more comfortable and welcoming to a taller person. They don’t have to worry about bumping into hanging lights or crouching down to give themselves more head space. For tall people, whether they’re homeowners or guests, high ceilings can make a huge difference in how they feel walking into a room.
Cons of High Ceilings
Harder to Heat
Heat rises. This is a scientific certainty, which is part of why most heaters are installed in or close to the floor. It’s also a fact that rooms with more space are harder to heat up as opposed to smaller rooms. High ceilings not only make a room larger but give the heat in particular more space to rise. If you’re a person who likes to keep your rooms warm and toasty, you might have to really crank up the heat, or add ceiling fans for rooms with high ceilings.
Echoes and Acoustics
Have you ever walked into a room with a high ceiling, like an auditorium or concert hall, and instantly noticed how noise echoes? That’s mostly due to the high ceiling, and it’s by design. Places like these want sound to carry easily so audiences can hear the music or speeches. That might not be what you want for your home, though. If you’re looking to put a high ceiling in your living room, bedroom, or anywhere else but don’t want sound to carry or echo, you’ll need to take extra soundproofing measures to balance things out, such as curtains or fabric art
Harder to Clean
Ceilings of any height can be tricky to clean, and they’re a favorite spot for spiders to build webs. Plus, chandeliers can accumulate dust and grime that you can’t quite reach to wipe away on a regular basis. High ceilings have this problem tenfold. If you’re looking to live in a spooky Addams Family home and feel the spiders add to the aesthetic, you’re good to go. If that’s not what you’re looking for in a room, you’ll need to get special cleaning equipment or hire a professional to handle all the cobwebs and dust.
High ceilings can really make a room feel grand and welcoming, but they do have their drawbacks. Talk to our design build team to discuss these pros and what can be done to mitigate the cons. We’ll help you decide if a high ceiling is right for you.
