A ceiling with coffers is a decorative structure made up of individual niches, cells and beams of different configurations. Archaeological research has confirmed that previously coffered ceilings were made in order to reduce the weight of floors and not create excessive load on beams or load-bearing walls. In palaces or castles, such structures were decorated with intricate decorative carvings. In the photo you can see that the surface of the caissons was often covered with precious metals. This design not only emphasized the wealth of the owner, but at the same time hid the ceiling piles.
Now this need has disappeared, but as a decorative element, coffered ceilings are experiencing a new peak in popularity. At present, there are almost no real ceilings with coffers, since their design must begin with the start of construction of the house. And this is an expensive, complex installation method that does not justify itself in any way. Therefore, in modern houses, imitation is mainly used.
Ceiling in the family estate 
Wooden beams 
Made from solid wood 
Made from polyurethane foam 
In a modern living room
Wood is a natural, environmentally friendly material, which is why it enjoys well-deserved popularity as a finishing material, even despite its high cost. Wooden caissons look unusual, beautiful, stylish, and create coziness and comfort in your home. In addition, they are practical and durable. The highlight of this solution is that the wood has its own texture, a natural pattern that is not repeated anywhere, so this finish is unique and inimitable. If the high price bothers you, you can choose inexpensive wood for the ceiling and then cover it with stain. This treatment will give the material a more respectable and elite look.
Other materials are also used to construct coffered ceilings:
- Installing caissons from MDF panels is simple and inexpensive. This material has many disadvantages: it is susceptible to moisture, is fire hazardous and is not resistant to damage. But this pays off with ease of installation and a beautiful decorative appearance;
- Polyurethane caissons are very light, have high fire-resistant properties, are indifferent to moisture, but are expensive. If you choose the right color, the look will be simply gorgeous. Exquisite decorative elements decorate the ceiling and attract special attention to it;
- An easy way to install coffered ceilings is using construction cardboard structures. It's simple, fast and inexpensive. To create an imitation of wood structure, wood can be covered with decorative film.
Tree 
Wood and drywall 
MDF 
Polyurethane 
Drywall Suitable material for installing caissons
Plasterboard coffered ceiling is a budget option for custom design. In rooms with large windows or high ceilings, this design looks elegant and stylish. When choosing a color, you need to remember that brown shades make a large room cozy, harmonious, and warm, but for a small room it is better to choose light colors. This can be clearly seen in the photo.
With the help of such a plasterboard construction, you can effectively decorate a spacious room with high ceilings (at least 2.4-2.5 m). A bonus to this design will be excellent acoustics. Coffered ceilings look good both in office and residential premises, indicating the good taste, status, and wealth of their owners.
Gold plated moldings 
Manufacturing 
Chandelier in the shape of a flower 
Ceiling in a large room 
Cellular ceiling Advantages and disadvantages of plasterboard ceilings
The advantages of coffered ceilings made of plasterboard sheets are much greater than the disadvantages. The latter, with proper use, can be reduced to zero. Positive characteristics:
- creates good acoustics;
- allows you to hide all communications, ventilation ducts, electrical wiring;
- provides a wide choice for decoration with built-in lamps;
- eliminates and masks any defects, flaws, imperfections of the original ceiling covering;
- makes it possible to carry out additional heat and sound insulation;
- creates acceptable climatic conditions;
- has a spectacular luxurious look;
- is relatively inexpensive.
Among the disadvantages, it is worth mentioning that drywall is a material that is not durable and moisture resistant. Therefore, careless attitude, high humidity in the room or flooding by neighbors can easily ruin the entire design. Hanging systems made of plasterboard significantly “eat up” the height of the room, so this must be taken into account during planning. If the ceilings are low and the room has a small area, such a design will look out of place. The presence of dark furniture and poor natural light is also not in favor of coffers, as the room will become gloomy and uncomfortable.
If plasterboard coffered ceilings become dirty, there is no need to wash or clean them, it is better to repaint them.
Classic style 
Neoclassicism 
Large space interior 
Narrow space design Preparation of drawings, tools and materials
Modern parts for plasterboard ceiling coverings are lightweight, so the process of installing them can be done by anyone who can hold a construction tool in their hands. Detailed photos of the process will help you cope with such work yourself.
A preliminary design drawing must be prepared in advance so that difficulties and malfunctions do not arise during the work. For inspiration, it is advisable to review two or three dozen photos. The composition must be thought out to the smallest detail, and the size of the caissons depends on the dimensions of the room. On a sheet of paper you need to draw the future design, coloring it with pencils for clarity.
Before starting work, prepare the necessary tools and materials:
- hammer;
- spatulas;
- level, tape measure, tapping thread;
- knife and scissors for metal;
- hammer drill and screwdriver;
- pliers;
- drills, screws, dowels and anchors.
If the surface of the load-bearing ceiling covering does not require major repairs, it is simply puttied once. But if the original ceiling is very uneven and has many flaws, it is better to install a two-level coffered structure.
Tools 
Drawing 
Frame elements 
Frame 
Cells After drawing up the drawing and preparing the surface, you can begin marking the ceiling. This is convenient to do with a tape measure with an ordinary tapping thread. Markings on a rectangular grid begin to be made from the perimeter of the outer beams, because in these places the ceiling meets the walls. But you need to remember the center, otherwise symmetry can easily be broken.
After this, strictly according to the markings, a frame of metal profiles is installed. Their width depends on the area of the room. UD and CD profiles are attached around the perimeter (as for a regular plasterboard ceiling). The profile is cut to the required length, after which it is firmly mounted on the ceiling using hangers. First, the long uw profiles are attached, followed by the short jumpers. After this, three cw profiles are installed in each square or rectangle: in the corners and in the middle. Then the ceiling plane is marked on these profiles with a laser level and cut along these marks. Next, guides are fixed on these profiles - thus creating a niche.
Sheathing with plasterboard and putty
When the frame is ready, proceed to covering the sides and bottom of the beams. Pieces of drywall are attached to the profiles using countersunk screws. Next, the ceiling part of the caissons is sheathed. A decorative cornice is sometimes formed not from drywall, but from plaster.
After installing the drywall sheets, you can begin decorative finishing. To reduce the risk of cracks in the corners to zero, they are protected with a mesh and counters. These protective elements are fixed with seam glue. After they have completely dried, you can begin to putty. Then all surfaces are sanded with a fine abrasive mesh and primed.
After this, you can install baguettes. It is important that all corners are precisely cut at 90 degrees without creating gaps or cracks. Proper use of a miter box (a tool responsible for ensuring the correct angles) ensures strict geometry of the recesses. Poorly glued baguettes will ruin the entire appearance.
Frame hiding the pipes 
Covering the frame with plasterboard 
Finishing 
Ceiling prepared for painting 
Wiring for lamps The final stage of work: painting
Only after installing the baguettes can you paint the plasterboard ceiling. Designers advise not to paint coffered ceilings in one color. The presented photos clearly confirm this. Designs painted in different shades look much more interesting and richer. The main thing is that the colors combine harmoniously with each other. The combination of the white top of the niches with dark brown beams looks good. You can get a lot of ideas from photos. Under the sun's rays, a well-chosen combination of shades will look colorful and irresistible.
A variety of beams, molded rosettes, borders, baseboards, cornices allows you to create a unique decor in your home. Designers know a lot of techniques, the use of which helps to make the most of a room:
- The larger the area of the room, the more beams there should be;
- Niches can be round, rectangular, square or oval. In a small room, small square-shaped caissons look better, in a spacious room - deep niches, richly decorated with elegant stucco. Photos of the interiors help you see it with your own eyes;
- The center should be as elegant as possible and attract attention;
- You can apply artistic painting or ornament into the polygonal recesses. As an option: use stucco or appliqués. Often a lighting system is installed in caissons.
For apartments, houses, cottages decorated in a classic style, coffered ceilings are one of the best options, while modern styles (high-tech, pop art) do not allow the use of such a design.
Complex structures made of wood, MDF or cardboard are mounted differently. Not everyone will be able to afford wooden caissons, because this will significantly impact the budget. Coffered ceilings made of plasterboard sheets belong to the middle price category. The big advantage is that all this beauty can be made from ordinary drywall with your own hands.
Photo gallery (54 photos)
Coffered ceilings are quite popular, but in modern architecture they serve not as load-bearing structures, but as decorative elements. Similar ceilings can be found in the interiors of private houses and city apartments; various materials and design techniques are used for their manufacture. Today’s material will tell you what types of coffered ceilings exist.
Features of coffered ceilings
Structurally, the caisson is a polygonal recess, and the coffered ceiling consists of a certain number of cells, often square in shape. The cells are formed by longitudinal and transverse beams, which give the structure a stunning decorative appearance due to the ornaments on their surface; the structure can be decorated with stucco rosettes, cornice elements, borders, and ceiling paintings.
This is interesting. The birthplace of coffered ceilings is Ancient Greece, when they were given the practical function of reducing the weight of slabs and reducing the load on beams. To make the structure decorative, it was decorated with drawings and stucco. The heyday of the popularity of wooden coffered ceiling structures is the Renaissance. Expensive processing, artistic carving, and labor-intensive construction were not accessible to everyone, and such ceilings could only be found in the palaces of noble nobles.
Currently, with the help of coffered ceilings in living rooms, bedrooms, home offices, billiard rooms and libraries in private homes, they visually increase the area of the room, give them solidity, and improve acoustics.
Coffered ceilings are recommended for high rooms of medium and large areas, as the structure is visually quite massive. In a small room, the expected effect will not work; on the contrary, it will seem smaller than it actually is.
Coffered ceilings are not necessarily used in classical and historical style solutions; they can be found in modern interiors in high-tech, pop art and other styles.
One of the advantages of coffered ceilings is their ability to mask communications passing under the ceiling. Their installation does not require careful preparation of the base.
Coffered ceilings: varieties
The method of making a coffered ceiling depends on the material from which it is created, as well as its other qualities: durability, practicality, decorativeness.
Wooden structures
With the help of wooden structures, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing in appearance, you can create an atmosphere of luxury and noble restraint, depending on the type of wood, its texture and shade and the method of processing - artistic painting or carving, processing with special compounds.
The features of such structures are as follows:
- The main advantage of a wooden structure is its environmental friendliness, safety and ability to create a healthy indoor microclimate;
- Most often, the structure is made of walnut, ash, oak or more expensive types of wood;
- Each individual ceiling is unique, just like the natural pattern of wood and its texture;
- The suspended structure will reliably hide communications and give the room an original appearance.
Among the disadvantages of the material, wood is difficult to care for and high cost - such ceilings can be classified as luxury finishes. When using inexpensive types of wood, you can give the structure a noble appearance by treating it with varnish, oil, wax or stain, as well as by applying a pattern using the art painting technique - such ceilings will be especially relevant for the Provence style.
MDF structures
The closest analogue of natural wood is MDF panels. Constructions made from them are much cheaper and are a good alternative.
The advantages of this type of structure include simple installation, but otherwise we can say that this material is the most vulnerable to various types of influences - it is capable of deformation and is afraid of moisture and fire.
Plasterboard structures
It has long been known about the versatility of plasterboard and its widespread use in creating suspended ceiling structures. Coffered ceilings were no exception.
Structures made from plasterboard are affordable. Often such a ceiling is installed in an Empire or Baroque style interior, when the room has sufficiently high walls and large window openings.
A frame is mounted from plasterboard, which is decorated with a cornice made of plaster or polyurethane. For additional decoration of the structure, sockets are used.
The advantage of a plasterboard ceiling lies not only in the unique performance properties of the material, but also in the possibility of installing built-in lamps, which make the design of the coffered ceiling more modern and functional.
Polyurethane structures
Where it is impossible to install a wooden coffered ceiling due to its heavy weight, lightweight polyurethane structures can be used. The cost of such ceilings is quite high, but it is justified by the operational properties of the material - durability, strength, moisture resistance.
The advantage of polyurethane caissons is that they are made in accordance with the parameters of the room - trimming during installation is not required.
All parts have clear dimensions and high quality; they do not even need to be additionally painted, since their shade is initially uniform. Not so long ago, the appearance of polyurethane became a real discovery.
It perfectly imitates gypsum stucco and, unlike it, is not as fragile. The material can imitate the texture of any natural material - stone or wood. At the same time, polyurethane is perfectly combined with artificial light devices built into the ceiling structure.
The main advantage of polyurethane caissons is their low weight, easy installation and maintenance. The parts do not change their color for many years, do not collapse, and are not afraid of moisture. Additionally, you can decorate such a ceiling with gilding or silvering.
Cardboard structures
To make this type of coffered ceiling, construction cardboard is used. To install the beams to the base, wood glue is used.
The surface is covered with a self-adhesive film that imitates wood grain. This is the most budget option. Its service life and performance characteristics are an order of magnitude lower than the options described above.
Design features of caissons
Not only the material of manufacture affects the attractiveness of the appearance of the caissons, but also their original detailing using box beams and various methods of decoration, including the creation of contrasting colors.
Important! There are two win-win options - a snow-white ceiling against the background of dark walls and vice versa - a dark structure against the background of a neutral light finish.
This does not mean that contrast can be created solely by using light and dark colors. It is possible to introduce gilded and woody shades.
Such accents go well with white walls and black surfaces. The color of the coffered ceiling can be matched to the color of the floor covering.
An interesting solution is to paint the inner areas of the white panels in a dark color - thanks to this, the ceiling acquires special expressiveness. The interior of the cells allows for additional decoration with rosettes, stained glass windows, original lamps, wallpaper, and decorative panels imitating natural stone or metal.
What to consider when installing coffered ceilings
Caisson structures have specific features that must be taken into account:
- Such a ceiling can only be installed in a room whose height exceeds 2.5 meters;
- With the help of such a suspended structure, you can visually enlarge the space, give it volume, or vice versa, make the room significantly lower;
- When, according to the designer's plan, the ceiling should not attract attention, it is made light or white;
- The size of the coffers affects the visual effect in the room. The larger it is, the smaller the cells should be and vice versa;
- When choosing natural wood as a manufacturing material, it is important to carefully select its shade and texture so that it blends organically with furnishings and the floor;
- Much attention should be paid to the choice of design of lamps and built-in artificial light sources.
It is worth remembering that coffered ceilings are not universal in terms of their use in the interior - they are absolutely not suitable for some styles.
The video will show you what coffered ceilings are like.
Ceiling design is important to the overall space of the room. To decorate it, you can choose a simple, discreet finish, then the emphasis will be on the walls or other objects. And there are also options in which the ceiling becomes the main element. In such cases, it is necessary to use textured materials to decorate it, giving it a bright, luxurious and majestic look. The best option would be to install coffered ceilings. With their help, you can turn an ordinary apartment into a real royal palace.
Caissons. General concept
Coffered ceilings are a specific structure consisting of beams attached to the surface. With their help, various polygonal recesses are created. Most often they are decorated with carvings or stucco. You can also find decorative inserts with original patterns.
This type of finishing is used in fairly high rooms, since coffered ceilings conceal the space due to the considerable width of the structure. They are suitable for almost any room, provided they are in harmonious combination with other elements. Their style is somewhat unusual and even old-fashioned, so they will fit most harmoniously into the classic interiors of living rooms, bedrooms or offices. In apartments, such decoration is extremely rare, but in private houses it is common.
Manufacturing and installation features
Making a coffered ceiling with your own hands is quite difficult and almost impossible without certain knowledge and skills. To manufacture the components of these structures, modern high technologies are used, which make it possible to imitate stucco molding or figured frescoes on polyurethane beams. Recently, it has become possible to give caissons different shapes: rectangular, square, round, triangular, oval and even non-standard abstract shapes. The installation itself is labor-intensive and complicated, and takes a lot of time. Coffered ceilings made of wood, gypsum, polyurethane or plasterboard are installed using proven technology; a specific sequence of work is used for each material.
Advantages of finishing
The list of advantages of this type of ceiling is huge. Let us highlight the main ones:
- Wide choice of colors. The use of modern technologies has allowed manufacturers to make significant progress in this matter and make coffered ceilings quite diverse.
- Price fully consistent with quality. The whole structure is not very cheap: the cost can vary from 20,000 to 70,000 rubles, but its durability sufficiently pays for the money spent.
- Reliability. If installation is carried out in compliance with all requirements, then the ceiling will last for decades.
- Installation of lighting fixtures. It is possible to create a variety of compositions using spotlights or pendant lamps.
Specifications
This criterion is influenced by the material used to make the coffered ceilings. Polyurethane is the lightest in weight compared to others. In private houses they should never be used as a supporting structure. Such ceilings perform only decorative functions. A coffered ceiling made of polyurethane, in comparison with other types, is less demanding; you can handle its installation yourself. A wide selection of colors, patterns and textures allows you to organically fit it into almost any interior. However, designers recommend paying attention to one important nuance: in small rooms it is better to give preference to caissons of the correct shape (rectangular or square) of small sizes, but in spacious rooms you can use various combinations without restrictions.
Design Features
During the Renaissance, coffered ceilings were laid out at the design stage of houses. These were mainly wooden structures that served as load-bearing elements. At that time, they were widely used in decorating castles and royal palaces. The caissons were decorated with stucco, frescoes, figured carvings, and to make them look more luxurious, they were covered with gilding.
Currently, not everyone can afford to use expensive wood to decorate the ceiling, so manufacturers offer other materials that can imitate the look of real coffered ceilings. You can often find plasterboard or polyurethane structures. The pricing policy of these types is quite acceptable, and installation will not require drastic changes. Installation of coffered ceilings made from modern materials is possible even in small apartments, and in terms of complexity it can be equated to conventional suspended structures.
Preparation for installation
Mounting methods
A coffered polyurethane ceiling can be fixed in 3 ways.
- 1 way
The first thing you need to do is hang the wallpaper. After they dry, markings are made. Blanks for beams are cut out of construction cardboard, subsequently they are bent and glued together. For this it is better to use liquid nails. At pre-marked locations, the beams are attached to the ceiling with self-tapping screws or glue. With the last method you need to be careful, as you can stain the wallpaper. After this, the decorative beams are covered with a special film, which, with its colors and patterns, creates the main design of the ceiling.
- Method 2
Markings are made for the profile. Then, using a hammer drill, it is attached to the ceiling. The slabs are installed in the resulting recesses. For additional reliability, this design is screwed on with self-tapping screws. This method is optimal for rooms with low ceilings.
- 3 way
This installation is the simplest, but the most expensive. In order to build coffered ceilings, you simply need to purchase ready-made modules and glue them to the surface.
Summarizing
The coffered ceiling allows you to radically change the space of the room, giving it the luxury and grandeur of the Middle Ages. Its installation will require a large investment of money, effort and will take quite a lot of time. However, the end result is worth it. This finish will not only amaze with its splendor, but will also add significant qualities to the ceiling.
A coffered ceiling is a decorative system consisting of individual cells or recesses of different shapes located between the beams.
Material for making caissons
The following types of coffered ceilings are distinguished.
Made of wood
Wooden structures are distinguished by their naturalness, environmental friendliness, durability and fairly high price. They are made from solid pine, oak, ash and other various valuable tree species and have a unique and inimitable natural texture, due to which they look very unusual in the interior.
The photo shows a wooden coffered ceiling in the bedroom interior.
From plasterboard
A more budget-friendly option for ceiling design made of gypsum plasterboard, which despite this looks quite elegant, stylish and harmonious. Such suspended structures are perfect for rooms with high ceilings and can perfectly hide the shortcomings of load-bearing floors.
The photo shows a living room with a white coffered ceiling structure made of plasterboard.
Made from polyurethane
These coffered models are lightweight and have high fire and moisture resistant properties. Exquisite designs with elements imitating stucco allow you to decorate the ceiling and draw all the attention to it.
The photo shows a coffered polyurethane ceiling in the interior of the hall.
Plaster
They are a real work of art; plaster structures give the room a respectable and presentable appearance.
Caisson shapes
There is a certain number of forms in which coffered ceiling structures can be made.
- Square.
- Round.
Coffered ceiling design
Individual ceiling design is a determining factor in the coziness and comfort of a room.
Combined
A coffered double ceiling in combination with a glossy or matte stretch fabric is always a winning and stylish option.
With stucco
Structures decorated with stucco have an aesthetic appearance, perfectly highlight and transform the ceiling space and give it relief and the effect of antiquity.
Carved
Makes the interior luxurious and solid. Patterned models decorated with Bulgarian carvings will add originality to the room and go perfectly with various styles, such as classic, baroque or modern.
Stained glass
Impresses with its beauty and grace. Stained glass with exquisite ornaments or paintings gives the coffered structure a lighter, brighter and more expensive look.
Lighting ideas
Properly selected lighting will help completely transform a room.
Backlit
To prevent the ceiling from looking faded and inexpressive, it is better to equip it with additional lighting with a perimeter, which will effectively highlight the shape and size of the cell.
With chandelier
Various chandeliers further emphasize the beauty, sophistication and elegance of the ceiling structure and make it the most basic decorative element of the room.
Photos in the interior of the rooms
A coffered ceiling instantly adds personality to any room.
Kitchen
This ceiling design allows you to complement the interior of the kitchen and become a worthy decoration. Models made of polyurethane, MDF or plasterboard are often used here, because such surfaces are very easy to clean.
Living room
The coffered ceiling visually expands the space and adds architecture and airiness to it. A living room with such decor takes on a more complete, original and stylistically competent look.
Corridor and hallway
For such a small room, in which there is no natural light, choose models in light colors, with a large number of lighting fixtures. They give the corridor or hallway a truly magnificent and sophisticated look.
The photo shows a corridor and a white coffered ceiling decorated with chandeliers.
Bedroom
This decor will be an ideal choice for spacious bedrooms. It will add personality and interest to the room and become a stylish design element of the entire interior.
Cabinet
Coffered ceilings made of wood will visually make the office much larger and taller and create an atmosphere of solidity and representativeness in it.
The photo shows a combined coffered ceiling in the interior of the office.
Color spectrum
The color design of a modular ceiling is a very important part of the entire interior solution.
White
The most traditional option that adds freshness, spaciousness and grace to the room. White ceiling models look very organic and fit perfectly with all style solutions.
The photo shows a living room with a white coffered ceiling structure.
Brown
An elegant, laconic and practical solution. The coffered brown design is particularly exclusive and makes the interior softer and warmer.
The photo shows a brown coffered ceiling structure in a small living room.
Wenge
An elite and luxurious shade that looks especially great with sufficient lighting. These models allow you to add new colors and accents to the room.
Black
Attracts, fascinates and intrigues, adds aristocracy and elegance to the atmosphere.
Decoration in various styles
Coffered models are also great for a variety of styles.
Modern
Simple and restrained symmetrical geometric shapes and coffered ceiling structures perfectly highlight the modern interior and give it clarity and a certain simplicity and moderation.
The photo shows a white coffered ceiling in the living room in a modern style.
Classic
Exquisite ceilings made of plaster or polyurethane, decorated with stucco, will especially harmoniously match the classic style. They will become a fairly respectable design solution that looks great in combination with luxurious chandeliers, expensive furniture and other room decor.
Loft
This style can also be organically combined with simple and laconic forms of a coffered ceiling.
The photo shows a coffered ceiling structure in a loft-style living room.
Provence
Ceiling products made exclusively from natural materials, in soft pastel shades, will fit perfectly into the interior in the Provence style.
The photo shows a living room in Provence style and a coffered ceiling in white and blue tones.
Chalet
Structures made from natural wood will be a harmonious complement to the Alpine style used to decorate rooms or attics in wooden houses. They look quite simple and discreet, but at the same time very expensive.
English
Wooden massive coffered ceilings in dark colors are an almost integral part of an English-style bedroom, kitchen or living room. They will become the main accent of the room to create a magnificent and elite interior.
Photo gallery
A coffered ceiling allows you to competently complement any room and add a touch of luxury and wealth to it. With the help of such multifaceted decor, you can decorate any room, give it uniqueness and special style, and create an original design.
The ceiling in the design of a room plays a certain final role, putting an end to the entire interior style. Among the modern variety of finishing materials, coffered ceilings are considered an innovation, although in fact this type of ceiling appeared in Ancient Greece and gained wide popularity during the Renaissance. As you know, the Renaissance era promoted beauty and grace in everything, so ceilings of this type are ideally suited for classic interior styles.
What a ceiling called a coffered ceiling is, what are the features of its installation and for which interiors it will be a real find - “Dream House” will tell you about all this today.
Features of the design of coffered ceilings
Coffered is usually called a type of wooden panel consisting of rectangular or square panels. The main feature of these ceilings is the presence of decorative recesses. It is these recesses that are the caissons.
During the Renaissance, imperial palaces and castles were decorated with coffered ceilings. At the dawn of its birth, such a recess in the ceiling was necessarily decorated with complex decorative carvings, and the surface was covered with gold and gilding. However, such complex structures were created not only to emphasize their status, but also to be able to hide the ceiling piles.
Of course, not everyone can afford real coffered ceilings made of expensive wood, but today designers decided to make luxury accessible and began creating coffered ceilings from cheaper materials - and polyurethane. It is also worth noting that true coffered ceilings do not currently exist. The fact is that in their “primordial” version they can only be created if their design begins together with the design of the house itself. Since this installation method is unreasonably expensive and complex, today coffered ceilings are a non-load-bearing decorative structure, the surface of which is decorated with “recesses”.
Characteristics of coffered ceilings
The characteristics of this type of ceiling depend on the materials from which they were made. For example, coffered polyurethane ceilings are the lightest of all types. They cannot be used as a load-bearing structure, so the main purpose of such ceilings is to decorate the interior. Since polyurethane is very easy to install, you can decorate a ceiling from this material in almost any room, if the appearance of the structure is in harmony with the overall style.
The “highlight” of these ceilings are the caissons, the so-called “recesses”. To ensure that such an original ceiling, which tends toward classical, monumental designs, does not come into dissonance with the interior of the room, designers recommend choosing the size of the caissons depending on the spaciousness of the room itself. For example, in small rooms, ceilings with small square recesses will look better, while the spaciousness of a large room can be emphasized by large and deep coffers decorated with elegant designs.
Coffered ceiling in the interior photo
A coffered plasterboard ceiling is the most affordable option for structures of this type. As a rule, only the frame itself is made from plasterboard, and the decorative cornice for the ceiling is formed from gypsum. It is convenient because lamps can be easily installed in its caissons, which will make the structure even more beautiful and unusual. This design will look most harmonious on high ceilings in interiors, or classics. A coffered plaster ceiling does not “load” the interior; it can be used not only in, but also in more modern styles.
MFD coffered ceilings are a good alternative to real wooden ceilings. Ceilings made of this material are, first of all, interesting for their design value. Like previous varieties, the design of this ceiling consists of a frame to which bars are attached, creating a square or rectangle. The caisson can be decorated with stucco, various carved elements, etc.
Wooden coffered ceilings
Installation of a coffered ceiling
Having construction skills, making a coffered ceiling with your own hands will not be difficult.
Before starting to mount the ceiling, it is necessary. There are no special requirements for wallpaper; it can be either colored or plain, but you should not choose a color that is too dark, as in this case the overall appearance of the ceiling will look too “bulky.” As for the material for making beams and frames, the most difficult thing to do on your own is to make a coffered ceiling from wood, and the easiest thing is from building cardboard. If desired, the structures can be covered with a decorative film that imitates, for example, wood or other texture. The beams are attached to each other using wood glue. Installation of a coffered ceiling occurs by securing the structure with special fasteners.
Installation of a coffered ceiling
Coffered ceiling as a design element
A coffered ceiling of any type immediately adds luxury and expressiveness to the design of the room. Since in the original version such ceilings were made only of wood (oak, beech or walnut), coffered ceilings for a long time were only of dark colors. However, dark shades in the design of ceilings are not always appropriate. Perhaps dark colors will look harmonious only in fairly large rooms decorated in a classic style or. In all other cases, it is better to give preference to lighter and more natural shades.
Wooden coffered ceilings
Since the coffered ceiling itself looks colorful, it is necessary that its design echoes the elements of furniture or decoration in the room. For example, the design of a room with wooden or plasterboard ceilings and the same panels looks very beautiful.
Thanks to a special frame structure, the coffered ceiling can be not only flat, but also vaulted, which looks especially stylish in rooms decorated in ancient interior styles.
Wooden coffered ceilings
Don’t forget that a coffered ceiling is not only stylish, but also convenient. Its design features make it easy to install any chandeliers and lighting fixtures; in addition, this ceiling provides additional heat and sound insulation. And, undoubtedly, such a design solution will not go unnoticed, surprising your guests and constantly delighting you with its original design.
