Some Thoughts on Ceiling Height

Most of us spend a lot of time indoors – and that ceiling somewhere above our heads has a lot of influence on us psychologically. We’re more creative in spaces with higher ceilings. All else being equal, people are more innovative in places with 10 foot ceilings than they are when the ceiling hovers 8 feet above the floor. When the ceiling in a room we’re in is lower than about 9 feet, we start to feel crowded and want other people (except those we’re on really good terms with) to stay farther away from us. If we feel crowded or cramped, we get stressed and distracted.

Really high ceilings produce negative effects, as well. The great rooms in McMansions never feel cozy because their ceilings are so high that they distort the socializing happening under them.

We feel very comfortable in spaces with lower ceilings that are next to areas with higher ceilings when the space with the lower ceiling is a little darker and the area with the higher ceiling is a little brighter. That darker space with the lower ceiling feels cozy, in the same way that a cave with a view out over a plain must have felt secure to our ancestors.

The sound bounce never lies, but we can have some influence on how spacious a room feels by modifying the color of paint on the ceiling. Lighter, brighter colors make the ceiling seem father away, while darker colors make it seem closer. It’s not easy to alter the height of a ceiling – but you can choose a room with the ceiling, or combination of ceilings, that meets your psychological needs, or add additional lighting fixtures to bring the feel of the ceiling down a bit.

 

Posted in General Interest on January 24th, 2012

"Kath and I have purchased two houses with Johnine and are working on a third. She really listened to what we were looking for in a house and honed in on the right properties for us. She understood our goals and steered us toward houses that are perfect for us." - Kathryn Flores & Lynn GordonRead More...