The Secret to Make High Ceilings Look Cozy: Trims, Beams, & Moldings -

While rooms with high ceilings might be a current design trend (that won’t go away for a looong time), many struggle to make their home look cozy and inviting with ceilings 10 to 20+ feet high.

Ooooh, poor me and my 18′ ceiling – BOOOOO HOO! Sure, it’s a first-world problem, but it’s one that we have in our home, and I curse it daily (but less every day). I’m a big fan of 9′ ceilings – simple and cozy. This means I’ve spent a ton of time studying how to make a room with high ceilings look cozier, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned.

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If you’re looking for more affordable, practical, decorating-related ideas for rooms with high ceilings, I’ve got a blog post for that. This blog post is about adding trims, beams, and molding to your space to create a warmer, more inviting look and feel.

Some of these ideas are more expensive than others, but all will help your room feel cozier.

1. MAKE A ROOM WITH HIGH CEILINGS LOOK COZY WITH BEAMS

While installing trims and moldings is a bit more DIY-friendly and affordable (we’ll get to those shortly), there’s something to be said for a few big honkin’ beams to make a high-ceilinged space feel more inviting…

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While many think of beams in multiples, even a single beam in the center of a high, cathedral-style ceiling brings the visuals of a space down, making it look lower and cozier…

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While this next room is still getting dressed (it’s a bit nekkid) and the ceilings aren’t SUPER high, the effect of the beams is still obvious – they add an inviting, cozy vibe…

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Here’s another shot of the same space…

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But, this idea is not for the faint of heart or tight of wallet. Personally, it’s one that I saved my shekels for, and I’m so glad I did…

Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White with Foggy Day above the stone fireplace

At the end of this blog post, I’ll break down what helps this room feel more inviting and cozy, even with its ridiculously high ceilings.

2. ADD BOARD & BATTEN OR WAINSCOTING

One of my favorite ways to make a room with high ceilings feel cozier and lower is with wainscoting or board-and-batten.

Lower wall moldings are a great way to keep your eyes on the bottom half of your room, especially when paired with beautiful paint colors and the right artwork.

COME TO MOMMA! I love this staircase.

The above staircase would be beautiful without the wainscoting, but notice how your eyes stay lower and central with the wainscoting vs. shooting right up the stairs to the top floor. The black railing also helps ground this space.

Before, this next entryway was booooring. And while you can’t see the high ceilings in this image, you get the idea – womp womp womp…

After, what could be a standard transition space looks more inviting and custom with wainscoting…

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And just IMAGINE if they painted the office doors a gorgeous color. I’d also happily throw a few runners down these dark hallways.

Here’s an entryway with an 18′ ceiling and board-and-batten…

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl and Cloud White

If you want to learn why light gray-blue isn’t the best choice for making your high-ceilinged room look more inviting, read this (but finish this blog post first)!

A FORTUNATE FOUNDATION WALL…

These next photos are of another of our previous homes (I get bored every 4 ~~months~~ years, so we’ve had a few homes). Our foyer had 18′ ceilings and an awkward foundation wall that bumped out. Here’s how the entryway looked when we first viewed our home (woooooof)…

Although the colors were warm, they did nothing for this space and weighed it down. Also, notice how the large canvas thing (above) draws your eyes UP (and is awkwardly weird)…

What a hot, holy mess.

You might think that lighter, brighter walls would draw your eyes up – not always! With proper grounding and the use of color, decor, and texture, the entryway looks way more homey and inviting…

Benjamin Moore Steel Wool and White Dove

If we still lived in this home and had the funds we do now, I would definitely add moldings to this lower wall, not just paint.

DETAILS TO NOTICE

The striking red area rug grounds the room
Painted black front doors create a strong focal point at a standard level
The artwork is long and linear in size and style

3. IF YOU HAVE A HIGH CEILING, TRY BOX MOLDING

Box molding can look timeless in some homes, and is a great way to bring your sightline down, into a more normal eyeball range.

While these next box moldings are linear, because they only go up approx. 9 feet, they keep your eyes on the lower part of the room…

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While the height at which you install this molding depends on other features in your space, there’s usually a spot where it ties into another area or clearly and easily defines the lower/upper halves of your wall. This piece of trim is usually painted trim color, and the more modern look is to have the walls above/below painted the same color.

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Check out the fireplace in this next vaulted living room (Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray walls)…

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Sure, there are vertical lines, but notice how the horizontal box molding pieces (approx. 10′) stop your eye. If they were gone, the fireplace would seem even taller. There’s also great visual interest below 8 feet.

Long story short, while box molding isn’t an easy win, as you have to REALLY consider placement and lines, it’s an option.

4. ADD A HIGH HORIZONTAL MOLDING (BOOK RAIL OF SORTS)

While simple horizontal moldings can look outdated (e.g., 1990s chair rails, shown below), they can serve an important purpose.

This waist-level molding is a chair rail and isn’t a feature in today’s modern home

If this molding were on a large wall on your exterior, it would be called a belly band – it’s like a belt…for your wall.

In this next living room shown, notice how the simple horizontal trim above the artwork creates the illusion of shorter walls and a lower ceiling, making the space feel cozier…

9 feet makes sense in this living room as it ties into the stair trim

Now, check it out when I erase that piece of trim…

Notice how much higher the walls look and taller the ceiling seems with the molding removed. Cool, eh? If you love your high ceilings, this blank space might be the ticket. If not, the molding can help.

Let’s do a side-by-side for an easier comparison…

The above home is our living room from several years ago; it’s since evolved, and you’ll see more of it shortly.

Sometimes, small details make a big difference.

Here’s another example of a horizontal band (in a much fancy schmancier home than mine)…

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Work with a trusted paint color expert for your home.

A FEW MORE DETAILS TO NOTICE…

The stair railings are horizontal rather than vertical. While the angle makes your eye travel up, it’s subtler than perfectly vertical spindles.
The artwork above the fireplace is horizontal in size and style.
I might tweak the decor on the sofa table to have a bit more linear (horizontal) flow.
The horizontal wood detail ties into the ceiling beams (a topic we’ll chat about shortly).
The sectional and two chairs aren’t too low profile – they suit the scale of the space.
Replacing the light-colored throw blanket with a darker one would help keep your eye lower without weighing down the space (since the floor is already so dark).
They could add horizontal-striped cushions to the sectional.
The top shelf of the built-ins is shorter than the two shelves below it – even a detail like this makes a huge visual difference when you have a high ceiling!

This next bedroom has a high ceiling and doesn’t look as intimate as a room with lower ceilings would. Notice how the homeowner added a crown molding of sorts where the regular wall ends, and the vault begins…

As you’ll learn in this blog’s partner post, if the goal is to make this bedroom look cozier and more inviting, light blue is about the worst color to choose. Aside from that, notice how the crown molding gives your eyes a place to stop.

In my ideal world, the lower walls would be a light-medium taupe to tie in with the carpet, and the ceiling area a much lighter version of that. Anyways.

5. ADD WOOD TO YOUR HIGH CEILING – CLAD IT, BABY

I’m not just talking about beams, I’m talking about full coverage.

Wood ceiling, horizontal wood beams, horizontal brick, a great light fixture – there’s a lot to love about this mid-century space.

While so many choose to paint their wood ceilings white, I’m a HUGE fan of keeping things more natural. Admittedly, I wish this next ceiling had a slightly calmer (less peach) stain; however, it’s still a cozy, inviting room thanks in part to the wood…

Don’t even get me STARTED on the glorious woody goodness of this next ceiling…

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter / Paint Colors to Go With Dark Wood

A HIGH CEILING CASE-STUDY: GETTING COZIER BY THE DAY

While there was nothing I could do about my 18′ vaulted ceiling, there were TONS of things I could do with the space around it.

The fireplace stone only goes up 60″, rather than a ceiling-height install, which would be too vertical and overwhelming.
The wood mantel draws a strong line.
Horizontal shiplap above the fireplace
Ceiling beams to make the room feel cozier and more intimate
Faux roman blinds on the lower windows

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Horizontal artwork – not just in shape, but in the design itself
Horizontal molding at 9.’
Proportional sectional
Plants to help with echoing and softness
The home decor creates a linear flow and doesn’t draw your eye up – same with the gallery wall under the stairs
The dark-painted stair railing grounds the space more than a white handrail would.

MORE HIGH CEILING FIXES…

I don’t ‘borrow’ images from other creators (I only use my own). Instead, I support other creators by linking to their sites so you can check them out!

HORIZONTAL MOLDING 1/2 WAY UP THE WALL: Check out this cozy living room by Jones Design Co. (loooove me a dark paint color!). This is a great use of a horizontal molding to break up a large, intimidating wall. Another reason I love this home is that it’s approachable. So many images on Instagram, Pinterest, and Houzz aren’t suited to the average homeowner, which is another reason why I usually stick to using my own. By the way, if you love real homes, FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM!
HORIZONTAL SHIPLAP 1/2 WAY UP THE WALL: Click here to visit One Kindesign and find the image of the dining room (9th photo down). Notice how they divided the walls at approximately 10 feet, and further encourage your eyes width-wise with horizontal shiplap.
WAINSCOTING: I love the use of moldings to define the lower walls and the classic shade of gray on the upper walls in this living room of Sunny Side Up. Both of these have this space looking cozier than it would without them.
BOX MOLDINGS: This one goes to Pinterest, as I can’t find the exact photo on the original site.