22 Vaulted Ceiling Ideas For A Striking Space

Family Room — Credit: Photo by: Tria Giovan, Styling by: Matthew Gleason

Vaulted ceilings are an instant attention grabber. Not only do they make your home feel bigger, but they also allow for more natural light to come into your space and can drastically increase your property value. Whether they're in your living room, kitchen, or even outdoor area, vaulted ceilings can make your living spaces so much more special. From exposed beams to white paint to skylights, we have plenty of inspiration for your vaulted ceilings to make the fifth wall a show-stopping element in your home.

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Contrast Colors

Master bedroom overlooking a lake — Credit:
Brian Woodcock

To highlight the architectural features of arches, this Lake Burton bedroom has a white wooden vaulted ceiling with rich dark brown exposed beams to add contrast to the space and match with the doors to the outside.

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Take Advantage of Nature's Views

Outdoor table under a wooden gazebo — Credit:
Joseph De Leo

For an outdoor area such as this outdoor dining pavilion in Cedar Creek, nature is the true star. This pavilion uses high vaulted ceilings to allow for a wide view of the trees and lake.

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Mix Shades of White

2023 Idea House Queen Bedroom — Credit:
Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason

White is seen as a standard neutral in paint colors, but there isn't one singular shade. In this bedroom from the 2023 Southern Living Idea House, the vaulted ceiling is a brighter white than the more cream-colored walls to create a subtle contrast.

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Make Room for Windows

Focus on the View — Credit: Helen Norman

If your property has beautiful views, don't hesitate to make that the main focus. This living room has a neutral palette with high vaulted ceilings to help it seamlessly blend into the natural surroundings.

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Go For Color

Use Blue In a Small Space — Credit: Photo: Luca Trovato

Vaulted ceilings don't need to be painted a neutral color to resemble wood. This kitchen from the Texas Escondido Idea House is painted a soft blue (Sherwin- Williams Waterscape) that is followed up to the ceiling to create a cohesive, elongated space.

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Mix Woods

Mixing wood colors and types is a great, simple way to add a rustic aesthetic to your home. In this living room, the wooden ceiling with dark wood exposed beams adds a beautiful farmhouse-style element to the space.

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Add a Long Light Fixture

Cabin with White Walls and Floor to Ceiling Windows — Credit: Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins

Having high ceilings means you have more space to add a statement light fixture. This living room features a large, ornate lighting piece that adds a unique and beautiful element to the room.

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Use Bold Hinges

Colbert Farmhouse in Dothan, AL — Credit: Alison Gootee

For a true farmhouse feel, incorporate exposed beams with bold hinges. This living room is primarily white but has light brown exposed beams with bold black hinges to add a homey look to the space.

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Incorporate Unique Beam Patterns

White and pink accented main bedroom with vaulted ceiling — Credit: Julia Lynn; Styling: Dakota Willimon

Vaulted ceilings don't have to stick with a singular pattern. In this bedroom, the vaulted ceilings have beams milled as they would have been in the early 20th century to make a truly showstopping element in the room.

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Mix Painted and Stained Wood

Idea House 2023 Twin Bedroom — Credit:
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason

Wood can be presented in a variety of ways, but why choose one or the other? This bedroom has a vaulted ceiling with white painted wood and dark wood exposed beams to make a nice contrast that blends with the room's palette nicely.

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Reimagine a Boathouse

Cozy den inside of boathouse — Credit:
Joseph De Leo

If you thought boathouses were only for boats, think again. This boathouse was repurposed into a den area with vaulted ceilings to make the height big enough for guests to sit comfortably and enjoy the lake.

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Keep the Support Beam Continuous

White Lake House Decor — Credit: Photo: Alexandra Rowley

For vaulted ceilings that meet at a point, the support beam running down the middle is a necessary element. This living room makes it look visually beautiful and intentional by keeping it in line with window frame.

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Add a Hipped Box-Beam Ceiling Set

White Living room with vaulted ceiling — Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Shannon Gini

If the farmhouse look isn't your thing but you'd still like vaulted ceilings, a hipped box-beam ceiling set is the way to go for a clean, more traditional look without sacrificing height and wow factor.

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Place Beams Away From the Ceiling

For a unique and modern look, place the beams or wood frame out from the ceiling. This living room from the 2023 Southern Living Idea House and features the wood frame disconnected from the ceiling to make a stunning visual element in the space.

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Add an Elongated Fireplace

Living room with large fireplace — Credit:
Brian Woodcock

With higher vaults come more opportunities. In this Lake Burton lakehouse living room, the high vaulted ceilings make room for a stunning lengthened fireplace that creates a cozy, natural vibe for the space.

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Add Interesting Lighting

Alabama Cabin with Dark Black Walls and Natural Wood Vaulted Ceiling — Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kiera Coffee

The height of vaulted ceilings makes it easy to play around with lighting. In this living room, the designer kept the vaulted wood ceiling exposed, which helps draws eyes up to the shimmering globe pendant. "This fixture feels funky but still classic," she says.

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Install Skylights

Bring Light In — Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan

In the dining room of her Arkansas lake house, interior decorator Heather Chadduck Hillegas installed skylights to flood the space with more sunlight and painted the original dark-stained ceilings pale gray to open up the space.

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Hang a Porch Swing

Wavy B Ranch porch swing — Credit:
Photo: Joseph De Leo; Styling: Jenny O'Connor

Enjoyable for all ages, porch swings are a great way to get outside and relax. With vaulted ceilings, it's easy to get the right height and stability needed for a swing while even having extra room for a ceiling fan.

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Make Space for Beds

Add More Beds — Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan

To carve out more sleeping space, build bunk beds into the wall. With vaulted ceilings, three bunk beds were able to be stacked on each other for extra sleeping space for guests.

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Match the Beams

Idea House 2023 Primary Bedroom — Credit:
Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason

To make the vaulted ceiling feel like a design element incorporated into your space, pick a color that is featured throughout the room. This bedroom from the 2023 Southern Living Idea House has wood beams that are the same color as the wood frame behind the bed and doors to the outside.

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Line it With Windows

There's never enough natural light in a home, especially in a lake house. This kitchen added windows scaling the entire valuted ceiling to utilize all the natural light from the sky.

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