Can’t wait to find out what’s under those drop ceilings in the new home! My guess is a bunch of moldy, crumbling plaster. Ever work on a ceiling before? It’s a pain in the neck. Literally. So, I’ve been looking for alternatives to plain old plastering or sheetrocking. If I’m going to have to go through that, it might as well look fabulous.

I was standing at the Museum of Natural History over the weekend when I looked up and saw the gawgeous paneled ceiling above. Lots of work, for sure. Worth it? Of course! Especially if you can paint the molding before it goes up. I even found a place called Fantastic Finish where I can cheat and order pre-assembled kits. Not that I would do that of course, because budget, budget, budget!

Who doesn’t love an antique tin ceiling? Personally, I’m loving the chippy paint look but I don’t think I’d be able to get away with it in a new renovation. Perhaps a small section of the house…a bathroom, mayyyybe. But it would have to be sealed anyway, because as we all know, any paint prior to 1978 contains lead.

Here’s a modern take on the traditional tin ceiling. For me, it’s going to come down to whatever I can find at the salvage shops.

Reclaimed wood ceilings may look a bit dark around the entire house but they can always be painted to brighten them up. The photo above is actually weathered plywood cut into strips. That stroke of genius is from Burlap and Denim.

Drop ceilings have come a long way since the 1970’s. The tile above is from a company that does PVC drop ceiling tiles. They aren’t cheap and you’ve gotta have lots of time on your hands to paint each tile to look like that, but I’m just throwin’ around ideas here.