Take ideas from the decorative ceilings of notable cathedrals and mosques to recreate your own ceiling mural.
Trompe-l-oeil is a French term meaning, "to fool the eye." A decorative ceiling mural can do just that; fool the viewer into thinking they're seeing something real. Pique guests in your home or business with a decorative mural on the ceiling. From innovative abstract designs to realistic renditions of scenery, ceiling murals can enhance a room's decor and contribute to its style.
Clouds
Paint a mural with an open summer sky, complete with clouds and a sun. Paint the ceiling a light blue, and allow it to dry. Dip a large sea sponge into white paint, and sponge cloud-like shapes intermittently throughout the ceiling to create a sky scene. Use yellow paint to create a sun peeping out from the clouds in a corner of the room. Alternatively, you can create a night sky with dark blue or black paint. Splatter white paint over the dark paint to give the illusion of stars.
Cathedral
Use the abstract designs painted in churches as inspiration for a ceiling mural in your home. Paisley motifs or geometric patterns painted on the ceiling can enhance the visual interest of a room. Try your hand at a trompe l'oeil effect by planning out a mock domed ceiling to create the illusion of a cathedral within a room. Sketch your ideas on the ceiling before you paint to help avoid mistakes. Add gold, purple and other royal colors to lend an air of sophistication and elegance to your ceiling mural.
World
Take a picture of your favorite map or globe, and use it as an example for a world ceiling mural. Draw a large circle in the center of a room's ceiling, positioning any light fixture directly in the center of the circle. Paint an image of Earth using blues and greens to represent the water and greens or earth tones to fill in continent shapes. Embellish your mural with nautical themes such as a compass, rope design or anchor to give your mural an explorative feel. An earth mural works well in a study, den or boy's bedroom.
Plants
Turn your plain ceiling into a fake canopy of rain forest trees by painting the tops of trees, vines and other tropical plants. Add a monkey or parrot to contribute to the tropical feel of your painting. Paint some blue sky around your plants to give viewers a feeling of standing in the middle of a . You can use vibrant greens and yellows to create a lush tropical plant scene. Continue your mural down along the walls to create a three-dimensional effect. Paint grasses and roots along the baseboards to contribute to your rain forest design.
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