Over the Top

Image courtesy of Lonny Magazine

And I mean actually over the top, as in the ceiling.  There are rolls of great reasons to apply wallpaper to the ceiling.  Although it is a revival of an old trend, wallpapering a ceiling is a creative and unusual way to give character to a room.  Continuing the use of wallpaper "over the top" of a room can lower high ceilings, unify an oddly shaped space, cover up cracks, or dress up drab.

Above, designer Elizabeth Bauer goes into wild with a zebra-inspired wallpaper print.

image courtesy of Lonny Magazine

In order to make a smooth transition between wall and ceiling where the line is somewhat undefined, designer David Cafiero wraps the room in wallpaper from the floor, up...

image courtesy of Lonny Magazine

...and into the attached bathroom...

image courtesy of Lonny Magazine

...but sometimes, he just sticks to the ceiling.  Cafiero uses a retro wallpaper to spice up the ceiling space and coordinate with the minty-fresh paint.

image courtesy of Elle Decor

Again, where there is no clear line between the walls and the ceiling and therefore the designer of this bedroom in Normandy applied vertical stripes to streamline the unusal space.

Image courtesy of Elle Decor

Designer Muriel Brandolini uses a playful wallpaper on the walls and a different,  but coordinating eclectic wallpaper on the ceiling of her Manhattan bathroom.  The wallpapered ceiling gives the impression of lowering the height of the room, and making the space more defined.   

It takes confidence to splash a pattern over the entire room, but when its done right, the results can be wonderfully creative and beautifully unifying!