Looking Up

October 27, 2026

The modern ceiling offers a bland, and relatively lifeless sea of white. There is the occasional medallion or maybe even a little crown molding thrown up to keep it from looking like the top of a tissue box but effectively it’s still just white. Even the modern chandelier is a little pared down.

This didn’t use to be the case. A ceiling was a reason unto itself to look up. Symmetry, ornamentation, decoration, light and shadow all playing their part in a bigger show. The reward for looking up is a sense of awe and wonderment. It inspires, pushes boundaries and is a creative outlet like no other.

I live in a house of flat white ceilings. There are a couple of medallions and a little crown molding thrown in for flavour but looking at these ceilings I’m starting to wonder what’s with all the white.

This is a ceiling in a museum that was white washed in the sixties. Recent efforts have been made to show what they covered up. I love how they revealed a defined area. The difference is so striking.