← 1:20 · Room
Lowering a ceiling on purpose
A high ceiling is not always generous. Dropping one plane by 150 mm can make a room feel sheltered and make a window read as a frame.
· 3 min read
People read a ceiling's height relative to themselves and to the room's width. In a wide room, a uniform ceiling can feel low; in a narrow one, the same height feels tall. Changing the ceiling locally changes how one part of the room feels without touching the rest.
Three ways we do it
- A dropped plane over a seating area, stopping short of the window, so the higher strip at the glass frames the view.
- A slatted timber canopy that lowers the visual ceiling while the full volume stays visible around it.
- A painted datum line: walls below one colour, walls and ceiling above another, which moves the eye's horizon without any building work.
What to check first
- Services above: sprinklers, smoke detectors and air-conditioning need access panels and clearances.
- Structure: a dropped plane is usually hung from the slab; in rented or strata buildings, ask the landlord or management first.
- Head height: we keep lowered planes at 2,400 mm or above in living areas.