Your ceiling is a clear slate. Normally an untapped ground in inside design, the “fifth wall” provides limitless design potential. From circus stripes to color drenching, incorporating design components in your ceiling makes the ground actually really feel further intentional and fewer like a forgotten part of the room. Do you have to’re making an attempt in order so as to add architectural ingredient and character to your ceiling, why not go for a ceiling medallion?
Initially seen in Nineteenth-century homes, ceiling medallions are decorative moldings which were used to mark the center of the home and coordinate with the intricate woodwork used to bridge the ceiling with the encircling partitions. Because of lighting in these events was gasoline based totally, ceiling medallions moreover helped to cowl soot marks left on the ceiling from the burning lamps.
These days, ceiling medallions are strictly aesthetic. For historic homes, medallions may be utilized to ship era-accurate ingredient once more into the construction or add seen curiosity to ceiling-based lighting. These accents moreover happen to be quite simple to DIY. To walk us through the tactic, we’ve enlisted the help of Jerome Bertuglia, proprietor of Prime Homes, Inc. in West Hartford, Connecticut, which specializes in developing custom-made homes. “The vital factor to a worthwhile arrange lies in precise measurement and meticulous consideration to the ceiling’s current choices,” Bertuglia says. So as on a regular basis, measure twice, decrease as quickly as. Study on for further particulars about simple strategies to arrange ceiling medallion.
Strategies to Choose a Ceiling Medallion
Not all ceiling medallions are created equal. As a method to be sure to’re choosing the proper one in your own home, you’ll want to take a look on the design, the material, and the size. Ceiling medallions can be found in a variety of sizes and kinds consistent with the architectural interval they originated in. Moreover they don’t must be restricted to being positioned spherical lighting. Pre-electricity, quite a lot of homes had ceiling medallions as a decorative issue to mark the center of a room.
Bertuglia prefers high-density polyurethane medallions because of they’re lighter than plaster, easier to take care of (i.e., a lot much less fragile), sturdy, and intensely detailed. Plaster is standard, nevertheless plaster medallions are dearer and fragile. Fashionable ceiling medallions will even be crafted from brass, picket, and PVC.
To determine in your ceiling medallion’s design, take a look at your personal residence’s architectural sort. If it’s a Victorian home, evaluation and choose a pattern that’s based on your personal residence’s current architectural particulars. For modern homes, there are a myriad of simpler, a lot much less ornate ceiling medallions which will add curiosity whereas feeling aesthetically fixed.
What You’ll Need
Strategies to Arrange a Ceiling Medallion
Step One: Shut Off the Power
Everytime you’re dealing with electrical fixtures, step one among your course of must on a regular basis be to indicate off the ability in that room. For greater homes, you presumably can flip the breaker change for the one room. In residences or smaller homes, you might have to cut vitality totally for the time it takes to complete this problem. Don’t worry, it obtained’t take prolonged.
Step Two: Discover the Center of the Ceiling
Using a measuring tape, laser info, or totally different measuring software program, you’ll want to uncover the exact coronary heart of your ceiling. (Do you have to’re inserting it over a lighting fixture, this work has greater than seemingly already been achieved for you.) Mark the center with a pencil.
Step Three: Take away the Current Light Fixture
Fastidiously uninstall the current delicate fixture. Take away the lightbulb first, after which look to the ceiling wiring. Do you have to’re the one who has put within the fixture, merely reverse your steps.
Step 4: Protected the Wires
To take care of your self additional safe, place wire caps over any and all uncovered wires which were contained within the pendant or ceiling delicate.
Step 5: Arrange the Medallion
Put a generous amount of adhesive (harking back to picket glue or Bertuglia recommends molding specific adhesive) on the once more of the ceiling medallion. Line up the two coronary heart components, and firmly press the ceiling medallion onto the ceiling, holding it there for 15 to 30 seconds. “It’s important to make it possible for {{the electrical}} wiring from the sunshine fixture aligns with the central hole of the medallion,” Bertuglia says. “This ensures there’s no gaps throughout the coronary heart of the piece.”
Step Six: Protected With Screws
In case your medallion received right here with screws, now’s the time to drill these in with an affect drill. Usually small or ultra-lightweight medallions is likely to be secured with molding glue alone, nevertheless we on a regular basis advocate an extra diploma of security merely in case.
Step Seven: Reinstall the Lighting
Take away the wire caps and reinstall the sunshine fixture. That’s one different second to double look at the centering and symmetry of your problem sooner than you apply the ending touches and supreme seals.
Step Eight: Caulk and Patch Gaps
For a seamless look, Bertuglia recommends caulking any gaps between the ceiling and the medallion after which defending the caulk with paint to match (or distinction!) the ceiling coloration.
Now you presumably can flip the ability once more on and profit from the gorgeous outcomes.
Safety Concepts
On a regular basis: Flip the Power Off
When placing in a ceiling medallion over a light-weight fixture, you’ll be dealing with keep wiring. This might set off electrocutions and burns. To steer clear of these painful accidents, on a regular basis decrease the ability to the room you’re working in in the course of the medallion arrange.
Certainly not: Arrange Alone
Ceiling medallions are, properly, on the ceiling. And till you’re eight ft tall, this problem would require a ladder. Using a tall ladder and never utilizing a spot or an extra pair of fingers is likely to be further dangerous than wanted. We advocate grabbing a pal, vital totally different, coworker, and lots of others., that may help you out for an hour or two and truly watch your once more.
When to Identify a Expert
Placing in a ceiling medallion is a relatively simple course of, nevertheless there are a few circumstances the place calling an skilled to take care of the problem is more healthy than you doing it by your self.
Additional-Tall Ceilings
Do you have to’re lucky enough to have extraordinarily extreme ceilings—meaning larger than 10 ft tall—it’s most interesting to call an skilled contractor. They’ll have the proper safety instruments to stand up that prime and arrange your ceiling medallion.
Tough Wiring
Some lighting are harder to remove than others, possibly as a result of burden or the type of the design. Do you have to don’t know the place to begin out and don’t want to harm your favorite chandelier, go ahead and title an electrician to take down and reinstall your lights.
The Light Gained’t Flip Once more On
Do you have to’ve achieved the arrange solely to go looking out that your delicate isn’t working, you might have unintentionally messed with the inside wiring. Identify an electrician to troubleshoot the problem.
Ceiling Medallion FAQ
What Kind of Adhesive Should You Use for a Ceiling Medallion?
Bertuglia recommends homeowners use a molding-specific adhesive for max sturdiness. You presumably can extra secure it with screws.
Can You Make Ceiling Medallions Renter Nice?
Certain! Whereas it’s not as secure as using glue or screws, many renters, along with Marco Zamora, use the lighting bracket to hold the medallion in place.
Should Ceiling Medallions Be Wider Than the Light Fixture?
Whereas that’s as a lot as personal selection, we’re saying certain. A ceiling medallion coronary heart ring must be wider (or the equivalent width) as a result of the fixture in an effort to arrange appropriately. Nonetheless, the decorative issue throughout the fixture is likely to be as giant or as slender as you see match.
Can You Arrange a Ceiling Medallion With out Eradicating the Fixture?
Whereas it’s a bit further troublesome, certain, technically you presumably can. Uncover a ceiling medallion that’s break up in half, then arrange each half throughout the delicate fixture using the equivalent steps as a traditional medallion. On the end, seal all of the seams with caulk to cowl the center line. Take discover that this system couldn’t take a look at “built-in” or seamless.
Engaged on a design problem? Permit us to help!
Observe Dwelling Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.
Kate McGregor is Dwelling Beautiful’s Digital Editor, writing in-depth , design inspiration tales, and . With over 5 years of experience writing commerce and search-optimized content material materials for producers like Domino, Precise Straightforwardand Architectural Digest’s Clever, Kate has developed a passion for uncovering the private tales that often lie behind the inspiration for people’s areas. She beforehand labored as a result of the assistant market editor at ELLE Decor the place she acknowledged prime merchandise and kinds throughout the commerce and interviewed rising designers about their concepts on the latest . Kate holds a bachelor’s diploma from Belmont Faculty. When not researching the specificities of begonia plant care, you will discover Kate scouring traditional markets for the perfect wrought-iron chair, knitting yet another cardigan, or learning historic nonfiction.