20 Open Concept Vaulted Ceiling Living Room Ideas for Spacious Interiors

Last updated on November 24, 2023

Exploring open concept vaulted ceiling living room ideas is enthralling because these designs flawlessly merge aesthetics with function, transforming spaces into grand, airy retreats.

I’m proud to have crafted this article and accompanying designs on 20 Open Concept Vaulted Ceiling Living Room Ideas, hoping it will inspire you as much as it inspired me during its creation.

Open concept living rooms with vaulted ceilings offer a unique blend of spaciousness, elegance, and natural light. Leveraging this design can transform a space into an airy, inviting, and aesthetically pleasing area.

This article delves into a multitude of ideas to enhance such a space, from the right choice of colors and lighting to the optimal placement of furniture and accessories. Whether you’re seeking a modern, rustic, or traditional look, you’ll find detailed strategies and tips to create a stunning open concept living room with a vaulted ceiling.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive guide that offers all the details you need.

What's Inside

Installing Exposed Wooden Beams

Choosing the right type of wood, from reclaimed timber for a rustic look to polished mahogany for a more refined aesthetic, can massively influence the ambiance of the room. Play with the layout of the beams, considering parallel, criss-cross, or diagonal patterns to add a dynamic visual element.

Sizing is also crucial – larger beams imply grandeur, while slender ones are better for a minimalist interior. It’s not just about the look – positioning is key for structural integrity, be sure to consult with a professional for this.

Finally, keep in mind, the color of your beams should complement the hues of your living room to create a cohesive design.

Light-coloured Paint for a Spacious Feel

Light colours have a magical space-enhancing quality. Using such hues in a vaulted living room imparts depth and airiness, accentuating loftiness. You might opt for cool tone whites, soothing beiges, or subtle greys. The goal is selecting shades that reflect light, thereby contributing to natural illumination.

However, do not restrict yourself to the big picture. The trim, a significant detail, will receive an immediate uplift with a lighter shade. It provides a smooth transition between walls and the ceiling, directing viewers’ attention upward, emphasizing on the room’s impressive height.

Remember to take fixtures and furnishings into account. Consistency can be achieved by incorporating light colours in them as well to maintain the room’s spacious nature. But here’s an insider’s trick – introduce texture! Consider woven rugs, tufted cushions, or leather furniture. These elements can add a sensory appeal while adhering to your light toned palette. This way, you reap the spacious benefit of lighter shades without sacrificing interest or warmth in your living room.

Wall-to-ceiling Windows for Natural Light

Harnessing the power of the sun is key to enhancing the vaulted ceiling ambiance. Not only do larger windows invite more daylight, but they also create an illusion of a larger living space.

1. Choose Pane Alignment: Align the glass panes vertically to maximize sunlight and make the room feel taller.

2. Opt for Clear Glass: Frosted glass might compromise the natural light potential. Clear glass ensures a steady influx of warmth and brightness.

3. Frames: Consider minimalist frames to prevent obstruction of light. Thin, durable materials like aluminum are popular choices.

4. Window Treatments: Opt for light sheer curtains that add a soft touch without casting shadows.

Remember, the higher the window, the more daylight reaches into the room. And what can be more delightful than basking in natural light within the comfort of home! Plan wisely to make the most of your living room’s vaulted ceiling.

Hanging Pendant Lights

While it’s true that vaulted ceilings offer an abundance of overhead space, it becomes quite a task to illuminate the area efficiently. That’s where pendant lights come to your rescue.

They serve as a decorative touch that enhances the overall aesthetic of the living room. Opt for larger or more elaborate fixtures to make a statement. Ensure they hang low enough to provide the required amount of light but not so low that they obstruct the view.

Consider the symmetry too. A single pendant light can work wonderfully in compact spaces, but larger rooms might require two or three evenly spaced fixtures for balanced illumination. Do consider using dimmer switches, it allows for light level control resulting in mood creation for different occasions.

Paying attention to the style of pendant lights is equally important. Choose a style that complements the rest of your décor; a mismatch could derange the harmony. Modern, industrial, vintage, Scandinavian, or coastal – the design options are endless!

The more effort you put into placing and choosing your pendant lights, the more you’ll enhance the grandeur of your vaulted ceilinged living room.

Vertical Bookshelves to Utilize Height

When you have a vaulted ceiling, there’s an opportunity to use height as an advantage. Vertical bookshelves are a great option. They add a focal point to the room, while also providing plenty of storage or display space. With a variety of styles available, you can choose one that complements your decor, be it modern, rustic, or traditional.

1. Match your shelving material with other elements in the room to create visual harmony – woods with woods, metals with metals.

2. Consider styles with built-in ladders for easy access.

3. For smaller rooms, opt for see-through or open-back bookshelves to avoid a boxed-in feel.

4. Light the shelves from the top or inside to accentuate their verticality and show off your displayed items.

5. If your shelf is in a corner, think about a wrap-around design to maximize capacity.

Remember, it’s also about what you put on the shelves; a balanced mix of books, art, and decorative items can turn a simple vertical bookshelf into a stunning visual centerpiece.

Functional Loft Space

Maximizing the volume of your living room can be achieved seamlessly with the addition of a functional loft. Offering not only a dynamic aesthetic element but also serving as a practical solution for boosting space, the loft can be tailored to fit your unique needs.

You can transform this elevated area into a quiet reading nook, a snug guest bedroom or even an unobtrusive home office. The key is to ensure the design complements your open-concept living room. Use appropriate furniture that is not overwhelming in scale, along with cohesive decor elements to maintain harmony.

Balustrades or glass barriers provide safety while keeping sightlines open, keeping the overall feel of the room spacious. When designed right, the loft can contribute to the ventilated, liberating ambiance characteristic of vaulted ceiling living rooms. Light fixtures are crucial for this elevated area, consider track lighting or wall-mounted lamps to avoid dark corners.

Remember to provide easy, comfortable access to the loft. Spiral staircases or sleek ladder designs often work well in such environments, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal while maintaining functionality.

Tall Indoor Plants for Greenery

Rich foliage of tall indoor plants creates a touch of nature, enhancing your vaulted ceiling living room’s serenity.

Palms, Fiddle leaf figs, and Dracaenas are excellent for reaching those towering heights.

Ensure the plants receive ample sunlight, consider positioning them near windows or skylights.

To make a striking statement, use textured planters in earthy tones or metallic ones for a modern touch.

An added benefit of greenery is their ability to purify indoor air.

A handy aspect to note is the plants’ need for routine care to keep them healthy and growing.

Thus, choose species that align with your upkeep ability to cherish a green, space-utilizing decor.

Gallery Display On High Wall

Capitalizing on the expansive wall space that comes with vaulted ceilings can be a fantastic option to make a unique statement and add personal touches to your living room. In this realization, consider these points:

1. Scaling: Opt for larger pieces of artwork or grouping smaller pieces together. This ensures that the configuration gets noticed even with the towering wall.

2. Cohesion: Keep elements uniform or complementary in theme, colour, or style. This creates harmony in the composition.

3. Height: Hang the gallery at eye level, or slightly higher, to both fill the space and draw the eye upward, emphasizing the high ceilings.

4. Balance: Play around with the arrangement of pieces to form a visually pleasurable balance. One larger central piece can anchor the arrangement, or multiple pieces can balance each other out.

An effectively styled gallery wall can become a compelling focal point, bridging the gap between the floor and ceiling, making the room feel more intimate yet maintaining its grandeur.

Large-scale Artwork to Fill Space

Transitioning to large-scale artwork can substantially alter the room’s ambiance. These pieces act as stunning focal points, creating visual intrigue while infusing character and personality into the space.

Given the vast vertical scope offered by vaulted ceilings, oversized paintings or murals are ideal. When selecting artwork for this purpose, consider the dominant colors, themes, and styles in the room to ensure a harmonized look.

Additionally, the placement of the artwork is critical; aim for it to be at eye-level when standing. This maximizes visibility and impact, ensuring the piece commands the attention it deserves.

To achieve a gallery-like feel, combine multiple large-scale art pieces, spacing them equally.

Two-story Fireplace to Draw Focus

A well-designed fireplace can certainly act as a focal point in a vaulted ceiling living room. Its grand scale will command attention, drawing everyone’s gaze upward while also complementing the height of the room.

For a truly impressive aesthetic, consider incorporating natural elements such as stone or wood. Should you prefer a sleek modern look, go for clean lines with a minimalistic design that amplifies the sense of spaciousness.

Also, ensure to integrate fireplace safety features, like an appropriately sized hearth or glass barrier, into your design for a balance of beauty and functionality. Remember, lighting around the fireplace can intensify its appeal, so consider incorporating some lighting features too.

Floating Shelves At Varying Heights

Having shelves at diverse heights not only offers a striking visual appeal, but also gives you the freedom to maximize wall space efficiently. This clever approach gives the illusion of larger scale, leading the eye upwards to explore the vaulted ceiling.

By placing books, sculptures, and small indoor plants on these shelves, you’ll create a personalised display that doubles as storage. Mixing different shelf lengths and sizes can add a unique dynamic to your living room. Always remember, keep the heavier items on the lower shelves to maintain balance.

For a modern aesthetic, opt for sleek, minimalist designs in matte black or white. Rich woods or brass tones will lend warmth for a rustic or traditional decor. To take it up a notch, integrating subtle lighting underneath the shelves can illuminate your showcased items, adding a soft ambient glow to your room.

Luxurious Chandelier to Add Elegance

A well-chosen chandelier can work wonders, acting as a magnificent focal point, while providing ample light. Consider the size of your room and the height of your ceiling before you make a selection.

Choose the chandelier’s design based on the overall theme of your living area; a crystal piece might complement a classic look, while a geometric metal design can enhance a contemporary feel.

Be sure to place the chandeliers in a position that highlights the room’s main space and furnishings. To maintain balance, avoid overcrowding other lighting elements within the area.

Modern Ceiling Fan for Style and Comfort

Featuring sleek lines and smooth operation, a fan can provide both practical and design benefits. With the high ceilings, it helps to circulate air effectively, maintaining an ideal room temperature during all seasons.

Furthermore, many contemporary designs come with in-build LEDs, adding needed light to the vast ceiling space. Whether it’s a simplistic three-blade design or a unique sculptural piece, a suitable fan can reinforce the desired style statement, operational, and aesthetic benefits all at once.

Choose according to the room’s color palette for an integrated look. For a bold statement, consider a fan with contrasting hues or materials.

Skylights to Bring in More Light

Incorporating skylights ensures you get a good dose of natural light during the day. Oriented either vertically or horizontally, they provide a literal window to the sky, adding a dynamic, changeable element to your decor, as their appearance shifts with the weather and time of day.

Certain considerations are crucial:

Placement: Ideally, install over spaces you use most often, such as seating or dining-areas.
Control: Consider options for blocking or reducing light. Mechanised blinds can provide this.
Glazing: Choose energy-efficient glazing to insulate your interiors.
Size: Depending on how much light you require, decide on the size of the skylight.

The impact of this feature can be transformative, shifting your space from dull to dazzling in a heartbeat.

Floor to Ceiling Drapes

Selecting suitable drapery is essential for vaulted ceiling living rooms. They can form a captivating background or accent color that catches the viewer’s eye.

When it comes to material, it’s ideal to choose lighter fabrics like linen or cotton, which allow a certain amount of light to filter through and create a warm atmosphere.

For a grandeur effect, consider installing a curtain track on the ceiling. This can give an illusion of a taller space, accentuating the room’s height and scale. Remember that the draping should reach the floor for maximum impact.

Mounting curtain rods slightly above the windows also helps. Avoid smaller windows from getting overwhelmed by adding a valance or cornice board. It separates the drapes from the windows and reflects an organized look.

Two-tone drapes are an exciting choice for a standout look. The color at the top can match the wall, merging seamlessly, while the bottom half can be a contrasting color, breaking the height and providing visual interest.

Remember to match the style of the drapery with the overall theme of the room for a cohesive look. Whether it’s a minimalist soft white curtain for a Scandinavian-themed room or patterned, royal velvet drapes for a traditional setting, the choice of drapery can add panache to your vaulted ceiling living room.

Mezzanine Level for Extra Space

Creating a mezzanine level can provide an innovative solution to make the most of the high ceilings. It not only offers additional living space, but also creates a distinct visual interest. You can utilize this space as a reading nook, a mini home office, a studio, or a guest bedroom.

Remember to complement the design elements of the lower level with the mezzanine for a balanced and consistent look. Use appropriate railing designs to ensure safety without compromising the open-air appeal. Staircase style also plays an integral role; choose between a classic, spiral or minimalistic style, according to your space and preferences.

Lighting is vital too, ensure there is adequate light reaching the mezzanine level. Placement of furniture should be done strategically to avoid any sense of clutter. A well-planned mezzanine level can effectively optimize space while lending a unique character to your vaulted ceiling living room.

Multilevel Lighting Design

Creating a striking ambiance with a multilevel lighting design involves a combination of different layers of illumination that work together to enhance the space. Here are some points to help you achieve this:

1. Ambient Lighting: Start by establishing a general layer of light throughout the entire room. Opt for recessed ceiling lights or cove lighting.

2. Task Lighting: Lights designed for specific tasks, like reading, should be incorporated in sitting or working areas. Directional lamps or adjustable sconces can come handy here.

3. Accent Lighting: Highlight your architectural features or artworks with spotlights or picture lights.

4. Decorative Lighting: A monumental chandelier or unique pendants can act as the room’s centerpiece while providing additional light.

Remember, control is key. Using dimmers and switches for each light type allows you to easily adjust the lighting scene. This setup gives you the flexibility to control how you illuminate your vaulted ceiling living room, depending on the time of day, activity or mood.

Large Scale Wall Mirror to Reflect Light

A strategically placed wall mirror can dramatically brighten up any living room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Besides setting an aesthetic, large mirrors double the visual space by reflecting light and the room’s interior design.

To get the most out of your mirror placement, here are some pointers:

Position the mirror across from a window or another light source to maximize reflection.
Choose a large, frameless mirror for a sleek, modern look that won’t distract from the rest of the room’s decor.
Consider placing the mirror high on the wall to reflect the ceiling’s impressive height back into the room.
If the mirror reflects onto a space you’d prefer to keep private, like a workstation or cluttered corner, simply adjust its angle accordingly.

Remember, mirrors aren’t just for checking your appearance – they’re versatile home decor tools that can open up your space and bring much-needed light to your vaulted ceiling living room.

Geometric Patterns for a Modern Edge

Adding visual interest to a lofty space can be a challenge. Enter geometric patterns, ideal for such daring architectural settings. Bold and modern, these designs can instantly upgrade the look of a room.

1. Textiles: Throw pillows and rugs with geometric prints can break up the monotony of a large space, drawing the eye in an engaging way.

2. Wallpapers: An accent wall featuring a geometric pattern can create a striking visual point of interest.

3. Tiles: Consider floor tiles in angular designs or a tile backsplash in the kitchen area if your open-concept includes this space.

4. Furniture: Think of bookshelves or coffee tables in geometric shapes to subtly incorporate this pattern.

Remember, the key lies in balance. Too much of a geometric pattern can feel overwhelming, especially in a large, open space. Aim for strategic placement for maximum impact.

Mounted Wall Sculptures for Visual Interest

Gaining visual interest in a living room with a vaulted ceiling can be accomplished with thoughtfully chosen and strategically positioned wall sculptures. Make sure to select pieces that complement the overall style of your space. They can range from abstract metal designs for a modern vibe to finely carved wooden reliefs for a more traditional ambiance.

When meticulously placed, these pieces naturally draw the eye upward, inviting guests to appreciate the full benefit of the spacious room. It’s encouraged to hang them at varying heights to establish a dynamic wall display. As a rule of thumb, larger sculptures should be hung lower, while smaller ones can be placed higher to avoid overwhelming the space.

Use spotlighting to highlight the sculptures, which not only illuminates the pieces for better viewing but also produces captivating shadows that further elevate their allure. By incorporating wall sculptures, you can successfully blend artistry with architecture, resulting in a vibrant living space that wows at every elevation.