Creating Comfort Under Ceilings That Soar (Decorating With Wallpaper)

(ARA) - It's not surprising that vaulted ceilings are a growing trend in today's new homes. Ceilings that rise two or more stories in one continuous expanse certainly give rooms a feeling of spaciousness. They also add a sense of drama, even grandeur. But they also present decorating dilemmas. What do you do with those long, tall walls? How do you make life under the "cathedral" cozy?

In addition to helping consumers locate the right product, the Web site provides information on the latest trends in decorating colors and designs on an Online News section. Images of decorator room sets provide consumers with ideas and links to practical "How to" information, such as "Decorating with Borders" and "How to Hang Wallpaper."* WINNER: Chris Cassidy, left, with Painting and Decorating Association president Nigel Deamer, right, and Nathan Clay, front (S)In this case, the plaid also masks irregularities in the shape of the room itself. The four walls don't join at perfect right angles, but the addition of plaid makes them look like they do.Whether you are looking for wallpaper borders with trailing green ivy for a kitchen corner or ideas for your new home office, head to your computer. For more information, visit www.wallpaperguide.com.A novelty palm-tree print, also from the Winnetka collection, carries a soothing, tropical breeze to this master bath. Above the palm trees, at ordinary ceiling height -- approximately eight feet from the floor -- we've placed a border that combines a larger-scale version of the palm tree with luscious pomegranates. The border creates a continuous level plane to surround the room.Tall expanses of uninterrupted wall diminish both the size and importance of artwork. While the walls can be filled with a patchwork of framed art, many of the prints and paintings are above eye-level at distances and angles that inhibit a clear view. In addition, vertical walls that rise 14, 15 or 16 feet from the floor tend to dwarf furniture at ground level. Without a unifying element to tie the walls and ceiling together, these rooms become cavernous and cold.To locate a retailer that carries the Winnetka collection featured here and other wallpaper collections from S.A. Maxwell Co., call (847) 932-3700 or visit www.samaxwell.com on the Internet.Without any break or border, the floral walls of the bedroom switch to a complementary plaid that provides contrast on the two walls that angle upward toward the center of the room. At the center of the ceiling, these two patterns almost join in a rectangular frame. Slim strips of plaid along the edge of the floral walls complete the frame, in which a sponge-textured wallpaper seems to create a window of sky.

To locate a retailer that carries the Winnetka collection featured here and other wallpaper collections from S.A. Maxwell Co., call (847) 932-3700 or visit www.samaxwell.com on the Internet.

Author: Jaima Brown