How to decorate small spaces with high ceilings

If you have a small space with a high ceiling, do the decorating rules change? Can you decorate differently than you could if you were limited to an 8-foot-high ceiling?

Let's dissect this example to learn a few tricks of the trade when it comes to vertical space.

Obviously, when you have 12 to 14 feet from floor to ceiling, you get the feeling of having a luxurious amount of space even though the floor dimensions are tight. If one of the walls has floor-to-ceiling glass windows or doors, the space feels even bigger. Suddenly, an 8-square-foot room feels three times larger. The challenge is how to make the room feel comfortable and create a lower focal point.

In a room with tall ceilings, the basic rule is to use color, pattern and furnishings to bring the focus down to eye level.

Here we see a room with a slanted ceiling that's between 8 and 10 feet tall. The dining chairs are only about 32 inches above the floor. Standard dining tables, such as the one shown, are generally 29 inches tall. So how do you make the furniture, which is small compared to the scale of the room, feel comfortable?

Look at how the accent wall functions in the space. The wallpaper is colorful and whimsical. It draws attention, and the colors of the butterflies create the color scheme for the room. The fabric of the chairs matches the colors in the wallpaper, drawing the viewer's eye toward the ground. This is important because it can be challenging to create a snug sensation in a small space with a higher ceiling.

Next, notice the two colorful light fixtures mounted over the table. The ceiling beams crisscross directly above the table. Using two different fixtures creates symmetry and balance. Additionally, hanging the two fixtures at slightly different heights draws the eye toward to the table. The appropriately sized, colorful area rug ties the room together. With all of these features, the eye takes in the space from the floor up. The space looks and feels good and secure.

If you have extra-high ceilings, try integrating the room in some architectural way. For example, you could add tall crown molding in a room like this one. I would suggest at least 8 to 10 inches high. If the molding options you find on the shelf are only 5 to 6 inches tall, add a second profile that pairs well with the first to extend the molding another few inches down the wall.

Another way to bring the scale down to eye level is to install wainscoting. Traditionally wainscoting is wood paneling installed at the base of the wall that covers the wall 3 to 5 feet up from the floor. Initially, wood was used for practical reasons - to cover up cold stone in an effort to warm up a room. Used in modern times, though, this design aid visually warms up a room and can help draw the eye downward, thus creating a comfortable look.

Another very easy way to visually drop the ceiling down is to use paint. If the ceiling is painted a slightly darker color, or a darker value of the color used in the rest of the space, it will lessen the perceived height between floor and ceiling. You could also install wood or another material on the ceiling to achieve the same result.

Similarly, if the flooring is a darker tone, it will enclose the space. Think of it like a sandwich: The two pieces of bread - the ceiling and floor - hold the elements in between together.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

© 2016, Creators Syndicate