Modern repair in the living room is difficult to imagine without a smooth, beautiful ceiling. And although initially the surface of the zone above the head may be far from ideal, the situation can easily be corrected with the help of affordable and practical drywall sheets. This material allows you to embody the most original design solutions, complementing the interior with relief figures, three-dimensional structures, multi-level lighting. The stylish ceiling made of drywall in the living room will be a real highlight of the house, preserving a flawless look for more than a dozen years.
GKL ceilings: pros and cons
Prior to the advent of drywall, ceilings were a rather complex problem. The uneven base had to be plastered, painted, periodically cracks and chips appeared on it, which crumbled under the influence of natural household factors. Unlike cement-lime coating, drywall is devoid of such disadvantages. Lightweight sheets have strength, resistance to mechanical damage, but at the same time, they are extremely flexible for processing and installation.
One of the most important advantages of GCR is their environmental friendliness. Cardboard (wood pulp) and gypsum (ground natural mineral) are absolutely safe for humans, do not emit oily fumes and pass air well, allowing the room to “breathe”. The only thing that can damage this material is increased humidity, therefore, floods from neighbors from above and prolonged exposure to steam should not be allowed. If it is planned to install a working fireplace or stove in the living room, it is advisable to finish the ceiling with drywall with drywall, although gypsum cores themselves are non-combustible.
But with all these advantages, plasterboard ceilings have one drawback: such a design reduces the height of the room by at least 10-15 cm. However, for a small living room this will not be a problem if only the frame is suspended and the central part is suspended canvas or other delicate material.
Single level ceiling in the living room
A smooth ceiling without protruding decorations is the best option for the restrained design of the living room. A flat white surface is suitable for interiors in a modern, Scandinavian style, as well as in the style of minimalism and provence. More elegant classics can be decorated using plaster moldings, gold paintings, frescoes.
To make the single-level plasterboard ceiling look more interesting, it is painted with any color - in full or in fragments. The tone of the paint should be combined with the decor of the living room, but if the height of the room is small, it is advisable to choose light shades, with a glossy or pearlescent effect.
An unusual texture of the surface above your head will help to add variety to the room. To do this, it is enough to cover it with decorative plaster or walk with a texture tool (putty knife, roller, brush, rolling pin with a picture) on ordinary plaster. Sometimes geometric patterns are cut out on the ceilings through which a background of a different shade can appear or light can flow.
Given the flexibility of GKL, they also sheathe and non-standard design ceilings, for example, arched, curved, attic. To give the material the necessary shape, it is treated with hot steam, quickly bent, and after drying it is mounted on a metal frame.
Duplex ceiling in the living room
Voluminous plasterboard figures look great in spacious rooms with high ceilings.Step frames in the form of squares, rectangles, ovals, sometimes with decorated edges, are suitable for classic interiors - antique Greek, Victorian, Baroque. The smooth asymmetry in the lines is best combined with modern and futuristic motifs. Often, two-level ceilings are made in rooms without a certain style, guided only by the personal preferences of the owners.
The unusual geometry of the upper space allows you to divide a large area of living rooms and studios into functional areas. For this, not only various protrusions, suspension structures, recesses, boxes, but also noticeable color contrasts, a game of various textures, and lighting can be used. It is very easy to set the necessary accents with the help of coloring, decorative plaster, wallpaper, self-adhesive film and other interesting coatings.
In some cases, a two-level design on the ceiling is combined with a drywall niche for a TV - this looks quite impressive and thoughtful. In general, the overlapping design of the walls and the surface above the head gives the living room interior a more harmonious, complete look.
Combined living room ceilings
Due to its versatility, drywall is perfectly combined with almost any material. However, most often it is used in tandem with a stretch fabric. In a durable drywall box, whether it is a perimeter frame, a large cut-out figure or a small window, the PVC film is fastened as securely as possible and looks especially attractive. The contrast of the matte and mirror surface creates an interesting depth effect, which is further emphasized by special lighting. The texture of the tension elements can be different - from printed fabric to pearl spraying or photo printing.
Combining a drywall surface with wooden beams (even if not real, but decorative), you can create the atmosphere of a country house in the living room. This option is suitable for halls made in the style of country, Provence, loft, chalet.
One of the most creative techniques for decorating the ceiling is glass inserts and stained-glass windows fixed in GKL boxes. Due to the internal illumination, the colored elements look unusually saturated, and the pictures are clear. Such a design technique visually increases the height of the living room, making it exclusive and memorable.
Lighting and ceiling lighting
The suspended construction of plasterboard ceilings opens up enormous opportunities regarding the installation of lighting. The advantage of this finish is that all the wires and fixtures are hidden from view inside the metal frame, and only beautiful luminous elements remain on the surface. There are several options for lighting the plasterboard ceiling in the living room, and for a brighter design they are usually used in combination.
Backlight backlight LED strips and neon tubes are usually located around the perimeter of the entire ceiling, or along the edges of the figures. Soft uniform glow gives the structure a soaring appearance, visually raising the height of the living room. Compared to “office” spotlights and the sharpness of central lamps, diode tapes help create a relaxed atmosphere for cozy home evenings. The color of such garlands can be any, even changing depending on the selected mode.
Spot lighting - an integral part of plasterboard ceilings. To do this, along with any large elements, or with a slight deviation along the perimeter, small built-in LED lamps are mounted. They can be either built-in or protruding, on mini-brackets with a rotary mechanism.
Starry sky and all kinds of it in the form of sparkling dot patterns - an option for combined surfaces with a stretch fabric.The latter should be translucent, transmitting light, or with special perforation. Numerous mini-diodes can also be mounted in the holes of the drywall itself, and it looks really luxurious.
Built-in shades drywall ceilings always look neat and discreet. This is the best solution for a compact living room with a small height. Ceiling lights should be in harmony with the rest of the interior and scatter the rays throughout the room, as they will be the main source of light, even if there are small bulbs around.
Pendant chandelier - attribute of spacious halls for guests. The higher the ceiling, the larger this decorative and illuminating piece of furniture should be, because a small lamp will simply be lost on an area of 10 sq.m. Multi-candlesticks, crystal pendants, lanterns, glass flowers and stars - the choice of designer chandeliers is so vast that for any interior and style of the living room there is an ideal option.
Plasterboard ceiling in the living room - photo
If you still have not decided how to decorate the plasterboard ceiling in the living room, we suggest you look at the photo gallery collected on our website. Presented design solutions will help you choose the finished option, or develop your own project that will best meet the functional and aesthetic requirements in a single living room.
Video: Living Room Drywall Ceiling Design