Add Beachy Charm To Any Ceiling With This Tip From HGTV's Jenn Todryk

Creating visual interest and architectural grandeur in small spaces is often a challenge. HGTV's Jenn Todryk, known for her high-impact, low-construction transformations on the series "No Demo Reno," meets these challenges head-on by designing gorgeous, useful spaces that speak to homeowner wants and desires. In a recent episode, Todryk helped a family remodel several rooms in their home, including a spare room currently operating as an at-home office. The goal was to create a room for a mother who was moving from a coastal, beachy community in Florida to a more landlocked Dallas. Todryk was able to give the newest resident a taste of Florida by adding white slats to the ceiling that made the room resemble a cozy beach cottage. 

Todryk's transformation is as easy and low-cost friendly as it is lovely, which means it's very easy to make happen in your home. It can also work to add architectural interest whatever your design aesthetic since various finishes and types of paneling can achieve different style effects, including amenability to cottage, coastal, and farmhouse looks.

The result of Jenn Todryk's transformation in the episode of "No Demo Reno" is a stunningly fresh room in a crisp green with white accents, topped with a slatted white ceiling that not only pulled the room together but added architectural interest to a previously boxy room. The beachy feel is magnified by the use of flowy gauzy curtains and a chic rattan light fixture. Once inside, you'd be hard-pressed to convince anyone the sea wasn't outside the open window. 

The addition of wood slats makes the room seem taller by drawing the eye up to create height in what were otherwise standard-height ceilings. They also add an architectural element up high, great for more modern and non-architecturally descript homes. The slats complement the white moldings and trim, making it appear that the slatted ceiling was always part of the room. The vertical slats also have a lengthening and widening effect on the boxy room, which gives it a sense of being larger than it actually is.

Jenn Todryk achieves the effect by adding simple wooden boards to the ceiling at regular intervals. Even a few spread across the ceiling can have an enormous impact. You can use flooring slats or simple 1 x 2 or 3-inch boards added with a nail gun. To achieve Todryk's look, paint them with the same color as the ceiling. If you'd like them to stand out, finish them in a wood stain that matches the room's style. For a rustic Spanish-inspired or Tudor look, choose a dark wood stain. For a more Scandinavian or modern feel, choose a lighter finish. 

To add even more visual interest and a paneled ceiling look, space the slats closer together or use interlocking tongue and groove boards like shiplap. This is perfect for creating a cottage or woodland cabin feel, which can look stunning when painted or stained. A shiplap ceiling is often inexpensive and easy to install, like this variety available from Lowes. For a tropical look, you can also buy bamboo in rolled sheeting like this one from Amazon, which can be fastened to the ceiling for an instant transformation into an island hideaway.