The Major Ceiling Upgrade That'll Add Some Character To Your Kitchen

The solution to adding character, texture, and visual interest to your kitchen can be found by looking up. Adding exposed beams is a major ceiling upgrade that creates the illusion of higher ceilings, makes the space feel more spacious, and increases aesthetic appeal. Exposed beams are among the stunning statement ceilings to give your space a whole new look.

Throughout most of history, exposed beams were strictly functional. These beams were hand hewn locally and intended to support the weight of the upper floors of the house and the roof. Improvements in construction tools and technologies led to enormous beams being replaced by smaller joists and rafters. Today, exposed wood beams are being added to homes to create an interesting focal point and a warm and cozy feeling to the space.

Depending on the style of beams and whether they are painted, stained, or left unfinished, exposed beam ceilings can fit with many design styles, from rustic to modern. When creating an exposed ceiling in your space, the main options are to expose existing beams or add decorative beams. In newer homes, it is unlikely that the house has beams covered, but historical homes may have them hidden behind the ceiling.

The options for exposed beam ceilings include exposing existing structural beams that may be hiding under a ceiling and/or installing decorative beams. Structural beams are an integral part of weight bearing design of a building. In some homes, these beams were covered later to reduce heating and cooling costs. Removing the covering can expose the beams again. One way to tell that a home may have exposed beams is the age of the house. These are more common in houses built prior to 1920, especially farmhouses. Removing the ceiling can expose the beam, but you may have reroute wiring and vents.

The options for decorative beams include faux wood beams and solid wood beams. The DIY that's trendy but never worth trying is faux wood beams made of foam board. Although foam board is lightweight and fairly easy to install, it's flammable. If you want to use faux beams, some companies offer fire-rated faux wood beams, or you could choose hollow wood faux beams rather than foam to avoid a potentially hazardous situation.

Hollow wood beams are made of real wood that is hollowed out, which makes them lighter and easier to install. These beams provide the beauty and character of structural beams without the need to pay for more expensive materials, engineers, and professional installation. Since they are not structural, you have more flexibility in how and where they are installed. In addition, the hollow beams can be used to hide electrical wiring for lighting in your kitchen.