What Is a Coffered Ceiling?

When designing the perfect home, the ceiling shouldn't be an afterthought. It's a blank canvas ripe for bright colors and dramatic effect. In particular, coffered ceilings are an architectural detail not to be overlooked. These three-dimensional grids embedded in ceilings add aesthetic appeal and dimensionality to any space.

What Is a Coffered Ceiling?

Coffered ceilings are indented or sunken patterns in a series of square, rectangle, or octagon shapes. These hollow geometric areas in the ceiling are usually made from wood and plaster.

There are two principal methods of creating the look. The first is placing a roof beam or crossbeam framework on a flat surface. The naturally protruding beams create spaces that make the original ceiling appear sunken. The second method requires removing the ceiling material and carving or pressing the desired recessed shape.

The first method lowers the original ceiling height, while the second lifts the ceiling and adds extra space. This style of ceiling is also called caisson, waffle, or cross-beamed.

Considerations Before Installing Coffered Ceilings

Many factors must be considered before committing to a major remodel. Start by ensuring your home can support the weight of the beams and that your entire home’s interior design is cohesive enough for this timeless look.

Ceiling Height

Coffered ceilings are best suited for rooms with 9 or more feet of ceiling height. When added to rooms with lower clearance, coffered ceilings can feel overwhelmingly tight.

Cost

This type of ceiling can be costly to install, depending on the material and decorative details. The heavier the roof, the more structural reinforcements will be required. These elements increase the final installation cost.

Design Ideas

Choose straight, diagonal, or other geometric patterns that can be painted or lit to give the coffers a dramatic effect. Coffered ceilings can be as pronounced or subtle as you desire, but they need to look cohesive with any wallpaper and paint colors in the room, and the furniture. If you love a maximalist design, this look is ideal. If you quickly tire of trends, choose a white or other muted color for a clean palette.

Faux or Functional Beams

Most coffered ceilings are primarily for aesthetic appeal, so using hollow or faux beams can give the look without changing the structure of the home. Work with an architect or engineer to determine whether you need load-bearing beams for structural support or can get away with the faux look instead.

Installation

For square rooms in homes that have already settled, a handy homeowner might be able to install a DIY coffer with a simple square pattern. However, for more intricate designs, unique room shapes, and structural needs, most homeowners hire an expert installer to get the job done right.

Location

It is rare to have coffered ceilings throughout an entire home. Instead, they are ideal for entertaining rooms, such as the living room, dining room, study, home office, library, and primary bedrooms. The higher the roof, the better.

Materials

The cost of installing a coffered ceiling varies based on the type of material, molding, paint, stain, and lighting you choose. Common materials for coffered ceilings include drywall, plywood, fiberboard, and natural hardwoods, like oak, walnut, cherry, and mahogany.

Pros of Coffered Ceilings

Aesthetics: Coffered ceilings create a dramatic sense of dimensionality in any room. Because they exude elegance and luxury, they make an ordinary home seem memorable. Pair coffered ceilings with recessed or dramatic lighting for effect. This ceiling type is also ideal for concealing structural oddities in the roof, such as waves, pipes, and beams that can’t be removed.

Sound: Acoustic experts use coffered ceilings with sound-absorbing panels to improve sound quality in theaters and dampen noises and echoes between rooms.

The illusion of extra space: The indentations on the ceiling can provide the illusion of extra height. Depending on the width of the beams and their spacing, a coffered ceiling can make a room feel larger than it is.

Cons of Coffered Ceilings

Installation costs: This type of ceiling can be expensive because a lot of craftsmanship goes into creating the perfectly segmented details. The larger the space and the more intricate the design, the higher the cost and the longer it takes to install.

Requires high ceilings: This look is only ideal for rooms with high ceilings.

Structural support: Incorporating genuine beams may require additional support to maintain the integrity of the roof or ceiling. In these cases, you must work with an engineer or architect to determine if the home can structurally support the design.

Are Coffered Ceilings Worth It?

Although the installation costs are usually high, if you love the look and plan to live in the home for decades, then coffered ceilings might be worth it.

The History of Coffered Ceilings

Some say coffered ceilings started with the Romans. Architects have long since used exposed beams to distribute weight on single and multi-leveled structures. Coffered ceilings gained popularity over the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, they have been a design element in some of the most iconic spaces of the modern era. They are part of what gives the Palace of Versailles its regal look.