25 Basement Ceiling Ideas to Add Some Style to the Space

By
Farima Ferguson
farima feurgeson headshot
Farima Ferguson
Farima Ferguson began her career at HGTV where she worked with designers to write about home design. Her work has appeared in HGTV, Insider Reviews, Travel Channel, and more.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 11/30/22
A boho style basement with a wallpaper ceiling

Casa Watkins Living

Whether your basement is rarely occupied or your favorite hangout spot in the home, it's a part of the home where you can express your personal style. You can turn it into whatever space you want like a craft or hobby area, a home office, or a home theater, so you want to create a comfortable and inspiring place you'll want to spend more time in.

When it comes to the basement, styling the ceiling is almost just as important as decorating the walls, especially if your basement has a low ceiling. To help you get started, we share our favorite ceiling ideas that will elevate your basement's design.

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  • 01 of 25

    Combine White and Natural Wood

    A basement with a floral pattern on the walls

    @ann.living / Instagram

    This basement proves that neutral tones are anything but boring. The cool wall design paired with the white wood ceiling and natural wood beams stay true to a neutral, minimalist design while adding visual appeal.

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  • 02 of 25

    Add Some Warmth

    A large wet bar in a basement with a wood ceiling and woven stools

    Design by Brophy Interiors / Photo by Hugo Landa Garcia

    This basement's white cabinets and light blue island and backsplash offer a crisp, clean look. The warm wood ceiling brings in some much-needed warmth, along with the leather stools, which adds a welcoming feel to the room.

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  • 03 of 25

    Use Two-Toned Wood

    A basement guest bedroom with a daybed and wood ceiling

    Erin Williamson Design

    All items in this room were collected over time, giving this basement guest bedroom an inviting feel. The stark white walls and bedding provide a beautiful contrast against the two-toned wood ceiling.

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  • 04 of 25

    Try a Boho Design Inspired Theme

    A basement with a patterned wallpaper on the ceiling

    Casa Watkins Living

    If your home office is in your basement, you'll want a space that feels inspiring and creative to keep you motivated. Stephanie Watkins added colorful touches to her basement office from the floor to the ceiling, literally. She installed a colorful floral wallpaper on the ceiling that enhances the colorful boho theme.

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  • 05 of 25

    Create a Cool Focal Point

    A basement with a dining table and wood ceiling

    Erin Williamson Design

    The main function of this basement is gathering to eat with family and friends in the dining area, so it makes sense to make the dining area the focal point of the room. The ceiling instantly draws the eye to this spot with its cool wood pattern and modern-style pendant light.

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  • 06 of 25

    Get Creative With a Wall to Ceiling Design

    A basement craft room with a rainbow design on the wall and ceiling

    Michelle Berwick Design

    A craft room should reflect its purpose — a spot in the home to get your creative juices flowing and inspire DIY projects. To help create a fun room, Michelle Berwick added color through chairs and a cool rainbow wall design that extends up to the ceiling. The design makes the low ceiling appear higher, creating a space that feels open and airy despite the small windows.

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  • 07 of 25

    Mix Dark and Bright Tones

    A basement with a wood ping pong table and herringbone pattern white ceiling

    Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Tramp

    Dark-toned wood and dark walls can bring a high-end, sophisticated look, but it can also make a basement with a low ceiling feel dark and cramped. This white ceiling makes the basement feel larger and brighter as it helps reflect any light that trickles in. The pattern of the wood panels adds interest to the all-white design.

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  • 08 of 25

    Get Moody With a Dark Pairing

    A basement with charcoal gray walls and ceiling

    Forbes + Master

    The basement is a great opportunity to display your interests and hobbies, and this basement is a music lover's dream. The moody velvet curtains and leather Chesterfield sofa paired with the dark walls and ceiling create a space you'd want to spend hours in listening to your favorite music.

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  • 09 of 25

    Use Wide Wood Planks

    A home library basement with emerald green walls and a wood ceiling

    @thetravellingapartment / Instagram

    This basement is full of life—from the emerald green walls to the sparkling chandelier and rich red rug. But, what really stands out is the wide wood plank ceiling that contrasts beautifully with the light wood flooring.

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  • 10 of 25

    Utilize Rich Colors and Textures

    A basement with dark ceiling and walls

    Design by Jessica Nelson Design / Photo by Carina Skrobecki

    You'll see rich textures and colors throughout this basement, including leather furniture, an ornate rug, and built-in shelving painted in black. To make the ceiling appear higher, it's painted in a dark shade that's slightly lighter than the walls.

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  • 11 of 25

    Try an Easy Stenciled Design

    A basement home office with a pattern on the wall and ceiling

    Michelle Berwick Design

    An all-white basement can get a simple makeover on a budget with a stenciled design on the wall and ceiling. The design keeps the eye moving and helps inspire creative thinking.

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  • 12 of 25

    Get Glam With Metallic

    A basement home office with dark blue walls and gold ceiling

    JK Interior Living

    Is there anything more opulent than gold? This basement office is covered in a beautiful blue hue, but what really stands out is the metallic gold ceiling. The metallic gold adds a little touch of glam to an otherwise monochrome space.

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  • 13 of 25

    Use A Variety of Ceiling Materials

    A game room with floor to ceiling windows

    Kendall Wilkinson Design

    The different types of ceilings in this room help differentiate the multiple purposes of the space. One area features a staircase with a wood-paneled ceiling, while the entertainment section of the room features a modern white ceiling with recessed lighting. The other side of the game and TV area goes back to the wood paneling where the kitchen is.

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  • 14 of 25

    Experiment With Dark Colors

    A basement nook with a black ceiling

    JK Interior Living

    Since the basement is oftentimes not the main room in the home, it's a great opportunity to experiment with colors you normally wouldn't try. This basement's ceiling gets an unexpected makeover with black paint. The walls are kept white to keep the room from feeling too small and dark.

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  • 15 of 25

    Add a Swanky Ceiling Feature

    A game room basement with a cool wood ceiling

    Latham Interior Design

    This basement features the ultimate ceiling— a large wood-paneled design with recessed lighting and a lighting strip that borders a stunning modern brass light fixture. The ceiling gives the room the lighting of an upscale bar perfect for housing a pool table and a nearby wet bar.

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  • 16 of 25

    Try a Rustic Touch

    A living area with a wood inlet ceiling

    Kate Marker Interiors

    A narrow, rustic wood ceiling treatment helps separate the TV area from the kitchen in this mostly white room. The wrought iron, vintage-style chandelier makes a grand statement.

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  • 17 of 25

    Set the Mood With Ambient Light

    A basement with guitars on the wall and a cool pendant light

    Kendall Wilkinson Design

    Everything about this basement encourages music creation, from the guitars on the wall to the ceiling light that resembles a drum set. The gray-toned walls and ceiling set the ambiance for a night of playing music and writing songs away from the bustle of the rest of the home.

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  • 18 of 25

    Create a Black and White Design

    A basement with a black and white accent wall

    Michelle Berwick Design

    Once unfinished, this basement is now anything but dim and dingy. The bright white ceiling allows the black and white accent wall in the media room to shine and pairs well with the adjacent marble fireplace wall.

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  • 19 of 25

    Get Creative With a Themed Ceiling

    A basement theatre with red walls and a galaxy ceiling

    Maite Granda

    With a home movie theater like this one, you really have no reason to make a trip to the local theater. The arcade game and red walls create a fun gaming spot, while the cool galaxy ceiling adds some extra pizzazz to the room.

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  • 20 of 25

    Keep a Beautiful White Backdrop

    A living area with a floor to ceiling blue entertainment center

    Mindy Gayer

    Sometimes, it's best if the ceiling blends into the background. If your room has a standout feature like a large entertainment center or cool pendant lights, there is nothing that'll help them stand out more than a white backdrop like in this stylish room.

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  • 21 of 25

    Try Monochromatic Design

    An all white kitchen and living area

    Rebecca Rollins Interior

    A monochromatic color scheme helps keep the eye moving from one part of the room to the other. Everything in this kitchen is white, which brings a refreshing look to the room while creating a nice flow throughout.

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  • 22 of 25

    Expose Your Ceiling Beam

    An all white basement with a rustic wood ceiling beam

    @kirsten.diane / Instagram

    What was once just an architectural feature is now a design statement— the ceiling beam. The combination of the rustic style beam and contemporary white ceiling and walls brings a modern farmhouse feel to this basement.

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  • 23 of 25

    Aim for Minimalism

    A basement with a pool table

    Design by Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions / Photo by Spacecrafting Photography

    For a sleek, minimalist look, the ceiling in this basement game room is simply painted white while the ceiling beam and walls are a calming mauve color. The neutral space leaves room to decorate with framed posters and other artwork.

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  • 24 of 25

    Add an Eclectic Light

    A wine cellar basement with rows of wine

    Latham Interior Design

    A wine cellar basement as amazing as this one deserves a one-of-a-kind ceiling light. The beautiful wood and resin ceiling light moves using a pulley system so you can direct the light exactly where you need it.

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  • 25 of 25

    Use Light Wood Beams

    A small basement with a kitchenette with teal cabinets

    White Sands

    At first glance, the teal cabinets in this kitchenette are the focal point of the room, but as soon as the eye moves up, the ceiling beams steal the show. The natural grain in the light wood brings texture and interest to the room and especially stands out against the white ceiling backdrop.