I recently purchased a 'fixer upper' in the DC area and am starting to decorate. In my living room, I want to do something different with the ceiling, other than paint. I have considered tin ceilings and the panel ceilings that Armstrong makes... what other options do I have for the ceiling? Any ideas that are creative and cheap? The house is in the victorian style, by the way, but I am not going for the overly ornate victorian look. Thanks.

well,
their is the plaster moldings route or wood mouldings. you can place a something framing the middle and a border held off of the the outside walls by a foot or 2. some people put up thin bead boards and stain them dark to the orginal wood oxidation level to look orginal. mm the thought of a fixer upper in dc came to my head as a house only in mild definion...HAHAHa. the border wood mold would be the cheapest and something anyoe could do!

Can I just tack on a more specific question to Handyman's inquiry? If anyone has installed the armstrong decorative ceiling panels, could you reply with a word on whether or not you were satisfied with the product? Specifically, does it have the look of a plaster ceiling or is it obvious that it isn't? Also, is your room lit with natural light and if so, does it change the look through the course of the day?

A correction- the initial message I was refering to was from bhauser and not handyman.

www.sarasotaceilings.com

If you have any questions about our ceiling tiles, please send me an email. They are coming from Europe. You can apply it over a existing ceilngs ( just glue it). Scratches, drywall, popcorn ceilings etc... They covering all kinds of ceiling problems. Very good acoustic material ( TV Room, Office), isolation ( sun rooms, kitchen, lanai) Just carpet knife and glue.

I have been checking out several options - one is from empirewest.com, which makes a product called Cellume, which looks like tin ceiling patterns, is paintable, and very lightweight. It works in grids, or can be nailed up like tin ceilings. If installed in a grid below sprinklers, the sprinklers can still function in case of a fire - the panels simply fall to the floor, but hides the sprinklers otherwise.

I also am considering www.abbingdon.com, which I have used for copper backsplashes for kitchens, they also make tin ceilings - and the american tin ceiling company, www.tinceilingcompany.com ( I think) - as well as the Armstrong ceiling panels, in the country plank look - which is a very distinct possibliity. I am going to order samples on these products.