When building a custom home, people don’t often give a lot of thought to the ceiling. The ceiling might not be the most important element in a room, but it can really impact the overall feel of any room. From the style to the height, your custom home’s ceiling can really influence other choices. One thing people often wonder is just how high should their ceilings be?
What’s a good ceiling height for a custom home?
There’s no single answer to this. High ceilings can give rooms a light and airy feeling, and add grandeur to areas like entryways and staircases. But they can also feel cold and drafty, as well as pose design issues if they’re in the wrong areas like kitchens. Lower ceilings can make a room feel cozy and calm, especially in rooms like offices or libraries. If they’re too low though, they can make a room feel cramped and dark.
Should ceiling heights be the same for the whole custom home?
We get asked this question a lot. It really depends. It’s okay to have higher ceilings in areas like entryways, staircases, and even living rooms. But kitchens and offices tend to do better with standard ceiling heights. Usually, we recommend keeping the ceiling height the same, or if you want to add extra height on in key rooms. It’s also common to do slightly higher ceilings on the main level and sticking to standard height on the upper floors.
What is the standard ceiling height?
These days, the standard ceiling height is 9 feet. Most new homes, custom or not, are typically built with 9-foot ceilings, although they sometimes opt for 8-foot ceilings on the second level. It’s important to clarify this with your custom home builder though. Lately, people have been pushing for 10-foot ceilings on the main level. This extra height adds grandness, but it’s usually not too high to cause issues.
Ceilings can get as high as 12-feet, but again these can create layout issues especially in rooms such as the kitchen. If you’re looking for a grand ceiling in your custom home, consider using them in the entryway or formal living room. Extra ceiling height also means that you can add fun ceiling details such as beams or coffered ceilings without making the room feel too low.
