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I have a popcorn finish on my ceiling. Can you suggest a good way to cover it up?
When something appears overly labour-intensive and dirty, there must be a better way. (I don't even want to hear about the condition of your manicure or grey dust in your hair after your scraping job!)
Typically, popcorn treatments are sprayed onto drywall or concrete to hide any cracking or other imperfections. The finish is rough and dotted with little bubbles. To smooth it out, you could lightly sand and skim the ceiling, then apply a primer paint followed by a flat paint. Alternatively, you could attach furring channels to the ceiling with a layer of half-inch drywall that is taped, sanded and painted.
Both of these solutions involve painting. For one that doesn't, you could affix pre-finished silver-leaf or white-lacquered panels to the ceiling, placing them in such a way that there's a reveal between them. You might even go for an Arabian Nights look and drape the ceiling with fabric, creating a tent effect. Good luck!
Architect and interior designer Dee Dee Taylor Eustace is the president of Taylor Hannah Architect Inc. in Toronto. Have a design question? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.