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• Choosing the Right Medallion for Your Room

Choosing a ceiling medallion doesn’t have to be difficult.

There are a wide variety of shapes, styles and sizes, but the selection process is not as overwhelming as it might seem. Look around your home and consider a few of the following factors to make your choice an easy one.

When choosing a ceiling medallion, consider the size of your room.

The size of your room is one of the most important considerations when choosing a ceiling medallion. In traditional home decorating wisdom, it was believed that the larger your room, the larger your decorative elements should be, and vice versa. While this is still a good guideline for many interiors, the opposite is quite frequently also true. Displaying a large ceiling medallion in a smaller room can look stunning, creating an expansive and dramatic look. Modern homeowners are starting to play with color and creating extravagant three-dimensional ceiling art pieces in rooms that would previously have been ignored for being too small. At the same time, in a larger room, several small medallions in a row or pattern can be a beautiful way to evoke images of classic architecture. Even in narrow hallways, a row of small medallions can be lined up to create a flow for your space.

Think about the decorating style your ceiling medallion needs to incorporate.

Styles of ceiling medallions run the gamut from richly detailed and ornate to clean, simple and sleek. Think about the prevailing decorating style of your home. If you generally lean towards elaborate and elegant fixtures, furniture, and art pieces, you’ll want that style to extend to your ceiling medallion. You could choose a Florentine piece to bring back the beauty of the detailed carvings of the Italian Renaissance, or go with the lush look of Roman acanthus leaves. If your style is more modern, a simple ringed or beaded medallion will complement the style of your home without looking too fussy or out of place. Diamond shapes can enhance an angular, geometric style while oval ceiling medallions can soften edges for a subtler, more feminine appeal.

Consider what else is going in the room with your ceiling medallion.

Keep in mind what is already in your room, and what you plan to put there in the future. If you have or are planning to install crown molding or decorative trim, choose a ceiling medallion that will complement it. Is your ceiling medallion going to stand alone or be used to enhance a chandelier, light fixture, or ceiling fan? Would you like a dramatic piece that captures attention, or is your chandelier the real focus and you just want something to smooth the transition between the light and the ceiling?

Keep in mind what your ceiling medallion is being used for.

Size, shape, and style decisions can be simplified by knowing what your ceiling medallion is going to be used for. If you want to enhance an existing light fixture or fan and don’t want to remove it to install your new medallion, a two-piece ceiling medallion can be installed right around your existing fixture. If you’re looking to redirect the eye and remove the focus from less than perfect areas of your ceiling, a large, dramatic piece will get people’s attention in the right places. If you want to conceal something directly with your ceiling medallion, check your dimensions to make sure the size and shape of your new piece will fully cover the imperfection.

Choosing a ceiling medallion is virtually risk-free. With such an affordable variety of medallions to choose from, you can take the opportunity to be creative and playful with the look of your room without investing in expensive pieces. You can update or change your medallion easily and affordably. Whichever ceiling medallion you choose, it’s sure to make a beautiful difference to the look of your room.