This post was sponsored by Lowe’s Home Improvement.
We picked out a new chandelier for Gerita’s room to complete her bedroom renovation, and I decided to add some drama in the form of a ceiling medallion. I went to Lowes.com to check out their collection, and they had an incredible range from ornate Victorian charm to sleek modern drama. I picked one that I thought would be the best of both worlds, and we installed it last week. Spoiler: It turned out really good, and it was super easy. It adds a traditional feel to the modern chandelier we picked out, and it makes the room feel a little more special. Gerita is very happy with the way it turned out (in a dimly lit teenage way). *wink*
Ceiling Medallion | Gerita Room Resources
Ceiling medallions have an interesting history (see this Apartment Therapy article ), as they were not originally just decorative. Some say that when the light fixtures had candles with flames, they would create a ring of soot on the ceiling, and the medallions helped hide the soot and could be easily repainted. Who would have thought that?! Traditionally, they were glued directly to the ceiling, but now they are easy to find made of fiberglass, wood, or composite materials. Lowe’s has a great selection of composite materials that are so light that they don’t require much installation to install.
How to choose a ceiling medallion
A helpful tip is to “match” the medallion to the size of the room—if the room is larger and the ceiling is taller than nine feet, choose one that is wider in diameter than the light fixture. If the room is smaller and shorter than nine feet, choose one that is smaller than the light fixture. I’ve seen some calculations that say you can multiply the length and width of the room together and divide by seven to get an approximate ceiling medallion diameter (for example, a 10’ x 14’ room would equal a 20’ diameter medallion). I estimated Geretta’s room by eye and got one that was 24’ in diameter.
ceiling medallion
You should also make sure to hang your light fixture from the medallion to give it some breathing room – avoid installing recessed lights when installing the ceiling medallion. Since we removed the previous light fixture, we were able to use a full circular medallion instead of the two-halve option over the electrical wires.
How we installed the medal
This project was a simple five-step process:
Apply a quick-drying, paintable adhesive in a circle around the back of the medallion, then attach it to the ceiling with the wires coming out of the hole.
Quick Dry Paintable Caulk | Caulking Gun
Ladder | Stud Finder
2. Use the rafter finder to find the ceiling joists.
nail gun
3. Using framing nails, hammer three or four nails into the ceiling joists at even intervals around the medallion to secure it.
patchwork compound
4. Cover the screw holes with adhesive (you could use a putty knife, but since there is more bending, a finger did the job here).
5. Fill the gap around the outer edge, then smooth it out.
The medallion was actually so close to the ceiling color, we might not even paint it, but that would be step six!
My favorite ceiling medallions
There are so many great ceiling medallions to suit any style. I shopped at Lowe’s to round up some of my favorites – I may have to find another place for one of these!
