There are two primary ways to make a ceiling in your home stand out as being one-of-a-kind. The most popular way is by installing ceiling tiles that give the top of the room a lot of details and visual interest. Another way that’s not as well known as using tiles but is fast becoming popular with interior designers is the stretch ceiling.

A stretch ceiling involves covering the existing ceiling with a piece of vinyl, usually referred to as a membrane. The vinyl can be any arrangement of colors and finishes. Stretch ceilings are often used to create a highly reflective surface, so the ceiling can become almost like a mirror or reflective pool of water. Lighter ceilings can make a room seem very expansive by appearing to expand the walls upward. Darker ceilings can make rooms seem warmer and cozy. Tile ceiling are often full of colorful designs, which can be visually interesting, but they are often so bold that they distract from other elements in the room.

Stretch ceilings hold up just as well as tile ceilings, and the materials used are friendly to the environment. As with tile, it’s best to have a professional install a stretch ceiling. There are two parts involved in any stretch ceiling system. First there is the track, the pieces placed around the edges of the room to keep the membrane in place. Then there is the membrane itself. Depending on how the track is configured, the shape of the membrane can be manipulated. So for example, in a large room or office space, it’s possible to create a curved ceiling, which allows for more variety in lighting design as well as acoustic control.

With tile, a ceiling is typically kept the same shape and it’s no possible to create flowing reflective ceilings like what’s being done with stretch ceilings.