Color Usage

• Colors on a high ceiling are a simple method of making a large room seem cozier. Paint the ceiling a soft color. White ceilings feel institutional, but light, soft tones of mustard or beige soften the ceiling room, making the room feel warm and inviting. If the ceiling has exposed beams, stain those a natural color and use paint colors on the ceiling itself to complement the beams. The use of color also works with arches. Painting the interior rim of the arch a different color than surrounding walls makes a nice transition from one room to another, preparing eyes for a new look after the archway.
  
  

Collectibles

• Use a high ceiling as a place to frame your favorite hanging collectibles. Place tapestries, quilts and African masks or other collector's items on the wall where the ceiling is highest. Many tapestries are very long and wide and are dramatic additions to large, blank walls. The high ceiling gives you plenty of space to display items without making them seem crowded. Collections of smaller items such as masks and samurai swords display the items in a dramatic but cohesive fashion.
  
  

Window Coverings

• Whether you have a high ceiling or archway with windows or not, you can use window coverings as an effective method of decoration. Installing window coverings higher than the windows makes existing windows seem larger. Use coverings against an arch wall even if no window is there. The curtain gives soft, flowing texture to the wall. For small spaces, it also creates an illusion that more space exists behind the wall.
  
  

Framing

• Framing uses one of a variety of materials to show the lines of the ceiling or the arch. A ceiling that rises from one end of a room to another is highlighted when faux beams are installed. Faux beams are not part of the structural building of the room and are installed for decorative purposes only. Choose between one dramatic beam or a series of beams creating a ribcage look for the room. Stones are common archway framing materials, giving a traditional yet bold decorative texture.