The Advantages of 8-Foot Ceilings

Before modern times, 8 feet was typically regarded as the standard height for ceilings. Today, however, not uncommonly, most ceilings are 9 or even 10 feet in height. As a result, many people view 8-foot ceilings as being relatively low, but 8-foot ceilings come with plenty of advantages as high ceilings aren't for everyone and often present their own issues.

Anyone who has ever lived in a home with high ceilings knows just how expensive heating such a space can be, which is especially true for people who live in cold climates where heat is a necessity throughout much of the year. One of the major advantages of having 8-foot ceilings is that heating the space can be done much more quickly and efficiently than if the ceilings were higher, which means lower heating costs throughout the winter. With oil as expensive as it is, this is a major benefit to living in a home with 8-foot ceilings.

According to a paper written by professors at the University of Minnesota and the University of British Columbia, the height of one's ceiling can have a dramatic effect on mood and creativity. While high ceilings tend to support abstract thinking and creativity, lower ceilings can help to boost one's productivity, which is especially helpful for those who work out of a home office, in which case low ceilings can often equal a more productive day of work. Lower ceilings are also thought to increase one's ability to think in a contemplative manner, which can be helpful for artists, musicians and other creative people.

Decorating a room with high ceilings can be quite difficult. With low ceilings, however, decorating becomes far easier and more streamlined and often doesn't even require you to use a ladder. As one might expect, painting rooms with low ceilings is easier as well, given the fact that there is less wall space to deal with. Therefore, those who like to put a lot of effort into interior decorating can usually work quickly and effectively in rooms with moderately-low ceilings.

One of the best ways to make low ceilings work for you is if the room they are in leads into a room with higher ceilings. For example, a hallway with low ceilings that opens up into a living room with high ceilings can make for a dramatic presentation and can be quite impressive to guests. If you are building a home, you may want to incorporate this type of design into your plan.