DIY – How I created a Coffered Ceiling
We moved into our house about 10 months ago and I love that every room is a blank canvas waiting to be turned into a masterpiece. I’ve always had a love for interior design but recently I’ve been trying my hand more on the building side. By that I mean I’ve used a miter saw and a nail gun for the first time to add picture molding to the walls in my bedroom…so definitely a novice!
That’s probably why my husband, Bobby, looked at me like I was nuts when I told him I wanted to build a coffered ceiling in our home office! But in true Bobby fashion, he encouraged me to give it a try. It actually wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated and I LOVE how it turned out! Take a look and leave a comment to let me know what you think!
How I created a coffered ceiling:
– Determining the layout and scale: Not only do you need to figure out the size of the boxes, but you also need to determine how far you want it to hang down from the ceiling. A lot of the examples I saw were 6 inch drops, but since our office is a smaller scale (12×12 with 10 ft ceilings) I went with a 4 inch drop so that it wasn’t too overwhelming in the space
– Base Layer: I started with attaching two 1×6 board that were 12 ft long, running them perpendicular to the joists in the ceiling so I had lots of studs to drill into. I marked where the studs were and pre-drilled so once we got the board over our heads it was quick and easy to get them secured to the ceiling. Once the long boards were attached, I attached the 6 small boards to form a tick-tack-toe board on the ceiling, screwing them into the studs. I also used liquid nails on the back of all the boards for added strength. One other note – having another person help hold the long boards in place while screwing them into the ceiling is a huge help! (Thanks Bobby ☺️)
– Going Down: With my tick-tack-toe board securely attached to the ceiling, it was time to start building down. I measured the length of each side of the boxes and cut the 1×4 boards to size. I used my nail gun to hang the 1×4’s off the side of the 1×6 that was fixed to the ceiling – the 1×4’s form the sides of the beam.
– Taking Shape: With all the 1×4’s in place it was time to attach the bottom of the beam. You can do this so that it is flush with the side boards or do like I did and let the sides hang a quarter inch longer than the bottom board to add a bit more dimension. Once in place, I used the nail gun to attach the bottom board to the 1×4’s. Similar to the base layer, I started with the two 12 ft 1×6 pieces then added attached the 6 smaller sections. Again, a helper for holding the long pieces is a lifesaver!
– The Crown: Now that the structure is built it is time to make it fancy! Adding crown inside each of the boxes really dresses it up. If you’ve never done crown before (like me), it’s helpful to watch a few YouTube videos…they will give you tips like marking your saw, cutting upside down, etc.
– The Finishing Touches: Definitely not the glamorous part but a critical part…caulking EVERYTHING…Filling in holes with wood filler, as well as the areas of the beam where the smaller sections intersect with the 12 ft pieces. This makes it look like one cohesive structure with no seams. Sand it. Paint it. Voila…a beautiful coffered ceiling!!!
