Ceilings are often one of the emptiest spaces in a room – often they only have lights and sometimes smoke alarms or fans. Walls and floors, on the other hand, tend to appear quite busy. It is unusual to find homes where ceilings have been decorated very interestingly, or are thought of much when interior décor is decided, but there are ways in which people can make the most of ceiling space, and an example of this is using ceiling brackets for televisions.

In the past some buildings, such as homes owned by very affluent people, large public buildings and churches occasionally had highly decorated ceilings. Even small churches and chapels tend to have high ceilings with beams or pillars, which act as support, but also encourage worshippers to gaze upwards – the direction associated with God and heaven. It is very unusual for everyday households to have decorated ceilings, though some rooms for children may have murals which extend that far. In truth, ceilings are sometimes one of the ugliest aspects of a room. Some are used purely to attach lighting systems which are not very aesthetically pleasing, and are otherwise ignored, despite the fact that there are numerous uses for ceiling space. Some people have ingenious ways of making use of this often overlooked space, using specialist shelves to store books, DVDs or videos. This both saves space on the floors or walls, and if assembled with care, looks great.  It is important to make sure any item placed on a ceiling shelf is secure so it doesn’t fall, and this is why many use them purely for light weight items. Some pin up art work on ceilings, or hang chimes, mobiles and other ornamental objects from them.

Using ceiling brackets to support a television can be a very practical way of space saving. This can be particularly important in smaller spaces, for example, children’s bedrooms or kitchens. Having televisions placed quite high can also help parents to prevent youngsters from sneaky nocturnal viewing in some cases. Ceiling brackets can also help to keep televisions out of harm’s way. In kitchens there can be a lot of dirt and potential splashes, but if a TV is placed high up, away from any steam, the main cleaning job for its owner will be occasional dusting. Speakers can also be attached to ceilings if the appropriate fittings are used.

As well as a potential space for storage and for placing lighting and televisions, ceilings can also be used for more practical, though possibly less aesthetically pleasing, applications. It is possible to have rails or lines that can be used for clothes drying in the winter, bicycle racks and similar storage solutions. These are very useful when space is limited. How individuals use the space in their home is down to personal taste, budget and practicality. At the moment many of us are feeling the strain financially and some families cannot easily progress up the housing ladder to bigger homes as they would do usually, so ways of making the very best of the space available is vital.