Tray Ceiling Ideas and Everything You Need to Know

Don’t you know that the ceilings of your living room or kitchen open for focal points? Besides the wall and floor, the ceiling has become a growing element within one’s house to experiment with.

Whether or not you’re really into interior design, you need to consider the tray ceiling. The innovation is another alternative to a coffered ceiling that refers to multiple squares in a grid pattern.

The tray ceiling is shortly called a recessed ceiling or inverted ceiling. The aspect can perform functional and decorative tasks.

You can read until the end for complete information you need, or jump to the ideas if it’s the only thing you need.

What is a Tray Ceiling?

A tray ceiling has basic and aesthetic tasks. You can depend on a tray ceiling for covering roof truss, muffling sound and heat. A tray ceiling can keep the room tidy and clean even if you keep the tray ceiling plain. A tray ceiling can help you hanging decorative lighting.

A tray ceiling follows the shape of a room. We typically see a tray ceiling is in square and rectangular. You can definitely create oval and polygonal tray ceilings or even come up with unique tray ceiling shapes. A tray ceiling is put in the center of a room.

From this, different personal tastes play their parts. Some house owners prefer to place a fair-sized tray ceiling in the center. Others consider creating a tray ceiling that covers almost all of the ceiling area.

Producing a tasteful tray ceiling doesn’t stick to certain criteria. You need to take into account compatibility between the tray ceiling model with the whole room design. Some are willing to spend extra cost to consult with an interior designer to determine which tray ceiling that can lift the room value.

The depth of the inside tray recession plays an important part. Most house owners select between one inch to more than one foot deep. Selecting the proper depth decides the impression of the tray ceiling. The deeper the inside tray recession is, the more dramatic the impression is.

Trey Ceiling or Tray Ceiling?

Yes, sometimes spelling versus writing may confuse us. In regards to trey ceiling or tray ceiling discussion, Merriam-Webster dictionary only recognizes the tray ceiling. The English dictionary says that a tray ceiling is a ceiling that is put under a gabled roof at a height part way up toward the ridge.

As you browse on the internet, you’ll find some websites that use trey ceiling. The term refers to the same tray ceiling. But let’s stick onto the dictionary that chooses tray ceiling instead.

How to Build A Tray Ceiling?

While most of the tray ceiling job requires help from a builder or designer, you can make the desired tray ceiling on your own. In general steps for a simple tray ceiling model, you need to follow the rough steps.

Prepare materials, such as drywall, glue, sandpaper, furring strips, nails, sanding block, utility knife, and joint compound. With the help of your spouse or friend, attach drywall to the whole ceiling. As it is fixated on the ceiling, use joint compound to affirm it.

After that, select the width of the lowered section. Usually, the width ranges from 30 to 61 cm. Pay attention to the ceiling height before deciding the width. Then, create the shape of the lowered area; rectangular, square or others.

Attach furring strips to the highlighted area by using glue and nails. Attach drywall again to cover the space that is between the highlighted one to the furring strips. Leave it dry for a few days.

Coffered Ceiling vs Tray Ceiling

As previously mentioned, the coffered ceiling refers to multiple squares in the grid pattern. You can use a furring strip or drywall to create a coffered ceiling. You can thus obtain different feels when comparing a coffered ceiling with a tray ceiling.

We regard a coffered ceiling that leads to an affirmative ceiling appearance. While a tray ceiling gives elegant looks for the element. The tray ceiling can further beautify the ceiling when you implement the creative model.

We recommend you thoroughly know what’s proper for your room or your personal taste. For better results, we recommend you including a coffered or tray ceiling into the room plan. This allows you to create the room that will look stylish in all of the aspects, including the ceiling.

This is different from remodeling the existing ceiling. Like it or not, you need to correspond the ceiling remodeling with the room whole model. You may need to set aside your personal taste for the sake of the whole room compatibility.

For instance, you actually prefer to purple-painted tray ceiling because you wish to make the living room colorful. But in reality, the living room already looks trendy with patterned motif tiles on the floor.

In this regard, we recommend you choosing the coffered that will make the ceiling colorful with furring strips or drywalls. And paint the coffered with neutral colors, of course.

Tray Ceiling Cost

Determining the tray ceiling cost varies from one homeowner to the other. At the simplest model, you can even make the tray ceiling project as a challenging DIY. We ask for your decision to first determine whether or not you’re about to create the tray ceiling on your own.

Please bear in your mind that at least you possess basic builder skill. Otherwise, your planned tray ceiling will easily get damaged. Make sure you know how to nail drywalls well at the ceiling, for instance. This may seem too simple but not everyone knows how to fasten the drywall.

Another basic builder skill includes applying a joint compound to cover the gap that may appear between the drywalls and the perimeter of the ceiling. Many people will know how to apply the joint compound but not all of them know well how to make the gap looking smooth as if it were invisible.

If you choose to make your own tray ceiling, of course, this will trim the budget. You don’t have to hire a builder, a contractor, or an interior designer. The tray ceiling cost will mostly be used for purchasing materials, such as drywall, furring strips, joint compound, sanding block, nail, and glue, among others.

Always pay attention to the qualities of the materials. Above all else, you need to prioritize the long durability of the tray ceiling to the style or the cheap cost. For this point, you can ask for which better materials to home improvement store employees or friends with good knowledge about this.

With that said, the cost of installing the tray ceiling depends on the qualities of the materials. Typically, the more qualified, the pricier of the materials are.

On the other hand, you can hire a builder or contractor to make the tray ceiling. Some house owners don’t mind paying money for an interior designer for choosing the most proper tray ceiling first.

If you choose this method, you won’t have to spend much time exploring the prices and the qualities of the materials. Nor you won’t have to learn basic building skills. Leave the job to the best man. However, you may have to negotiate with the builder or interior designer should you feel their offered rates are too high.

We suggest you do little research on the typical rate for setting up a tray ceiling through a builder or consulting about the aspect through an interior designer. Use the information for negotiating with the builder or the interior designer.

Tray Ceiling Ideas

Tray Ceiling Bedroom Ideas

Bedroom Tray Ceiling
Source: miyaguikenbrasil.com

Matching tray ceiling with bedroom concept results in this complete, greyish atmosphere. The picture suggests to choose other tray ceiling material than drywall should you wish for a shiny tone as the example suggests. The tray ceiling houses in-built lamps and a large fan. The tray ceiling gives modern touches for the bedroom.

Bedroom Tray Ceiling
Source: didyouknowhomes.com

This bedroom modifies the classic furniture with a unique tray ceiling form. The tray ceiling applies the graded, polygonal design. The tray ceiling gets painted in white and grey to comply with the bedroom’s colors. The tray ceiling seems sophisticated and luxurious that adds value to the bedroom.

Bedroom Tray Ceiling
Source: bedroom-designs-2.blogspot.com

This is what you’ll get when you invest in tray ceiling. Hiring an interior designer and a builder will help you create this stunning and elite tray ceiling. The tray ceiling utilizes shiplap then arrange them in the cone-like pattern. On top, the tray ceiling chooses a gold cover from which the beautiful chandelier lighting drops.

Bedroom Tray Ceiling
Source: garmanbuilders.com

Most large bedrooms tend to create a large tray ceiling as well. The bedroom prefers to simple and soft tray ceiling that corresponds with the bedroom concept. The tray ceiling utilizes shiplap. The tray ceiling attracts us because it has a unique shape. The chandelier lighting makes the whole ceiling cool decoration.

Bedroom Tray Ceiling
Source: pineapplehouserules.com

You can experiment with tray ceiling curvatures. The bedroom, for instance, grabs our attention because of the curvatures on the corners. The picture suggests you choosing a double tray ceiling for an elegant look. The tray ceiling houses the single, pendant metal. The tray ceiling looks impressive as it gets painted in the navy.

Tray Ceiling Kitchen Ideas

Kitchen tray ceiling
Source: wyldstallyons.com

Shiplap tray ceiling looks cool for your kitchen. The picture further suggests a black shiplap tray kitchen. The tray ceiling brings contrast to the kitchen that is mostly in white. The tray ceiling covers almost all of the kitchen area. The ceiling houses the chandelier lamps that comply with the kitchen’s classic look.

kitchen tray ceiling
Source: studioziffer.com

The kitchen prefers to allocate fair space for the tray ceiling. You can thus see vacant space that surrounds the tray ceiling. The tray ceiling attracts us with the wavy border that makes the aspect impressive. The tray ceiling takes up the chandelier lighting that brings a small classic tone for the kitchen.

Kitchen tray ceiling
Source: wearefound.com

The tray ceiling applies to a small and modern kitchen like this. The example is noted for the tray ceiling positioning. The tray ceiling covers the whole kitchen. It looks small given the narrow area. The tray ceiling contains the wavy border and chooses in-built lighting as the ceiling is low.

Kitchen tray ceiling
Source: finefurnished.com

This tray ceiling looks interesting because it emphasizes on the walkway. This sets the example apart from the other examples. The tray ceiling design looks proper for those of you with a modern kitchen or galley kitchen. By design, the tray ceiling looks minimalist. It houses the round, nice pendant lighting.

Kitchen tray ceiling
Source: realbarandbistro.com

The kitchen chooses a unique tray ceiling. The ceiling model follows the kitchen shape. Moreover, the tray kitchen has lighting rope that makes the aspect feels dramatic, especially when other lamps are off. The tray ceiling doesn’t cover all of the areas. The tray ceiling makes the kitchen tasteful in white.

Tray Ceiling Living Room Ideas

Living Room Tray Ceiling
Source: wearefound.com

Tray ceiling with lighting rope is suitable for your living room. The living room, for instance, chooses a simple tray ceiling design in a square. The tray ceiling looks plain but remains attractive with the lighting rope. The choice produces shiny and dramatic feels.  Children will think the tray ceiling burns from the inside.

Living Room Tray Ceiling
Source: southgatemallec.com

Wood tray ceiling supports the rustic design of this living room. Uniquely, the tray ceiling brings together wood planks with various shades, from light to deep ones. The tray ceiling is completed by the lighting rope. During the daytime as the picture shows, the tray ceiling feels dramatic. The tray ceiling makes the living room warm.

Living Room Tray Ceiling
Source: clashroyale.club

To begin with, a round tray ceiling seems awesome. The picture further makes the tray ceiling outstanding with the drywall with the classic design. The tray ceiling follows the circular ceiling that highlights the round master seat. The tray ceiling can become a cool option for your classic living room.

Living Room Tray Ceiling
Source: photos.hgtv.com

This living room makes the tray ceiling the finest attraction of the area. The tray ceiling picks trendy material with the patterned motif. The element also selects a patterned motif for the lowest border. Without the pendant lighting, the tray ceiling looks decorative partly thanks to the lighting rope that makes it glow.

Living Room Tray Ceiling
Source: ware-painting.com

Don’t hesitate to paint the tray ceiling of your living room with bold colors. The living room, for instance, chooses burgundy for the tray ceiling. The choice makes the tray ceiling in striking contrast with the living room’s theme color. The tray ceiling has a deep height thus makes it dramatic.

Tray Ceiling Dining Room Ideas

Dining Room with Tray Ceiling
Source: centralbugandauniversity.info

A modern country dining room like this welcomes a tray ceiling with patterned motif wallpaper. Typically, we recognize wallpaper for the wall. But it turns out that tray ceiling wallpaper seems enchanting, too. This dining room picks repeated leaf design for the wallpaper with grey. Hopefully, the wallpaper ceiling raises appetites.

Dining Room Tray Ceiling
Source: stylemotivation.com

Boost whole family appetites with orange tray ceiling as the picture suggests. The color closely ties to enthusiasm and positive vibes that hopefully holds true for appetite. The tray ceiling further looks enticing with the lighting rope. The shape of the tray ceiling looks unique. The chandelier lighting beautifies the ceiling.

Dining Room with Tray Ceiling
Source: homestratosphere.com

This dining room takes advantage of the high ceiling. The area creates a graded tray ceiling with furring strips. The concept leads to the elegant tray ceiling despite the fact the area looks rather plain in white. Hanging beautiful pendant lighting seems a must-do in a classic room like this one.

Dining Room with Tray Ceiling
Source: homedesignexamples.com

Some of you may wish for a warm and relaxing dining room ambiance. If so, count on a deep grey tray ceiling for the dining room like this. The tray ceiling color matches with the table and the floor. The tray ceiling has a polygonal shape. The chandelier lighting drops from the simple ceiling.

Dining Room with Tray Ceiling
Source: tollbrothers.com

Not a common dining room tray ceiling but why don’t you try this? The dining room produces a unique tray ceiling to make the area really stunning. The tray ceiling looks dramatic with the lighting rope amidst the dark color in the area. The tray ceiling contains three different lighting models.

Wood Tray Ceiling Ideas

Wood Tray Ceiling
Source: pouted.com

This tray ceiling utilizes natural wood planks. You can tell the wood category from the different shades of the wood planks. Uniquely, the tray ceiling surrounds the wood planks with a polygonal shape. The wood planks team up well with the chandelier lighting model for producing classic feel for the area.

Wood Tray Ceiling Idea
Source: callcypresshomes.com

This area goes for a classic tray ceiling shape; rectangular. We observe the tray ceiling selects natural wood planks like those of the first example. But this time around, the wood planks seem more polished. The tray ceiling houses the adorable and traditional pendant lighting with wood and bulbs. So creative!

Wood Tray Ceiling Idea
Source: randolphsunoco.com

For a modern space like this one, similar wood planks shape and tone are more recommended. The example, in particular, picks the wood planks that look light and bright, here. The tray ceilings cover the kitchen and the living room. The tray ceiling complies with the furniture and the floor.

Wood Tray Ceiling
Source: stikwood.com

Of course, you can paint the wood tray ceiling in your room. Take this dining room as an instance. The dining room paints the wood tray ceiling with white. The choice adjusts with the dining room’s theme color. With the tray ceiling, the dining room looks complete as a modern country dining room.

Wood Tray Ceiling
Source: woodstyledeco.com

To avoid double wood-based elements, the living room goes for one large and plain wood plank. The material makes the tray ceiling looking warm and simple. This meets the living room’s purpose as a Zen area for the family. The tray ceiling has the lighting rope to make it a bit dramatic.

Tray Ceiling Paint Ideas

Tray Ceiling Paint Idea
Source: houzz.com

Painting your bedroom tray ceiling with a soft shade of blue makes the area calm and relaxing. The bedroom picks the blue shade that adjusts with the bedding color. The soft, deep blue shade applies to the central part of the tray ceiling. While the tray ceiling border gets painted in white.

Tray Ceiling Paint Idea
Source: curtiswhitecompanies.com

You can choose a dual tray ceiling paint idea. As this area does, the tray ceiling gets painted in white and deep brown. The tray ceiling painting corresponds with the room painting. The contrast paint makes the room impressive. Besides, the tray ceiling looks sophisticated with the graded tray ceiling design.

Tray Ceiling Paint Idea
Source: vanillaandroseblog.com

This bedroom tray ceiling tells us that you can obtain dual tray ceiling paint from the drywall itself. The tray ceiling of the bedroom gets painted in white and deep brown. The tray ceiling painting makes the bedroom peaceful. Surprisingly, we notice red comes up from the tray ceiling as the variation.

Tray Ceiling Paint Idea
Source: freshomedaily.com

This tray ceiling brings together two shades of grey with white as the basic color. As the living room selects deep grey shade, the tray ceiling picks it up but in minor proportion. We examine the tray ceiling selects a bigger portion for the light shade of grey. Neutral but creative.

Tray Ceiling Paint Idea
Source: paydaydcr.com

Here’s an alternative for those of you looking for painting a tray ceiling for your classic dining room. If you think a tray ceiling with deep brown for the room is too common, try this color. The tray ceiling gets painted in the brown shade. The choice makes the dining room bright and elegant.

Double Tray Ceiling Paint Ideas

Double tray ceiling paint idea
Source: http://homedesignexamples.com

Most of the double trey ceiling choose a dual painting concept. Take this bedroom as an example. The bedroom paints the tray ceiling with a white and light shade of blue. White dominates the tray ceiling. The tray ceiling painting is in reverse with the bedroom painting that gets mostly painted in the blue shade.

Double tray ceiling paint idea
Source: jessesteed.com

You can utilize a double tray ceiling paint idea as a simple way of modifying a neutral tone in the room. The example adds white in the tray ceiling that makes the area a little bit colorful in neutral. The tray ceiling paint concept is a “safe” choice that makes the room favorable by all.

Double tray ceiling paint idea
Source: thespruce.com

Another color scheme to the color neutral atmosphere. This double tray ceiling gets painted in a white and soft shade of blue. Yes, you can choose this blue shade for mixing with neutral colors. The blue shade covers the major area of the tray ceiling while the rest gets painted in white.

Double tray ceiling paint idea
Source: homedit.com

The double tray ceiling chooses the same colors as the third example. But the result looks strikingly different between the two. The double tray ceiling of the bedroom seems tasteful and elegant with the curvatures. We view the painting method is more creative that complies with the tray ceiling shape.

Double tray ceiling paint idea
Source: gingerbrownies.com

The bedroom pairs white and deep, soft shade of brown to produce warm and peaceful tones. Although the color scheme is similar to the first one, you notice the painting yields a different feel. For this double tray ceiling, the color scheme looks in contrast to one another while remains relaxing.

Tray Ceiling Lighting Ideas

Tray ceiling lighting idea
Source: hotelsrate.org

Three lighting styles make up the whole ceiling. The tray ceiling has rope lighting. We notice the tray ceiling gets surrounded by in-built lamps. The tray ceiling houses the innovative pendant lighting. Each of the lighting models produces dim rays. They won’t produce excessive rays that may harm one’s eyes.

Tray ceiling lighting idea
Source: diy.stackexchange.com

The example proves that you can grab one’s attention at once through stunning tray ceiling lighting. This one looks classic and beautiful. The tray ceiling lighting corresponds with the furniture that seems vintage and pricey. Surely, the lighting adds old-fashioned value for the room while the tray ceiling looks plain.

Tray ceiling lighting idea
Source: donpedrobrooklyn.com

A tray ceiling lighting can sometimes astonish you simply because of the large size. This one is among the lighting models with significant impacts. The pendant lighting looks minimalist that covers most of the tray ceiling. The pendant works with some in-built lamps for producing rays for the kitchen.

Tray ceiling lighting idea
Source: protegeedesign.com

Keep your tray ceiling simple through a large, flush mount lighting model like this. The lighting model looks familiar with the round shape. It is put almost on the edge of the tray ceiling. The tray ceiling looks casual with white drywall and furring strips. The lighting produces a fair level of rays.

Tray ceiling lighting idea
Source: homestratosphere.com

Pick modern and classic tray ceiling lighting for your modern and vintage dining room. As this one suggests, the dining room hangs the classic cover on top of the modern, large bulb. The pendant lighting chooses a golden tone that adjusts with the dining room’s atmosphere. This one looks glowing and tasteful.

Tray Ceiling Lighting Rope

Tray ceiling lighting rope
Source: wearefound.com

For this living room during the daytime, the tray ceiling lighting rope doesn’t produce a high level of dramatic tone. This is because the living room is mostly white. At the same time, the tray ceiling lighting rope produces bright rays. Plenty of small bulbs accompany the tray ceiling lighting rope.

Tray ceiling lighting rope
Source: havingfunalongtheway.com

You can choose LED lighting to produce this awesome atmosphere alongside the tray ceiling. The tray ceiling rope looks amusing that can add a pleasant feel for your entertainment area. The bluish tone shines brighter when other lighting models are switched off with black furniture and black furring strips.

Tray ceiling lighting rope
Source: homedit.com

This oval tray ceiling contains yellowish lighting rope. We call it as yellowish as we look at the dim rays from the lighting. This rope lighting works best with the brown area. The dim rays give bright shade for the area that mostly chooses the deep brown shade. What a simple yet brilliant idea!

Tray ceiling lighting rope
Source: baneproject.com

This is what happens when you switch on the tray ceiling lighting rope only. The lighting rope produces bright rays like the first example. This one seems dramatic in brightness given the grey crown molding. Unlike the earlier examples, this lighting rope isn’t accompanied by in-built lamps or pendant lighting.

Tray ceiling lighting rope
Source: jlorihuela.com

You can obviously choose modest or fair lighting rope style. This means to the low level of dramatic tone from the lighting rope. This living room can become your reference. The tray ceiling lighting rope acts as the secondary lighting producer. The pendant lighting produces a major portion of rays for the living room.

Tray Ceiling Crown Molding

Tray ceiling crown molding
Source: miyaguikenbrasil.com

Our first recommendation showcases affirmative crown molding. The aspect contains straight curves in white. The crown molding is part of the double tray ceiling. With the crown molding, the tray ceiling looks formal that looks more proper for your living room. Most of the crown molding gets painted in white for making it acceptable for all.

Tray ceiling crown molding
Source: crownmaxmolding.com

This tray ceiling crown molding seems more tasteful with the double tray ceiling concept. Moreover, the crown molding has two sub-styles that differ the lowest perimeter with the other two. The tray ceiling paints the aspect with white and brown. The crystal-like pendant lighting decorates the tray ceiling.

Tray ceiling crown molding
Source: trimcarpentryfl.com

We regard this tray crown molding looks more complex as compared to the previous ones. We call this so as we refer to the various depth gaps in between the crown molding linings. The crown molding fits well for the tray ceiling that looks unique in the polygonal shape.

Tray ceiling crown molding
Source: southgatemallec.com

This tray ceiling crown molding gets the best reputation in this picture. The crown molding concept looks sophisticated as similar to the third example. It seems tasteful and classic as it wraps the curvatures. The crown molding looks perfect here with the classic pendant lighting. Apply this tip for your modern and classic room.

Tray ceiling crown molding
Source: betterhomestitle.com

Our last recommendation provides another option for your modern and classic room. The crown molding seems simpler as compared to the fourth idea. But the simple crown molding still looks elegant and comfortable for all. So, you can choose either of the two last options depending on your personal taste.