Updated 12/8/23 by Angela Rogers

Vaulted ceilings can create a striking look in any room, making spaces feel larger and more open. However, this all depends on the right lighting. Poorly lit, vaulted ceilings can easily create an oppressive shadow above you, instilling an eerie and uninviting atmosphere.

Looking up at an arched ceiling, it may seem like your lighting options are limited, but you have a lot more choices than you may think. Using your fixtures the right way, you can take full advantage of this fantastic architectural feature and enjoy the ambiance your room is supposed to have. In this post, well take a look at high ceilings and how to properly light them.

What Are Vaulted Ceilings?

Vaulted ceilings are ceilings that angle up towards the roof, and are generally higher than the standard 8 to 10 feet flat ceilings typically seen in homes. These ceilings are also often refereed to as high ceilings and sloped ceilings. Originally, "vaulted ceiling" referred to ceilings designed with a self-supporting arch. Today, however, the term is more widely used to describe any high, angled ceiling.

Types of Slopped Ceilings

There are multiple types of vaulted ceilings. A few of the most common include:

• Arched Vaults - utilizes curved, self-supporting beams instead of standard straight beams.

• Barrel Vaults - designed to look like a row of half barrels.

• Cathedral - un-arched with narrow, sloping side that usually run parallel to the roof's pitch.

• Domed Vaults - arched ceilings that narrow to form a sloped dome.

• Groin Vaults - intersecting barrel vaults that form a curved x-shape. This complex design is predominantly used for cathedrals and other high-end architectural projects.

• Rib Vaults - uses exposed beams along focal points to create a unique look.

Other types of slopped ceilings include fan vaulted ceilings, cove ceilings, and coffered.

These are many benefits to having sloped ceilings in your home. They give any room a more dramatic look, creating the illusion of a more open space. In many design plans, they serve as the centerpiece of the room. Sloped ceilings also give you more options for bringing in natural light. You will often see high ceiling utilized in living rooms, dining rooms, entryways, and family rooms.

Best Lighting for Rooms with High Ceilings

Looking up at arched or high ceilings, it may seem like your lighting options are limited, but you have a lot more choices than you may think. By utilizing the right fixtures, you can take full advantage of your ceiling and create the perfect lighting and ambiance.

While the majority of ceiling lights are designed for a flat ceiling, most lights can be used with a sloped ceiling as long as they are paired with the correct adaptors. Recessed lights require special housing cans designed for sloped ceilings that will allow the lights to shine straight down rather than at an angle.

When purchasing a housing can for a sloped ceiling, make sure it can adapt to fit the angle of your ceiling's slope. You must further pair your housing with a sloped trim. To direct light exactly where you want it, you can even purchase a specialized trim such as an eyeball trim, which has a swivel feature that allows you to rotate the angle of the bulb in the housing.

If you have a vaulted ceiling, the best place to hang pendant lights is from the center beam. But what if you want to hang your pendant lights on the slope, or on a completely sloped ceiling?

Most pendant lights that use downrods can be modified to hang straight down from a sloped ceiling by installing a sloped ceiling canopy. However, if your pendant is suspended from a chain or unusually shaped rod, you may have a more difficult time finding a suitable canopy—if you can find one at all.

Look for lighting manufacturers that make sloped ceiling canopies and shop for pendant lights made by those manufacturers. This ensures that your fixture will be compatible with the canopy and that the finishes will match.

Track lighting is a common lighting solution for sloped ceilings. Installing many light sources on a single track allows for increased illumination and greater control of the direction of each light source, as each bulb is mounted onto an adjustable “head” that can be angled anywhere light is needed. The tracks that the hold lights are attached to the ceiling with ceiling anchor hardware, and tracks installed on a sloped ceiling will require specialized sloped ceiling anchors.

Wall lights (or sconces) create a bridge between ceiling and furniture-scale lighting.  They should be positioned anywhere from eye-level to higher on the middle-third of your walls. Wall sconces that direct light not only downwards, but upwards as well are preferable because they can further accentuate the height and beauty of your arched ceiling.

Installing skylights on the slope of your vaulted ceiling is a great way to brighten up your ceiling space, which can become very dark. Skylights will enable you to take full advantage of free, natural sunshine all day long. There are no bulbs to replace, and they allow you to cut utility costs while reducing your impact on the environment.

However, a sloped ceiling will also require additional artificial light sources at night, in bad weather, and even during the day for better illumination on tasks or activities.

Layer Your Lighting to Complete Your Ceiling Lighting

Lastly, choosing just one kind of lighting for any space is not enough. It's always best to take a layered approach when adding light fixtures to any room, including a vault-ceiling room. While using recessed lights on the slope and hanging pendant lights from the center beam is one popular lighting combination, track, wall, and sky lighting techniques will also help make sure your room is an evenly illuminated space.

As long as your ceiling, in addition to the rest of your room, is thoroughly and comfortably lit and your fixtures are correctly installed, you're well on your way to enjoying a bright and beautiful room with vaulted ceilings. Need help finding the right fixtures for illuminating the vaulted ceiling in your home? Speak with one of our lighting experts at 1-800-624-4488, or browse our website at 1000Bulbs.com.