Considering what your ceiling looks like is just as important as what you want the wall to look like.  Often, the ceiling will add a since of comfort, 3 dimensional design, or formalness depend on how it was done.

When it come time to do your ceiling, there are tons of options, supplies, and techniques.  The most common is for people to simply roll plaster using a textured or stiff roller.  Below are some different ideas and photos for your consideration.

Skip Trowel Application

Apply texture to workable areas with either a roller or trowel. Trowel the textured surface using fan shaped strokes with a dry wall trowel. The finish will resemble stucco when completed.

Combed Finish

Apply texture with a roller or trowel, and then comb with a notched edge trowel to achieve wavy lines. You can then swirl these lines into any desired pattern such as fans, intersecting circles or a combination.

Knock-Down Texture

Roll your texture compound onto the ceiling, working in manageable sections of three to four square feet. Allow the compound to set for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a wide drywall trowel to flatten the high points. This will leave a textured surface that will have flat areas with some roughness in between. This pattern is random.

Brushed Finish

Use stiff brushes similar to the type used to apply wallpaper paste to create patterns in the texture. This technique requires placing the brush into the wet texture and twisting to form overlapping patterns.

Patterned Rollers

Patterned rollers are available to make different patterns on textured ceilings. The roller has a hard surface with raised repetitive patterns carved into the surface. Popular patterns include bark, stipple and woven. The rollers are available from paint stores and home centers.

Orange Peel

Orange peel texture requires specialized equipment to spray the texture onto the ceiling. The spray equipment is available at most rental centers. This application requires thoroughly covering floors, doors and woodwork. This finish must be primed and painted when dry.

Acoustic

Acoustic finishes are sprayed on in three sizes and resemble popcorn texture. This finish has sound-deadening properties and requires priming and painting.

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