You are in the process of redoing a room in your home and you would like to do something a bit different with the ceiling. In an ideal world where money was no issue, you would hire a carpenter to install a coffered ceiling. You just love the look of coffered ceilings. However, that is not in your budget, so you are going to have to get creative. You could work some magic with paint, buy some trim and wood, and create your own coffered ceiling.

You are no carpenter, but you can create a simplified version of coffered ceiling. To do this, you need to sit down and sketch out a design on paper. Keep in mind that you will be using 1x6s. You can make traditional square grids or work in some curves that you can cut from plywood.

Once you have a design, you need to purchase supplies to implement it. Depending upon what you have drawn, you will need some cove molding for the perimeter of the room, several 1x6s and a sheet of 1/4-inch plywood and a jigsaw if you incorporating curves. You will also need a box of finishing nails, hammer, wood filler, caulk, primer, paint, paintbrushes and rollers, and paint trays.

Before you install your design, you may want to prime and paint the ceiling if it needs it, making sure you fill in any holes. Let the ceiling dry completely before moving on to the next step.

To install your design, start with the cove molding. Cut all of the pieces you will need. Prime and paint them, if desired, and install them around the perimeter of the room. Fill in the nail holes with putty and caulk around the edges if needed. Touch up the trim with paint.

Next, you can work on the actual design. Cut all of the 1x6s. Sketch any curved pieces on plywood and cut them out. Prime and paint all wood. With a helper, install the pieces, fill in the nail holes and touch up with paint. Caulk any areas that need it.

That’s all there is to it. In a weekend, you can create the look of a coffered ceiling in your room on a shoestring budget. Good luck and enjoy.