The term "cathedral" ceiling must
have been invented during the 1920s
by some over-zealous real-estate agent.
It has stuck, and now it is applied to
any residential space that does not
have a flat ceiling.
Cathedral ceilings can be expressive
and beautiful; especially when the
interior finish follows a complex
geometry of intersecting roofs and
gables, as in a second floor bedroom
under the eaves.
But then the geometry is very simple
- just a gable-ended room, for instance
- simply plastering over the joists can
create a strangely artificial and bland
character unless the proportions of the
room are perfect. In this case,
exposed structure and texture on the
ceiling may be called for. On a ceiling
with a