On almost every house, but especially on a high-end, architect-designed house, the expectation for walls and ceilings is a super smooth surface. In this video, Matt explains it's more than just having a Level 5 finish when you tape it out. You also have have a perfectly flat wall and that depends on what's behind the drywall. Even in an expertly framed building there are a lot of variations in the framing that can create subtle bumps and undulations that will telegraph to the surface -- particularly if the surface is bathed in raking light or if you have up-light conditions at certain times of the day, as Matt has to deal with in the dramatic entry ceiling on this house.

Matt borrows a trick from the commercial guys and employs a not very expensive, special T-track that allows him to bypass all the complexities in the framing and flatten the ceiling perfectly using a laser level. It does add a step in the process and you need to think about the sequencing of the other trades, but the result is undeniable.

For more building best practices, be sure to check out Matt Risinger on his youtube channel.