Transforming Ceilings With Vertical Gardens: The White Oasis Green Wall Project

Project Summary

Although the ceiling is often the most overlooked surface in interior design, Clare Keelan saw it as the perfect canvas for transformation. “I kept staring up and thinking, why does no one ever do anything with this?” she said. What if the ceiling wasn’t simply a flat surface? What if it became a living, breathing feature that shifted the entire mood of a room without a single change to the furniture or floor plan?

That was the moment Clare stood beneath her soaring ceilings and realised they held untapped potential. Her home already had the hallmarks of high-end design. The steel-framed windows, curated décor, sculptural lighting, but it still felt flat. Polished. Controlled. “Everything was beautiful but too… expected. I wanted something that made people look up and feel surprised.”

Clare’s love for interior storytelling pushed her to rethink what most people ignore. She called Designer Plants with a vision that sounded impossible. What followed was a transformation that challenged gravity and gave her home something it never had before. Soul.

She was drawn to the idea of bringing nature indoors but didn’t want anything high-maintenance or artificial-looking. “I didn’t want plastic leaves collecting dust. I wanted something that looked alive.”

That’s when the idea struck to have a vertical garden wall, but not on a regular surface, but on the ceiling itself. Could it work? Could it still look elegant? Could it become the centrepiece she envisioned?

This is where the concept of ceiling green wall installation came to life.

The Design Vision

The vision was simple and powerful. Clare wanted to create contrast. The soft greys and blacks of the designer furniture needed something organic to balance the space. Instead of using a traditional overhead lighting feature or sculptural artwork, the ceiling itself would become the hero.

By choosing a vertical garden for ceilings, she could:

Soften the angular geometry of the home’s modern layout

Add texture and richness overhead without cluttering the room

Introduce the calming presence of greenery without relying on floor space

No gimmicks. Just grace, subtly embedded in the structure of the space. “I didn’t want drama. I wanted quiet awe,” Clare said.

Design and Planning Phase

Over the course of two weeks, our design team worked closely with Clare to conduct:

Lighting analysis to understand how natural and artificial light would interact with foliage throughout the day

Structural review to confirm load-bearing capacity of the ceiling and identify secure mounting points

Aesthetic mapping to choose the right blend of textures, panel layouts, and lighting placements to mirror Clare’s interior storytelling style

We decided on a panel-based grid installation mapped out in a jigsaw configuration that accounted for existing lighting, ventilation ducts, and architectural symmetry. “They treated the ceiling like an artwork. Every section had a purpose,” Clare noted.

Product Selection

Product Name

White Oasis UV Stabilised Vertical Garden Wall

SKU

1008038-S

Dimensions

1000mm x 1000mm per panel (CAN MODIFY)

Material

High-quality PE UV-engineered for indoor and outdoor use

Features

Lightweight yet full-bodied for visual depth

UV stabilised and flame-retardant

Ultra-realistic foliage mimicking forest vegetation

No ongoing maintenance

Designed for seamless joins between panels

The White Oasis panels offered the best combination of lush visual appeal, structural practicality, and indoor compatibility. Clare loved that “they didn’t look fake, they looked like they belonged.”

The Challenges

Installing vertical gardens on walls is one thing. Doing it on a ceiling demanded an entirely different approach.

Weight Management

Panels were pre-trimmed and reinforced with lightweight backing to ensure safe suspension from ceiling joists. Additional anchor points were added using non-invasive fasteners compatible with plasterboard and timber framing.

Lighting Integration

Custom lighting tracks were embedded between garden seams. We worked with an electrician to install warm-tone LED spots that complemented both natural and artificial greenery. “The lighting was everything. It had to feel like sunlight catching leaves,” Clare explained.

Seamless Appearance

Edges were trimmed to custom-fit around ceiling fixtures. Every panel was positioned for continuity so the ceiling appeared as a continuous green canopy.

On-Site Execution

The installation took place over three days.

Day 1 – Preparation

Site inspection and protective floor coverings

Marking panel layout

Reinforcing ceiling joists where needed

Day 2 – Installation

Sequential panel mounting using pre-drilled anchor points

Integration of LED lighting and junctions

Final panel trims and adjustments

Day 3 – Finishing Touches

Seam blending and edge detailing

Final lighting tests

Sound checks to evaluate acoustic effects

The Transformation

The lush greenery contrasts with Clare’s sleek designer furniture while natural light streams through forest-facing windows

The evening shot showcasing the gentle ambient glow of hidden LEDs filtering through the foliage

The ceiling became a space-defining feature alive and full of personality. Clare reflected, “It’s like it changed the whole tone of the room. I’ve never had guests comment on a ceiling before, but now it’s the first thing they notice.”

Key Outcomes

Dramatic transformation without major renovation

Biophilic design impact without maintenance demands

Improved acoustics through sound absorption

Created a sense of movement and depth in a static space

Ready to Rethink What a Ceiling Can Be

Look up.

That blank, often-forgotten space above your head? It’s your home’s greatest untapped canvas. In a world where floors and walls are spoken for, the ceiling is where bold, breathtaking ideas can finally breathe. That’s exactly what Clare Keelan discovered, and now, her ceiling doesn’t just cover a room. It defines it.

At Designer Plants, we’re reimagining ceilings as vertical expressions of creativity. Through the power of vertical garden walls and bespoke ceiling green wall installations, we help turn static rooms into immersive, natural experiences, without a single plant pot in sight.

Whether it’s a quiet residential nook or a bold commercial vision, our vertical garden solutions for ceilings invite you to think differently. This isn’t just design. It’s spatial storytelling from above.

Let your ceiling do more than just exist. Let it speak.

Client Testimonial

“I had a clear idea of what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure if it was possible. Then Designer Plants made it happen. It turned out exactly how I pictured it, maybe even better. Now, when I sit in the room, it feels like I’m in a peaceful forest retreat, even though I’m just at home. Every detail works perfectly. They really got the vibe I was going for and brought it to life in such an effortless way.”

— Clare Keelan