WALLPAPER for ceilings has been declared one of the top ten interior design trends for 2018.

Design company Murals Wallpaper says that saves for "statement ceilings" on picture-saving website Pinterest have soared by 310 per cent.

The company is keen to show homeowners how to maximise the potential of their "fifth wall" by using it as a space to display key interior themes, from lush green foliage to geometric monochrome - rather than a coat of pure brilliant white.

The team at https://www.muralswallpaper.co.uk/ says ceiling art "isn't exactly a new concept". But, the space has not been recognised before as a rewarding place to feature colour, pattern and texture, as we do on our walls.

Pinterest enthusiast Hannah Madsen, social media director at Liverpool-based Murals Wallpaper, said: "We look to innovate with murals that turn a room into a work of art, and in our eyes the ceiling can be counted as an overlooked blank canvas in the home that is waiting for a chance to shine."

She added: "You may surprise yourself if you choose to welcome a fifth wall into your decorating plans, when you embrace it as a new space for to express yourself."

The company's designers have incorporated design trends such as botanical prints, handmade watercolours and marbling into their ceiling styles.

According to Pinterest's 100 trend report: "A statement ceiling can transform a room from the top down with bold paint, striking wallpaper or intricate texture."

Curiosity about ceiling design is certainly catching people's interest, with Google searches for statement ceilings going up 2,300% since it was announced as a trend to watch.

The team at Murals Wallpaper say: "But would you wallpaper your ceiling? It's too early to tell whether this exciting trend will truly catch on and see decorative ceilings becoming commonplace in households, and it's possible the idea will divide opinion.

"Are ceilings the new place to display key design elements in interiors, or are our room's summit spaces to remain varying shades of white?"