Things are looking up: Five trophy homes with fantastic ceilings

Do you remember the last time you took a good look at your own ceiling?

It was probably through bleary eyes, while you struggled to get out of bed this morning. Unfortunately, most of us don't have good reason to stop and look at our own ceilings.

But not everyone lives under white paint and down lights - some houses really have ceilings to celebrate. Here are five.

1. 79 Hesse Street, Queenscliff, Victoria
   
   
   
   The beautiful kauri pine barrel vaulted ceiling of this converted church in Queenscliff is the central feature of the home, contrasting against the stark white minimalist interiors.
   
   Now a four bedroom, four bathroom house, the building was originally built as a church in 1888, designed by architect TJ Crouch.
   
   It was deconsecrated in 1981 and was then used as an art gallery, tea rooms and a bric-a-brac shop. The current owners purchased the building in 2007, converting it into a home in 2011. It's currently on the market for $1.9 million to $2.1 million.
   
   
   
   
2. 330 Birrell Street, Bondi, New South Wales
   
   
   
   There's no eggshell white or dove grey tones to be seen in this Bondi building. Operating with a more-is-more ethos, owner Kevin Du Val has furnished the property with art nouveau curiosities, which extend upwards to the ceiling.
   
   He currently operates a massage clinic out of the property, which is soon to be auctioned.
   
   
   
   
3. Moorecrest, California
   
   
   
   Du Val's Bondi offering rather reminds us of the new Hollywood home of Brooklyn 99 star Andy Samberg and musician Joanna Newsom.
   
   The renovated 1921 home, once rented by Charlie Chaplin, features elaborate interior details, from the carved cornices and decorated columns to intricate oriental designs on the ceilings.
   
   
   
   
4. 16/21 Wellington Street, Collingwood, Victoria
   
   
   
   "The Kiln" is a rather more rustic offering, a warehouse apartment which was once part of the former Carlton United Breweries between Collingwood's Victoria Parade and Gipps Street.
   
   Built in 1862 and fitted out in 1999, the apartment recently passed in at $1.35 million when put to auction by furniture maker Nicholas Dattner.
   
   
   
   
5. 3762 Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, Queensland
   
   
   
   The futuristic Alkira is unique in every way, and its ceilings are no exception. Designed by architect Charles Wright, the living space of this concrete trophy home features a scatter of concrete "beams", highlighted by long LED strips.
   
   Surrounded by 73 acres of rainforest, Alkira sits in a man made lake, with a helipad located 100 metres from the house.
   
   The trophy home, which owners hope will catch the attention of a local billionaire or perhaps "Silicon Valley and Asian entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars", is on the market for $14 million.