2 1/2 feet lower but with downlight installed less direct glare. Other choices for low ceiling are lights that are installed on the far ends of the walls that shine upwards to the ceiling giving that romantic exotic feel. Add also shade or stand lamps and your living room will look spacious.

Make sure you dont have high back furniture. Low sleek ones will be perfect. Make sure your walls are light or patel colored and not dark - making the ceiling even lower. Play with colors of your feng shui compatibility.

Is plaster ceiling a must for you since the ceiling is already pretty low ?? Despite the high ceiling of my new house, I still forego plaster ceiling since I do not want to have that kind of "stuffy and congested" feelling.

To illustrate what I mentioned above here's a picture of the Lack wall mounted shelf. Here's two pieces: a 110cm + 190cm for the study.
[attachmentid=3147711]

Closeup on the T5 below. T5 is powered by connection point for old wall-mounted lamp. This model from Horizon Malaysia uses a long tube wire flexi-connector :
[attachmentid=3147718]

HorizoN T5 lamps used for the study:
[attachmentid=3147749]
The below is living room: 3 x 110cm + 1x190cm.
[attachmentid=3147716]
Yes I admit it's dusty. I plan to make custom shelf glass and place on them after cleaning so that only the glass needs to be cleaned instead of the shelf. directly.

Rigid plastic connector for China made T5 used in the living room:
[attachmentid=3147722]

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Added on November 9, 2012, 8:18 pmSorry for the double post. The ceiling here is 9ft.

so cham no 1 answer TS..
how low is your ceiling?
installing plaster or not?
my suggestion is to ask the electrical shop for opinion...
got some fans from DEKA if not mistaken for low ceilings..

give you an idea, my ceiling is 9ft2in height, installed plaster becomes <9ft. what i did was created a box in the plaster so that the fan sits on the original ceiling still....

wow! u must have long hands... LOL!
u r 5'6", and assuming after plaster ur ceiling height is 9', u would still have a gap of 3'6"...
my advise still stands, get your electrician to recommend you a fan with a shorter arm, and if I m not wrong, DEKA has such fans....
good luck!

hahaha.. sorry my bad... missed out 2" from your height....
the way i see it you got 2 option, do the box, or get a short fan..
ur choice bro..
good luck

Buy KDK baby fan (no need hook)

no need remove all plaster ceiling... get your contractor to see what he can do
I installed the box, using DEKA normal fan hooked up my ceiling
kautim
i dont go around walking in my living room with my arms up in the air all the time...
baby fan also is a good call..