Custom Starlight Ceiling Design

Q: How much does custom design cost?

There is no separate design fee. Laying the starfield out around your room is part of every order. Custom effects are quoted on top of the panel price: shooting stars typically add $500 to $2,000, twinkle $300 to $1,000, colour changing $500 to $2,000, and constellation mapping $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the size of the field.

Q: What star density can I have?

Standard density is 7 to 11 stars per square foot, which is roughly 28 to 44 stars on a 2 foot by 2 foot panel. Higher densities are available on request for a denser Milky Way effect. Density is set at manufacture and cannot be changed afterwards, so it is worth deciding before the panels are built.

Q: Can you design around existing ceiling features?

Yes, that is most of what the layout work is. In a home theatre the starfield is usually laid out as a centred field with a border, which keeps it clear of the screen wall, speakers, recessed lights and vents around the edges of the room.

Constellation mapping, shooting stars, moon effects and colour changing — laid out around your room and built into the panels at manufacture.

The one thing to understand: effects are built into the panels when they're made, not added on site. Star positions, density and shooting stars are all fixed at manufacture — so the design decisions happen before anything goes into production, and they can't be changed afterwards.

What "Design" Actually Involves

Every order includes laying out the starfield for your specific room. There's no separate design fee for that — it's part of quoting the job. What's quoted on top are the effects themselves, because those change what gets manufactured.

The layout work is mostly about your ceiling's fixtures. In a home theatre we'd normally specify a centred field with a border rather than wall-to-wall coverage, because the border is where the screen wall, speakers, recessed lights and HVAC vents end up. Keeping the starfield clear of them stops fixtures punching holes in the sky — and it usually costs less, since a centred field lands on whole panels with no cut pieces.

What we need from you: room dimensions, ceiling construction and finished height, and a rough sketch showing your screen wall, speakers, recessed lights and any HVAC supply and return. A phone photo of the ceiling with notes on it is genuinely enough.

Options

Effects You Can Specify

All built in at manufacture and quoted on top of the panel price. Ranges depend on the size of the field.

🌠 Shooting Stars

Adds $500–$2,000+

Timed streaks across the field. The most requested add-on in home theatres and bedrooms.

✨ Twinkle Effect

Adds $300–$1,000+

Slow, irregular variation in star brightness. Speed is adjustable through the controls afterwards.

🎨 Colour Changing (RGB)

Adds $500–$2,000+

Full colour control across the field. Set at manufacture; the colours themselves are adjustable later.

🌌 Constellation Mapping

Adds $1,000–$3,000+

Recognisable constellations positioned within the field rather than a random scatter of stars.

🌙 Moon Effects

Quoted per project

A brighter feature element within the starfield. Scale and placement worked out at layout stage.

📐 Custom Shapes & Sizes

Quoted per project

Non-standard panel dimensions, angled fields and bespoke colours where the room needs them.

Star Density

Density is the decision people most often underestimate, because it's the one that can't be changed afterwards.

Density	Per sq ft	On a 2×2 panel	Effect
Standard	7–11 stars	28–44 stars	A convincing night sky. What most rooms get.
Higher density	On request	Quoted per project	Denser Milky Way effect for dramatic ceilings.

What's adjustable after installation: brightness, twinkle speed, and colour where colour changing is fitted. What isn't: star positions and density — those are physically manufactured into the panel. Worth settling before anything goes into production.

Process

How the Design Stage Runs

Room information

Dimensions, ceiling construction and height, plus a rough sketch of your fixtures.

Layout proposal

We come back with a field size, panel count and coverage recommendation, plus both prices.

Effects and density

You choose density and any effects. These are quoted on top and fixed at this stage.

Approve and manufacture

Once you sign off the layout, panels go into production. Allow build time from here.

FAQ

Custom Design FAQ

There's no separate design fee — laying the starfield out around your room is part of every order. Custom effects are quoted on top of the panel price: shooting stars typically add $500–$2,000, twinkle $300–$1,000, colour changing $500–$2,000, and constellation mapping $1,000–$3,000, depending on the size of the field.

Standard density is 7–11 stars per sq ft, which is roughly 28–44 stars on a 2×2 panel. Higher densities are available on request for a denser Milky Way effect. Density is set at manufacture and can't be changed afterwards, so it's worth deciding before the panels are built.

Because the fibre optics are built into the panels. Star positions, density and effects are all fixed when the panel is made, so the layout work has to be finished before anything goes into production. That's the opposite of a traditional fibre install where stars are placed on site.

Room dimensions, ceiling construction and finished height, and a rough sketch showing your screen wall, speakers, recessed lights and any HVAC supply and return. We design the starfield around those so fixtures don't punch holes in the sky.

Yes — that's most of what the layout work is. In a home theatre the starfield is usually laid out as a centred field with a border, which keeps it clear of the screen wall, speakers, recessed lights and vents around the edges of the room.

Not the star positions or density, because those are manufactured into the panel. Brightness, twinkle speed and colour where fitted are all adjustable afterwards through the controls. This is why we confirm the layout with you before releasing anything for manufacture.

Start Your Design

Send your room details and what you'd like the ceiling to do. We'll come back with a layout proposal and both prices.

Name *

Phone *

Email *

City & State *

Room dimensions *

Effects you're interested in

Your ceiling and what you want it to do *

Prefer to talk it through? Call (702) 738-2218