Ever wonder what makes an elegant room, elegant? One thing you may not have noticed is the ceiling. Often, stately mansions boast a coffered ceiling -- that tasteful waffle-looking woodwork overhead that is named after the coffers of olden days (the ornate wooden chests in which valuables and treasure were stored.) Today, coffered ceilings of the past are the latest craze for adding class, and new pre-fab 'systems' not only make it easy, but also have hidden benefits, like integrated acoustical sound absorption. These new systems fit into standard metal T-bar grids. They're offered in many different profiles, too, and include surfacing from rich genuine woods to lightweight molded look-alikes that can be natural or painted to match a room. Many also offer recessed lighting options from down lights to perimeter highlighting. Want some real lifestyles of the rich and famous? A ritzy coffered ceiling beats "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" every time.