what ceiling options are there other than stucco for renovating homes?

Answer 1

Dry wall is best. You can consider the ceiling as the fifth wall, and decorate it accordingly. You can use molding, paint tecniques, wallpaper or simply paint it one shade lighter than the walls. I hate plain white ceilings.

Answer 2

Honestly I have neither heard of or seen a stucco ceiling. Everything is pretty much sheet rocked these days, the same as the walls.

Answer 3

You might consider installing a suspended acoustic ceiling. This is a great choice if you want to use track lighting or fluorescent lay-in fixtures, also air diffusers. The link below will give you an idea.