1
Place dust sheets over the floor, furniture and over the ductwork pipes. Move these around as the decorating progresses.
2
Attach painter's tape to all places where the ducts meet the ceiling so there is no danger of paint splashes and so you can apply paint more liberally.
3
Apply a layer of primer to the ceiling so the paint bonds properly and does not flake off later.
4
Paint the ceiling the desired color using paint rollers, which will keep the paint from going on too thickly and dripping. Apply two thin coats, instead of one thick coat, for a better finish.
5
Install more elaborate features to the ceiling, such as fabric tents over dining areas. This process is a lot more complicated when there's ductwork since the pipes serve an important purpose. Check with the building manager to see if the ducts are working. If they aren't, see if they can be removed in the places where you want to do more complex decoration.
6
Box in the ductwork using wood and paint the same color as the ceiling. This will not completely hide the ductwork but will make it less noticeable. Check to make sure the boxing will not cover openings and exits of the ducts.
7
Apply a layer of metal primer to the ducts and paint the same color as the ceiling. This does relatively the same job as the boxing, but will not run the risk of damaging the ducts.
8
Paint the ducts a contrasting color to the ceiling. Exposed ductwork is fashionable in modern apartments, so draw attention to it by painting it blue, orange or yellow.
9
Attach strings of LED lights to the ductwork as ambient lighting. Christmas lights are ideal for this although extension cables may be needed to get the lights to a power source. Under normal circumstances ducts should not have things hung on them but light strings are not heavy enough to damage them.
