Once something shunned and banished to crawl spaces and attics, exposed ductwork is on the rise as a design element — and as an energy-efficient solution. Naturally, those considering vaulted ceilings or increasing headroom in their home will need to consider what’s hidden above. Good thing savvy designers know how to make a simple, utilitarian feature pack a major design punch. Playing with size, shape, color and angles allows exposed systems to work in almost any space.

Designer Cavin Costello of The Ranch Mine in Phoenix uses the approach when remodeling older homes without attic space. In sweltering cities where temperatures often blow past 110 degrees, installing ductwork on roofs and piping cool air through the oven-like atmosphere doesn’t make sense in terms of energy efficiency. “You put the ducts in the envelope of the house, and it helps it keep cool,” Costello says. “It’s more efficient. You don’t even have to add insulation on top of them. It cuts down on cost that way, too.”

Here’s to maximum exposure.