Prep the Ceiling and Room for Painting If there are any stains, clean them with a mild detergent and water solution. Other ways to prep your ceiling: Remove all furniture from the room, if possible, to avoid any spatter or paint damage. Cover remaining furniture with drop cloths or blankets.
Clean and Sand Your Ceiling
Remove cobwebs with a clean broom and wash the area with sugar soap. Nobody loves cleaning, but paint won't stick properly to a dusty or grimy ceiling. If your ceilings aren't textured, start with a quick once-over sand, using 100 grit abrasive paper.
You'll need to get the ceiling and surrounding room ready to be painted. To start off, wipe down the ceiling with a clean damp cloth and mild soapy solution to remove any dirt, dust, cobwebs, and grime. This will help you avoid getting any dirt or hairs stuck in the paint, creating a smooth, even finish.
Paint the Ceiling
For the best results, start in a corner and paint straight, overlapping rows until the entire ceiling is covered. Tip: Use a low-nap roller cover if your ceiling is smooth and untextured. Otherwise, use a higher nap, like 3/4-inch, for textured ceilings.
Two coats for ceilings if it's the same colour, but more if it's textured material or a different colour. Two coats plus one extra coat of primer for newly plastered walls or drywalls. One coat, if you're painting over an existing wall colour, should be enough – with the right preparation.
How To Paint a Ceiling
Modern Ceiling Paint Color Trends
One of the biggest shifts in ceiling paint trends is the embrace of bold, unexpected colors. Instead of treating the ceiling as an afterthought, designers are using it as a feature — bringing in rich hues, deep blues, greens, and even jewel tones to add personality and flair.
Black, blue, and green: Darker shades like navy blue and hunter green feature intense pigments that can resist coverage, particularly by lighter colors. (If you've ever tried adding white paint over dark paint, you know how many coats you need for a solid finish!)
Key Points
In these situations, some light cleaning may be necessary. Professional painters typically handle any wall washing needed as part of the preparation process before any paint is applied.
Seal (stain blocking)
Stain-blocking primers suppress stains from smoke, tannins, or water. Without a primer, those stains can come through after painting. Consider priming just the stains (spot priming) instead of covering the entire wall.
Prep the Ceiling and Room for Painting
If there are any stains, clean them with a mild detergent and water solution. Other ways to prep your ceiling: Remove all furniture from the room, if possible, to avoid any spatter or paint damage. Cover remaining furniture with drop cloths or blankets.
You can use a wall emulsion to paint ceilings, all interior wall emulsions are technically suitable for ceilings too but for the best finish, a flat matt paint on a ceiling gives the best overall look. It helps to hide any uneven areas or surface imperfections that are often highlighted by the light.
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Beige tones, hues of white, and grey should be the colors of choice for your furniture, curtains, drapes, and other home accessories. Neutral colors not only give that plush look, but they also give you that warm feeling.
There are three main types of “impossible” colors: Forbidden colors. These are colors our eyes simply cannot process because of the antagonistic way our cones work, for instance “red-green” or “yellow-blue.”
The Designer-Favorite Color of 2026
“Clients are craving warmth, including taupes, sands, mushrooms, and creamy whites that feel cozy and timeless. Gray, once sleek and modern, now reads cold and flat; those warm neutrals wrap a space in calm and connection.”
White is a classic choice for ceiling paint, but opting for a bolder color can help to highlight architectural details and bring vibrancy to your space. Browse our most popular ceiling paint colors to find the perfect shade for your project.
In 2026, lighting and ceiling fans step out of the background and into the spotlight, becoming essential design elements that define the entire space. The way a room is lit, how light moves throughout the day, and even how air circulates all play a role in how a home feels to live in, not just how it looks.
Popcorn ceilings don't kill a deal—but removing them almost always adds perceived value, especially in higher-end or updated homes. Buyers read them as “hasn't been updated yet.”
Apply a Second Coat
The second application ensures full coverage and a uniform finish. Two coats are usually sufficient, but a third may be necessary for textured surfaces or if you're changing the color. If you're using a paint-and-primer-in-one product, you will still need two coats.
Place painters tape on the wall, about 1/8″ down from the ceiling. Place a second piece on the ceiling, about 1/8″ out from the wall. Run a line of caulk along the opening in between the two strips of tape. Run a wet finger or ice cube along caulk to smooth.
First up, clean the ceiling, fill in any holes or cracks and sand it down. Then, mask your fixtures to protect them and get ready to dip your brush into that lovely fresh ceiling paint. It's best to paint around your fixtures first, before tracing around the ceiling line, otherwise known as 'cutting in'.