While dark or light colors on the ceiling can often create sophisticated charm and enhance certain rooms, there are times when white is best. This is especially true if you are painting main living areas such as the family room or kitchen. If you value simplicity in these areas, white will likely be your best bet.
Paint your ceiling the same color as your walls.
This will draw the eye up, which creates the illusion of a larger room and higher ceilings. Bonus if you're able to install some trim and crown molding, as I've found this can also make the ceilings look higher.
White Ceilings
Evidently, white ceiling paint is everyone's favorite, and for good reason. Certainly, it can illuminate any room. Further, matching your walls to the ceiling creates a cohesive and clean look. At the same time, it can double the size of a room visually.
A white ceiling reflects the most amount of light, creating the look of a larger space. White will allow your ceiling to showcase wall decor and furnishings. Another benefit of white ceiling paint is that it has the ability to cover imperfections and blemishes. White paint is easy to use and easy to touch up.
Matching Walls = Sleeker Look. If you have an upstairs room or attic with angled or dormered ceilings, O'Connor says painting the walls and ceiling the same color is the way to go. "It can hide an uneven transition line at the slope and elongate the space while also making it feel very cozy," she says.
White works as a ceiling color a majority of the time—and for many good reasons—but other colors like red, blue, and brown can be used, too.
In this case it distracts the eye from the low ceiling, because you look at the painting first, then the wall framing, which is, of course, taller than it is wider to correct the room's proportions. Clever right? The white around the framing plus the white ceiling also help push that ceiling up visually.
Although a flat finish is most popular, more ceiling paint finishes are available: Eggshell finish: After flat, eggshell finish is the next most popular ceiling paint finish. Eggshell paints offer a low sheen while still absorbing most light and hiding ceiling imperfections.
Before you tackle the so-called fifth wall of your room, make sure you're painting it first if you're planning on also painting the walls in the room. “You want to paint your ceilings first and then your walls," said Winters.
Choose a lighter ceiling color.
Paint your ceiling a color lighter than the walls, preferably white. Some believe high-gloss paint is best because it reflects light and makes the ceiling look somehow less fixed and static, while others say a matte finish will help the ceiling to blend in more.
Flat Acrylic Ceiling Paint
As the most common type of ceiling paint, this is best suited for low-humidity rooms, such as the bedrooms and living spaces. Flat paint does not reflect much light, which is appropriate for most ceilings.
'There is no right or wrong answer as to what color a ceiling should be painted; it all depends on the room and your preferences,' says Helen Shaw, director at Benjamin Moore. 'White can definitely give the illusion of a higher ceiling, but don't be afraid to deviate from the norm and step outside your comfort zone.
Broker Sheila Trichter's go-to ceiling shade is Super White OC-152 by Benjamin Moore because it doesn't clash with other paint colors. “As the name indicates, it is really white and will contrast nicely with any other white or color that you may use on your walls,” she says.
How often should I paint my ceiling? You should paint your ceiling with a fresh coat about every ten to fifteen years. And it's best to paint your ceilings at the same time as the rest of your interior walls since the paint job requires moving furniture and obstacles out of the way.
Yes, for a cohesive design that celebrates a favorite color
Whether you embrace colorful room ideas and create a bold, color-drenched look, or use white across the walls and ceiling for timeless white room ideas, a matched design can be both impactful and subtle.
Using a 2- to 3-inch brush, start at the edge of the ceiling and paint into the ceiling a few inches. Feather the strokes so the edge will blend in seamlessly once you use a roller to paint the rest of the ceiling.
Painters once encouraged using semi-gloss paint for a bathroom or kitchen ceiling (or a room with higher humidity) since semi-gloss paint has higher moisture resistance and sometimes holds up better, however, flat paint today works just as well, and tends to look better.
Choosing a Sheen
Ceilings, no matter what room they are in, have their own special needs. Flat, or matte paints as they are sometimes called, are ideal for ceilings in any room because they provide a smooth finish. This is important, as painting a ceiling is very tricky.
And with simple, unfussy cornicing, they're almost always painted a standard trade white. It might seem unadventurous by comparison, but white has become synonymous with ceilings. After all, white is versatile, forgiving and helps to reflect light, making the low ceilings feel loftier and more open.
Follow these guidelines for every kind of paint job: One coat for ceilings (high-quality paint) if it's the same colour, but two if it's textured material or a different colour. Two coats plus one extra coat of primer for newly plastered walls or drywalls.
Although you may get away with one coat when just refreshing your white ceiling, two coats will really give a bright and fresh finish.
If you're trying to make your room feel as bright and airy as possible, opt for a bright white. Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls for a cohesive design. Consider using a soft light neutral for ceiling paint where you want to create a cozy retreat or balance out bold wall colors.
When your ceiling moulding is in a room that already has baseboard trim, you might want to choose a color that complements the baseboard to keep the room's look clean and cohesive. Or, if you have a white chair rail in your living room, you might want to match that with the ceiling crown moulding.
Opt for a White or Neutral Color Scheme
“Light hues on the walls and ceiling can really help lighten a naturally dark space,” Schuster says.