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.
A white ceiling makes smaller spaces feel larger. For seamless color flow, select a white for your ceiling that shares a similar undertone as the wall color. Favorite whites for ceilings include White Dove OC-17, Cloud White OC-130 and Decorator's White OC-149.
1. To make your scheme feel more pulled-together. In schemes where a white ceiling might feel jarring – against darker walls, for example – many of the experts recommended painting the ceiling in a lighter shade of that on the walls instead. And the best ceiling color in this case might be easier to find than you think ...
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.
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.
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.
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.
If it's a small room, choosing a dark color for the ceiling and walls will make your space rich in color and feel more intimate. But if you want your small room to feel roomier than it is, consider painting your wall and ceiling with a lighter color.
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 is a popular ceiling paint color, and it's not just out of an adherence to tradition. Homeowners and designers favor white as a ceiling color because: White Reflects Light: The ceiling reflects light as much, or more than the other four walls.
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.
If your crown moulding is going into a room with high ceilings, you may want it to be the same color as the ceiling to make the room appear smaller. The opposite is valid for a room with low ceilings, as a trim in a contrasting color will make the room appear more spacious.
Ceilings should almost always be painted in a flat, matte acrylic paint. The reason for this is that: Flat paint will not reflect light or draw attention away from the wall and room furnishings. Ceilings don't receive much wear and tear, so a glossy, durable paint is not necessary.
Therefore, flat paint should be your obvious choice if you want a saturated, velvety flat finish on your ceiling. If you ceiling has imperfections like uneven textures, cracks and joints, flat paint will surely absorb light and make them less noticeable.
While warm-colored LED lights create an aura of togetherness and joy, they can enclose the space if used in a small room. On the other hand, cool-colored LED lights create an ambiance of motivation and initiative but can feel gloomy when used in larger spaces. You can use white LED lights for false ceilings.
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.
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.
Naturally, white is an obvious choice for making a room feel bigger. It's no secret that light colors make a room look larger, especially if the space is bathed in natural light. Eggshell or satin finishes will help reflect the light, creating the appearance of even more space.
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.
The choice between flat and eggshell finishes depends on the type of paint you wish to use. Flat paint is usually the best option if you want to conceal imperfections and avoid highlighting them. But if you want to paint your ceilings with a different sheen, you can choose between an eggshell finish or a matte finish.
Flat paint is prone to staining, cracking or chipping in rooms with higher levels of humidity. For that reason, satin sheen ceiling paint is the better choice for ceilings in bathrooms, laundry rooms or any other space that remains more humid.
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.