In order to give low ceilings some height, we advise painting them in light shades. Radiant white, soft cream or delicate pastel hues are best suited for low ceilings, as they open up the room visually, reflect the light better, and make the ceiling appear further away.
Choose a lighter ceiling color.
An easy method if you're wondering how to make ceilings look higher? Paint your ceiling a color lighter than the walls, preferably white.
Even if you have a bold color or a soft neutral on the walls, stick with a white ceiling to make the room feel taller.
Generally, small rooms or rooms with low ceilings look more open and broader with light, natural beige-colored hardwood and ceiling, such as white oak or gray cedar.
Avoid overhead lighting or ceiling fans. Anything that hangs from the ceiling will not only draw attention to it but also make it feel lower. Opt for wall-mounted lighting instead and consider sconces that provide uplighting: the light will shine up onto your ceiling, creating the illusion of height.
Low ceilings are almost always going to need a light hardwood floor to battle the natural constraints that a low ceiling creates. An open floor plan will often be complimented with darker hardwood floors.
2. Or, keep things light and bright. NYC-based interior designer, Artem Kropovinsky, founder of Arsight, says, 'in smaller spaces or rooms with low ceilings, painting the ceiling and walls the same color can create an illusion of height and openness.
If you want to add the illusion of height to a room, look up. In smaller rooms, painting the ceiling a light color can heighten the overall feel of the space. And it doesn't have to be a shade of white, either. Turn tradition on its head by using a crisp white on the walls and trim with a pop of color on the ceiling.
Choose light colors
Light colors such as white, ivory, pale gray, and sage green reflect higher amounts of light than dark colors, tricking the eye into perceiving the home as larger than it is.
Painting Your Ceiling a Lighter Color Than the Walls
The standard technique of painting ceilings lighter than walls is to whiten your wall paint with a ratio of 80 percent white paint to 20 percent color. This painting technique is perfect for opening up small spaces or making rooms with lower ceilings seem roomier.
Low ceilings and small rooms in these homes were designed so they could be easily heated by a central fireplace. As heating systems and insulation improved, the height of the ceiling rose to the point where, today, depending on a home's style, ceilings may be 9′ high, 10′ or more.
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.
It's a general rule of thumb that if the ceiling is a darker color than the walls, it makes the ceiling feel closer and the room feel smaller. So, if you have a low ceiling, you'll want to keep this in mind: painting them a dark color can make the room feel cramped.
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.
While lower ceilings can create a sense of calm and coziness, if they're too low, rooms can feel dark and cramped. What's more, there are various interesting ceiling styles that homeowners may consider installing, in remodels as well as new construction.
The International Residential Code (IRC) states that habitable spaces and hallways should have a minimum ceiling height of no less than 7 feet.
Low ceilings help save on air conditioning and heating
This shouldn't be a surprise at all. Low ceilings mean a smaller space for heating, lighting or air conditioning. It can mean a whole lot more savings.
Decorate your walls with vertical stripes – this helps elongate the walls and injects a varied colour palette into your space. Paint your ceiling lighter than the walls to give the illusion of more height. To brighten your ceiling's appearance, you could use our Light & Space paint.
Low ceilings in your home isn't necessarily a bad thing. Before modern times, 8 feet was typically regarded as the standard height for ceilings. Today, however, not uncommonly, most ceilings are 9 or even 10 feet in height.
Adding height to a room
Dark walls paired with a light floor and ceiling give the illusion of a taller room. There's no need to paint your walls black: just apply a bolder shade to a section of your room to illuminate and highlight the light shade above your head.