If the walls of the room are painted a shade of white, Southern California-based interior designer Anita Yokota swears by painting the walls and ceiling the same color. "Otherwise, the whites will contrast and it will look dingy," she warns. It's true, the right paint can actually make your home look cleaner.
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.
It depends. If you're using white, yes, I recommend doing the same white on walls, ceilings, and trim. If you're doing an off-white/light depth color and have textured ceilings, I would do a lightened version. Or, I might rethink painting my trim the same color (depending on the home).
Pros of Painting Ceilings and Walls the Same Color:
It can help make the ceiling look higher. Painting walls with angled walls and ceilings the same color can avoid making the room look and feel choppy. You avoid the worry of using conflicting undertones. It can bring a cozy feeling to a large room.
If your walls are white and the ceiling has a flat, smooth surface, consider painting your ceiling a softer color such as a lighter peach, a sky blue, a very light gray, or a pale yellow to give your space a breezy feel.
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.
Although bright white is generally considered the safest choice for ceiling paint colors, it's not your only option. There's a whole kaleidoscope of colors that can work for your ceilings if you're willing to step outside the box. Of course, a refreshingly crisp white is sometimes the best solution.
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.
"I have been considering it the fifth wall for some time," says colorist and interiors consultant Martin Kesselman, who says that a ceiling should always be painted.
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.
If you do want any kind of sheen on the ceiling, use the flattest sheen other than flat: eggshell. Little is to be gained by using a ceiling paint that has a gloss. Gloss is valuable because its binders create a smoother, tighter surface bond, making it easier to wipe dirt or smudges from walls.
There's no rule that says you have to paint a ceiling white, but it's certainly an option, and there are tons of shades of white that each has their own nuances and undertones. But if you're looking to make a dramatic change, it might be best to look beyond white for your ceiling color.
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.
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.
Light Colors
White works well, but you could also use colors like beige, grey, or pastels like yellow or blush. Consider these popular options: 0021 Barely White, a cool off-white hue. 1070 Peony Prize, a soft delicate pink.
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.
Ceilings are most often painted white to reflect light and brighten up a room. White ceiling paint is the most popular choice for homes. However, choosing to paint your ceiling a color can be a refreshing change of pace. A dark or light-colored ceiling is a great way to improve the mood of a room.
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 painting your ceiling a bolder or brighter colour, you'll definitely want two coats of paint, potentially more if the colour change is dramatic.
Color can create a sophisticated charm, but typically, your best color for ceiling paint is white. It's the most neutral color that will pair well with any wall color you choose.
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.