Architectural gems like this church show how adding color to a ceiling can create drama in a room.
Most people paint their ceilings an unobtrusive white. It's simple, timeless and--let's face it -- sometimes boring. Choosing a color for your ceilings not only gives your rooms a little extra flair, depending on the color you choose, but the right ceiling color can also give your room the illusion of being larger or, alternatively, more intimate. Carefully selected ceiling colors can also draw attention to architectural details such as coffered and tray ceilings.
Match the Walls
Using the same color of paint on the ceiling and walls can make your room seem larger. This is a trick many decorators suggest confining to small rooms, such as a bathroom or a small, eat-in kitchen. The idea is to disguise the ceiling so it blends in with the wall, tricking the eye in thinking the wall extends farther than it does. Ceilings and walls painted in the same color can also work well with modern designs, which often rely on monochromatic color schemes.
Light Ceilings
One reason white is the default color for most ceilings is because it tends to give rooms an airy feeling. This is especially important in older homes or rooms with low ceilings, where dark paint might produce a cave-like effect. But you can achieve a similar illusion of space in a room if you paint the ceiling a lighter shade of the color you use on the walls. This Old House recommends selecting a color in the middle of your sample card for your walls, then going two shades lighter for the ceilings. This trick might even make your room appear bigger than if you opted for traditional white because it decreases the contrast between the ceiling and the wall. Light blue ceilings will also appear higher, as long as you are also using pale colors on the walls, according to the house painting tutorials from AK painting.
Dark Ceilings
Painting your ceilings a dark color can create a feeling of intimacy, but reserve this option for rooms where you want a particularly dramatic effect. This Old House suggests using a color that makes a statement, such as a rich red, on a dining room ceiling to create a "welcome feeling of enclosure." Painting the ceiling in a bedroom a darker color than the walls can create a similar, soothing effect. Sherwin Williams also suggests using darker colors on ceilings in rooms where you want to draw the eye to head-level and bring the focus in your room to the walls, furnishings and accessories. Make sure the color you select for your ceiling coordinates with other colors you use in your room.
Tips and Caveats
If you have an open floor plan, make sure you paint the ceilings in connecting rooms the same color, or else you will risk creating a jarring break in what is meant to be a flowing layout. Avoid painting popcorn ceilings any color other than white or cream, because you don't want to draw attention to what is now considered a dated texture. And if you are using white elements in your decor, AK painting suggests matching your ceiling to the white you use elsewhere in the room rather than introducing a new color on the ceiling. Finally, if you do choose a color for your ceiling, remember that it will appear darker than the same color on the walls because the light reflects off the ceiling differently.
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