Visually lower ceilings with a darker shade of paint than surrounding walls.
Interior designers refer to the ceiling as the "fifth wall" of a room, requiring the same consideration as the four walls that are always at eye level. Use paint to visually lower the height of a tall ceiling, move a shade or two lighter without going plain white or add brightness to balance a large room.
Lower the Ceiling
The Creative Home website advises painting the ceiling a darker color than the walls to give the visual effect of lowering the ceiling. A warm color also appears to bring a living room ceiling closer to the rest of the room. Paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore points out that while furniture and decorations occupy the lower part of a room, the top half is bare. The company recommends a deeper color on the ceiling with a soft sheen, such as eggshell or pearl to balance a large open space.
Use Flat or Glossy Paint
Flat paint hides imperfections better than other paints. If you have a popcorn ceiling, a flat sheen ceiling paint gives an ultra-flat finish and absorbs light. At the other extreme is high gloss. If the ceiling is a very even plaster or other smooth uniform surface without blemishes, a House Beautiful article featuring New York designer Todd Klein provides guidance when using high gloss. According to Klein, high-gloss paints create a room that is "totally glamorous, especially with the candlelight shimmering off the walls and ceilings."
Eliminate Ceiling Streaks
When painting a ceiling, regardless of height, the website Painting and Decorating Concourse recommends using paints designed for ceiling applications. Unlike wall paints, ceiling paints are manufactured to reduce spattering from overhead painting. The website also notes two common problems with painting a ceiling are missed spots and uneven appearance. To avoid missing a spot, some ceiling paint rolls on violet and dries to white, eliminating white blindness. Lap marks and uneven appearance show up when paint dries quickly, the result of numerous coats of flat ceiling paint. Prime the ceiling with a universal primer, and seal the ceiling before applying new paint.
Tags: ceiling paint, painting ceiling, balance large, ceiling with, high gloss
