Has fear stopped you from painting your ceilings? Designers frequently refer to the ceiling as a room’s fifth wall, yet renters and owners shy away from making changes. I’m here to argue that with careful planning, painting your ceiling is a dazzling, budget-friendly way to make a room feel bigger, softer, or tied to your overall design aesthetic.
Painting Your Ceilings Black
Let’s start with possibly the most dramatic paint choice you can make for your ceiling. Paint it black (not to be confused with the song by The Rolling Stones). Without a doubt, a black ceiling is a statement ceiling, and its success is all in the styling. For example, If you have black marble countertops, ebony trim around mirrors, dark cabinets, or inky fixtures, painting your bathroom ceiling a warm black will make all your other dark accents pop. Painting the inner layer of a dining room’s tray ceiling black and layering it with a gold-based light fixture can be stunningly chic. If you have shiplap or beams on your ceiling in need of a facelift, painting it black can transform it from rustic to modern vintage in a flash.
Creating a High Ceiling Effect
Would you love to make your ceilings feel higher without costly roof work? Whether you are in a boxy living room with genuinely low ceilings or a standard room with eight-footers, you can create an impression of soaring heights merely by painting your ceiling. How? Take the color of your walls (or a dominant color in your wallpaper) and paint your ceiling with a shade that is darker and richer.
Light gray walls are everywhere. To make your ceiling feel like it is sky-high, paint the ceiling a much darker gray. The deeper hue gives the impression of depth and shadow. Your eyes are drawn up to it. The effect is surprisingly effective.
Crafting a Contrast
Even if you don’t go black, you can still make a statement by painting your ceilings with bold or dreamy colors that contrast with the walls and much of the decor. For example, a neutral room can boast a swirling pink shade, vivid blues, or inspiring purples overhead. When you do this, your ceiling becomes the focal point of the room. To make the design feel cohesive, take that shade and repeat it in artwork, pillow covers, vases, or other accessories to tie the color scheme together.
Hinting at the Sky
Light blue shades on the ceiling can make a small room seem more open. For traditional homes, these hues work well against white trim and chair railings, as they evoke the airiness of a springtime sky.
Evoking a Moody Chicness on Coffered Ceilings
Dark purples, rich greens, and midnight blues are not just for flat ceilings. Painting coffered ceilings, either inside the design or along the trim, can help you make the most of your architectural details. Where the coffered elements may have been lost in an all-white look, the paint will emphasize the intricacy and craftsmanship of the design.
Drenching Your Rooms in Color
Are you ready for a dramatic step away from neutral? There’s no better way than color-drenching your space from the baseboards to the ceiling. Go for something soothing (like sage green) or something deeply dramatic. If you are ready to commit to a major color overhaul, you’ll be amazed at what a major shift incorporating the ceiling into your design choices will be.
Adding Something Playful
Do you have kids who are begging to change the feel of their bedrooms? A quick way to do it without spending a lot of money or planning a significant renovation is by painting your ceilings something whimsical or thematically tied to their interests. Painting the ceilings in “tent” stripes can visually remind your kids of the circus. If they love horses, consider adding a mural to the ceiling. Painting puffy clouds against a light blue sky can make the space feel dreamy and relaxing, as can stars against a midnight blue ceiling that climbs from midnight blue walls. Whatever their interests, you can bring them to life with some paint and a steady hand.
Finishing with Texture
Contemporary spaces, whether dining rooms, bedrooms, or living rooms, may be crying out for architectural interest. In much the same way rag roll paint techniques brought interest to walls in the 1990s, today, we see faux stone paint techniques that bring the elegance of architectural detail to blank ceiling canvases. High-gloss finishes are often popular as they offer a greater sense of texture than when painting your ceilings with matte or satin products.
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