Choosing Ceiling Paint Color

When you decide to paint your ceiling, the color doesn’t always need to be white. You have likely heard that a white ceiling makes a room feel or look bigger. Well maybe your goal is to make your room feel cozier or dramatic. Whatever the reason, sticking to white is not your only option.

Large rooms with high ceilings can sometimes feel unbalanced and a darker ceiling color can help make the ceiling seem lower.  This can create a warmer and more intimate feel in the room.  A darker and rick color like mocha brown on the ceiling can warm up a room and create a cozy feel.  This treatment can also make the ceiling the focal point of the room. The wall colors will play into the tone you choose for the ceiling too. A lighter wall color in the same color pallet can tie the ceiling and walls together creating a designer look and feel.  

Dark colors don’t always belong in a big room.  A black ceiling can work even in a smaller room. Get creative and you can create a dramatic effect even in a powder room like the one shown here.

Painting the ceiling, a bold or bright color, such as pink, lilac, yellow, or fluorescent green adds energy and interest to any space. This is a great choice if you have light walls and neutral furniture.

Brightly colored ceilings are perfect for games or play rooms, children’s rooms as well as bathroom and kitchens.  Many bathrooms and kitchens have solid color or white tiles and a brightly colored ceiling can offset these perfectly.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with white ceilings! Over 90% of our homes have traditional white ceilings. The key to turning out a perfectly white ceiling is in your preparations. Make sure you repair any imperfections in the ceiling before painting. Then use a good quality primer first before the final coat. Lots of the priming product on the market today is light blue or light pink to make it easy to apply and then it dries to perfect white.   

If you want to add an accent to your white ceiling you can always added a colored cove molding  in a shade to tie in the wall color. An offsetting room color is also a great way to treat a tray type ceiling or when adding a boarder trim. Do you need a few useful tips on painting? Quinju has lots of painting tips found in this article on Painting Tips for the perfect finish.

Ceiling paint manufactures have developed their products with a flat sheen mostly to help hide imperfections and reflection from the ceiling. These paints typically provide better coverage as they are thicker and provide splatter resistance to make painting overhead easier.

A flat sheen is not your only option though as a good quality wall paint can be applied on a ceiling too. A gloss finish will reflect light and color and create a very intense effect. For example, a dark blue ceiling in a room with pale blue walls would create a dramatic impression. Perhaps a metallic look is more to your liking and a gloss finish would make this vivid treatment very powerful

Color can have a drastic effect on our mood and the feeling you want to create in the room. Take some time to determine what environment you want to create. Remember to use colors that tie into your existing furnishings. You can change things up easily by incorporating the colors on the walls and ceilings into throw cushions and rugs. These treatments will help tie things together into a coordinated look. This effect is demonstrated perfectly in the photo below from Architectural Digest. If you want to learn more about colors and mood check our related article on color for mood.

Of course, paint is not your only choice in finishing your rooms ceiling. With numerous new products on the market to create a textured surface, paint is only one option. Historically tin ceilings were used in the kitchen.  Tin look alike panels are now available in many patterns and colors and are easily cut and applied creating a very interesting ceiling effect. Another popular ceiling treatment is wood and this comes in various patterns and sizes. The application of these products requires a bit more planning and work than painting. You can check out lots of these options in our feature article on Creative Ceiling Finishes.

Painting walls and ceilings is one of those home renovations that’s well within reach of the average homeowner. However if you're taking on a little bigger project it’s great to have the proper home improvement tools readily available. One way to stay organized, gather inspiration and plan your project is using quinju home renovation planner tools. You can get started quickly and easily by signing up for your free account below.