There is no rule that says that you have to paint your ceiling white. But judging by the way most people stick with white, you’d think it was the law. That’s a shame, because a colorful ceiling can make a big difference in a room.
You can use ceiling color to make tall, cold spaces seem cozier or small rooms look a bit larger. Ceiling color can give almost any room more character. It can connect adjacent rooms by introducing a common element.
You can do all kinds of tricks with color on the ceiling, sponging puffy white clouds on a sky blue background, or creating an opulent look in a formal room by applying gold leaf. There's even a black ceiling that gives the room the feeling that it goes on forever.
A ceiling can be a place to rest your eyes or it can place a beautiful lid on a fabulous room.
If you’re ready to include the ceiling in your home’s color scheme, here are some ideas:
To suggest sunlight in a room that doesn’t have much, or to make the most of it in a bright room, paint the ceiling a light yellow. Other pale pastels can look gorgeous on the ceiling, including lavender, light green, pearl gray or robin’s egg. Porch ceilings are often painted blue. Pink or peach on the ceiling flatters skin tones, and one of those hues might work especially well on the ceiling of your bathroom or bedroom. The color on the ceiling doesn’t have to match anything else in the room.
In general, light colors make the ceiling recede by reflecting the light in the room; darker colors can visually bring the ceiling down a little bit. You can make the most of this illusion if you have a two-story home with a high ceiling in the foyer. Paint the ceiling darker than the walls, possibly in warm beige, to make the ceiling feel less remote and your home’s entryway more welcoming.
Sometimes, the best color for the ceiling is the same color as the walls. This works nicely in a small half-bathroom or hallway. When you put the same color on the walls and ceiling, use the same sheen on both.
Even if you are truly comfortable with white on the ceiling, you don’t have to have a stark, chalky white overhead. White flavored with a drop of any color can add subtle beauty and tie a room together. Just add a cup of your wall color to each can of white paint to unify the look. This way, you’ll be sure to create a room where the walls and ceiling are in harmony.
Cindy Bailen is an architectural color consultant with her company Oranges&lemons Colors, on the Web at www.orangesandlemonscolors.com.
author: Cindy Bailen