Theceiling, often called the fifth wall, forms much of the look and feel of interior spaces.
White
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White is likely the most popularceiling paintcolor for homes.
This isn’t just out of an adherence to tradition.
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Tip
Ceiling paint is almost alwaysflat or matte finish.
Reflections in semi-gloss or glossier paint are visual stops.
Reflections disappear in flat paint.
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Gray
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Gray lends rooms a calm, sophisticated feeling.
Gray is a spectrum of tones that range from barely-there to almost-black.
Gray differentiates the room from neighboring rooms.
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Blue
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A blue ceiling evokes the feeling of the sky.
Where dark blue might feel oppressive, light blue can help visually open up a room.
Another idea is to push the blue into the darker tones to evoke the feel of a nighttime sky.
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Some bedrooms look and feel better with a brown ceiling.
Brown ceilings minimize ambient light, a plus forhome theaters.
Yellow
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you’re able to hardly ignore ayellowceiling.
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And that’s the point of it.
Unlike white, which is intended to fade from view, yellow pops out and announces itself.
When the ceiling is yellow, pair it up withwallsthat are more subdued.
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Use gray or another neutral color for the walls to highlight the yellow ceiling.
Red ceilings pair up well with off-white or gray walls.
Remember, not all red ceilings need to be fire engine-red, either.
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Bring down red’s tone to burgundy for a more understated effect.
It’s perfect for spacious living rooms or for primary bedrooms.
Wood is also a good way to cover up a ceiling that has minor imperfections.
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Installtongue-and-groove woodboards on top of an existing ceiling.
Attach the fasteners directly to the joists above the ceiling drywall.
Paint the wood white if you’d like the room to have a shiplap look.
But the true value of a wood ceiling is the natural wood.
Or stain the wood to give it the richer appearance of hardwood.
Light Reflection
The ceiling reflects light as much, or more than the other four walls.
Changing thecolorof your ceiling can greatly affect the amount of light in the room.
White reflects as much light as possible.
In the eye’s peripheral vision, white blends away.
Easy utility
Ceiling paint is already tinted white.
This means color consistency varies from can to can.
