Ceilings

wood planks from Armstrong Ceilings

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Don’t be afraid to use a deeper-colored wood if the rest of the room’s elements are neutral — it’s often this extra depth that can prevent a room from feeling cold or bland. Armstrong ceiling

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This drop ceiling quickly went from so-so to stunning with crisp white wood-look planks. The planks were fitted directly to the existing ceiling grid via clips, hiding it without hassle or mess. They’re also pre-finished, so no sanding or painting was required.

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The designer left the ceiling a light color and used a pale rug. “At 9 feet, the ceilings in here are pretty high for a Colonial, but I thought if we added color to the ceiling, it would feel too much like a cave,” she says. The ceiling color also prevents a jarring contrast between the library and adjacent light-colored rooms, such as the kitchen.

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A purely white ceiling works well in a space that has a mix of both warm and cool neutrals (like the ruddy brick, warm wood and cool gray sofa upholstery shown here). The white acts as a middle ground between the diverse tones.

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crisp white ceiling for contrast

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sometimes a ceiling can be beautiful in a hue that completely contrasts with the walls. The entryway shown here has an icy pale blue in the ceiling coves and a somewhat warm white for the walls, so they certainly don’t match.

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The idea of tinting paints to match can work in reverse as well. In this dining room, the dark paint treatment in the ceiling cove highlights the architecture and makes the room feel more intimate.

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choose a pale color from the same family, often the palest option on the same paint chip. If you choose what’s essentially just a much lighter shade of your wall hue, you’ll be virtually guaranteed to get a coordinated look.

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Whether you’re using a rich neutral or a bright hue, you can make sure the ceiling color coordinates well by tinting it with just a little bit of the wall color. For example, if you’re using a rich buttery cream for the walls, choose a ceiling white that’s tinted with just a bit of the same yellowy undertone.

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However, the richer the color you choose, the more it can begin to shrink the space when applied to the ceiling. If you have a tall room or want the space to feel cozy, this isn’t a bad thing. But if you’re going darker with your walls or your wall hue isn’t so neutral, you may want to consider some other options.

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blue patterned wallpaper

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beams & coffers

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textured wallpaper can add sense o richness similar to wood but even more subtle and in a range of hues

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wallpaper

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ceiling moldings can look grand and very high-end in a modern home as well. Even just a few strips in a simple shape or pattern can beautifully frame a ceiling light and bring a sense of polish. Generally with thin moldings like this (2 inches wide or less) I would recommend painting them the same as the rest of the ceiling so the moldings remain a subtle element of architectural texture.

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pressed tin

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paneling

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Semigloss. The higher the degree of gloss in a paint, the more visual depth it will have and the lighter the perceived color will be. So, when choosing a darker shade especially, selecting a semigloss or more subtle satin finish can make a color seem less aggressive and more multidimensional and help keep the paint from absorbing all of the light in the room.

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Using a dark or dramatic paint color on the ceiling doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. Like the opposite of an area rug, painting just part of a ceiling can help define a particular zone, like how this open-concept home has a gray paint used over just the kitchen, ending roughly at the edge of the island.

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In an older home, using an all-over hue is a great way to deemphasize imperfections such as sloped ceilings that don’t meet walls in a perfectly straight line.

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Painting the ceiling to match the walls may sound overwhelming, but sometimes it can actually be the more subtle choice. When the ceiling and the walls (or even just a few walls) are the same hue, the lack of contrast makes the ceiling less of a dramatic feature and more of a singular background color. Of course, this applies best to softer hues like gentle pink, watery blue or heritage butter yellow.

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accent color

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A white or just-off-white ceiling is popular because it’s a great way to make any room feel open and airy and let light bounce from any windows or light fixtures back into the room. For a contemporary or modern home, plain white can work great, but for a more traditional home or a space with definite warm tones (like this room with a lot of welcoming beige), choose a subtle off-white that complements the tone of the walls. Also, the band of color at the top of the wall brings the ceiling down

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A white or just-off-white ceiling is popular because it’s a great way to make any room feel open and airy and let light bounce from any windows or light fixtures back into the room. For a contemporary or modern home, plain white can work great, but for a more traditional home or a space with definite warm tones (like this room with a lot of welcoming beige), choose a subtle off-white that complements the tone of the walls.

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