5 Reasons Why You Should Be Painting Your Ceilings

When designing a room, a lot of us consider the color of the walls, the floor, and the furniture... and it usually stops here. That's because most people don't think about painting their ceiling anything other than white. Homeowners typically opt for white because it's a neutral that will always complement the other colors in the room, says Ecos Paints. And while this might be the norm, it also presents an opportunity. If you start to think of your ceiling as the fifth wall, you might realize how many design options on which you've been missing out.

Not only does painting the ceiling provide a design element, it also offers some visual benefits for your space. You can easily paint any ceiling in your home, from the living room to the bathroom to the bedroom. So if you've been staring blankly at a room in your home wondering what exactly its overall design scheme is missing, you might want to look up. The ceiling has a ton of potential you might have never considered.

Quite simply, painting your ceilings a color other than white is unexpected. When you walk into a room with a painted or patterned ceiling, your eyes instantly track upwards to check it out because it's something you don't see often. Good interior designers use the element of surprise throughout their designs. According to Inman, the trick designers use is to balance the unexpected with some more typical elements. For example, if you paint your ceiling, you may want to refrain from painting your floors or having a large mural on the walls. One element of surprise has a wow factor, but too many can feel overwhelming.

This doesn't mean you have to settle for a solid colored ceiling and plain white walls. Instead, opt for contrasting but complementing colors to create a visual element. Then, throughout the rest of the space, you may want to keep furniture, décor, and artwork on the simpler side in order to allow the ceiling to shine.

Color has the power to trick the eye and change your perspective on a room. Use this to your advantage when painting a ceiling to evoke the feeling you want out of the space. For example, you can highlight tall ceilings or make a room look larger by painting the walls and ceiling the same color, according to A Glass of Bovino. Visually, this creates the illusion of a continuous space, drawing the eye upwards even further. However, you don't have to paint the entire ceiling to achieve this. Instead, try continuing the wall color up just a few inches on the ceiling.

Conversely, you can also give the feeling of a smaller, cozier space by contrasting the ceiling with the walls. Painting the ceiling darker than the walls can make the ceiling appear lower, creating a smaller looking space, says Ecos Paints. This can be used for rooms that feel too cavernous or for when you need to create a room that feels much more intimate.

Because painting a ceiling a color other than white is so unconventional, it's a great opportunity to go all out and do something creative with the space. You don't have to stick to one paint color. Try multiple hues in different patterns like stripes, florals, or abstract shapes. You could get even more creative with a ceiling mural depicting the sky or one that is inspired by a renaissance painting. If you aren't great with a paintbrush, wallpaper is a good alternative to a painted ceiling.

Experts like interior designer Kate Lovejoy say to approach interior design in a way that feels comfortable to you. Your home should reflect your personality and individual style; that should give you permission to be more creative with the interior design choices you make. So if you like bright colors, don't shy away from adding brighter colors to your space, especially in unexpected places like the ceiling.

If you like the unexpected detail of a painted ceiling but aren't one for bright colors, you can still participate in the design trend. According to Il Piccolo, a sophisticated interior is created by combining refined and cozy elements in the space. Do this by mixing up colors, textures, materials, and furnishings. Again, you don't need to give your space a major overhaul to achieve this look. For many homes, using the right colors can instantly create a sophisticated interior. When choosing colors, think timeless.

Neutrals like a warm light brown, creamy buttermilk, taupe, and tinted grays are great options for a sophisticated color palette, according to William Pitt. If you're looking to infuse a little color, certain shades of green, blue, and navy can also look quite sophisticated. Black, as always, is a timeless option. Using these colors on your ceiling will be unexpected and look refined at the same time.

As mentioned above, paint on the ceiling draws the eye up, but trying to make the room appear larger might not be the only reason you want the eyes of your guests to wander. You may have ceiling elements that deserve some attention. Painting the ceiling can make these features stand out a little more.

Consider features like crown molding, board and batten, ceiling medallions, and wood beans, all of which add elegance and character to an interior space, according to Inviting Home. When these details are original to the house, you definitely want to show them off. Even if you add in modern ceiling adornments later, they'll still increase the character and personality of your home. You can see in the example above that coloring the flat part of the ceiling while leaving these elements in their original form will make them stand out much more than if both were white. This is a great way to seamlessly blend antique details with modern trends.