How To Nail The Painted Ceiling Look Like Nate And Jeremiah

Home interiors are beginning to look a lot less cookie-cutter. Many homeowners are opting for unique details and breaking former design rules. When it comes to paint colors, the walls are the first location people think of. In contrast, ceilings were either left white or painted white so as not to draw the focus. However, that is no longer the case. Many are tackling the fifth wall and painting the ceilings of their rooms. Painting the ceiling can add a statement feature or envelop the room in comforting colors. That's exactly why Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent painted the ceilings of a nursery and the primary bedroom on "The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project."

Though Berkus and Brent are known for their comforting, neutral interiors, the pair have mastered working with color. The primary bedroom and nursery in the Victorian home already had a picture rail around the room. "The original railing, the picture rail that goes around the entire room, is a natural break to change a color," Berkus explains about the master bedroom (via HGTV). "So your eye will actually take in that detail all around the room." Using the picture rail separates the color on the wall from the color on the ceiling while framing both and allowing the ceiling to be the unique feature it should be.

The Victorian home that Berkus and Brent remodeled had architectural details that added character to the home. The molding around the ceiling offers natural separation between the wall color and the ceiling color. "The two colors we're proposing for the wall and the ceiling are really bold," Brent explained (via HGTV). " ... It's a great way for us to emphasize all that original architecture that's already in the space." In the nursery, Berkus and Brent used a similar technique. They used wallpaper on the walls and painted the ceiling a calming, moody blue while allowing the picture rail to remain white.

A picture rail is a type of molding that sits right below the ceiling and is traditionally used to hang pictures and artwork without having to put a nail on the wall. Picture rails add character and a defining line between the wall and the ceiling. This is especially helpful if you want a two-tone room. The picture rail being a different color allows for an easier transition from the walls to the ceiling. Of course, pulling off the painted ceiling look also has to do with choosing the right colors. To mimic the look they created, a shade like Benjamin Moore's Water's Edge or De Nimes by Farrow and Ball are great options. As for the color of the picture rail, sticking to neutrals is best. Burkus and Brent's favorite neutrals are Tranquil Gray, Even Better Beige, and Blank Canvas from Behr.