I am in the middle of painting and rental-style-renovating an old Craftsman home. It came complete with a unique paint job - most of which has been safely covered by now.
But here's one bit we're debating over. The ceiling was painted with a brown-grey paint in this pattern that echoes the window frames. We repainted the walls with a lighter shade (Abalone from Benjamin Moore) but coincidentally it's complementary to the original color of the room. What do you think - should we keep the painted ceiling, or paint the whole thing the same color as the walls? Take a look at more photos after the jump, then come and vote!

Oh, and just for the record, it is not an option to repaint the pattern in our new color! 



I like the effect, however, since the ceiling is darker, it makes the ceiling feel lower....I would paint it out, but maybe try to redo the pattern?
view DecorAddict's profile
paint it white
view lena024's profile
The ceiling is rather unique. Leave it alone.
view zenxen75's profile
I like it.
view AZkathy's profile
Live with it for a while.
view Deborah's profile
Live with it, if you decide you don't like it, paint the ceiling white.
view cms's profile
I like it - leave it! It defines the spaces of the room nicely, and I like how it echos the windows.
view ilovebutter's profile
You are so lucky that you were given an interesting ceiling!
Enjoy it as it is.
view bepsf's profile
I like the look of the ceiling with the rest of the room. I say leave it, and if in a couple weeks you find you don't like it, then paint it.
view tgfoo's profile
Agree- I like the ceiling and wouldn't touch it.
view tallguylehigh's profile
where's option #3?:
(__) paint the ceiling in a non-wall color (white, lighter, etc.)
view redneckmodern's profile
It's cool but in the pictures it looks like the pattern makes the ceiling appear really low. I'd probably paint over since I have claustrophobia issues.
view Nikita's profile
I like it a lot---a lot of time was spent painting it that way.
All that blue tape around the room really makes it look strange in the photo's.
view poptart's profile
I like it, but would probably get tired of it, which is the perfect scenario for you. live with it for a while, it'll be fun to have something unique in the space (and it definitely doesn't "not go"), and if/when you get sick of it, paint it then!
it's primarily white, too, so I can't imagine it closing in on you too much.
view amt230's profile
Looks busy, and perhaps like they were trying a bit too hard. Drawing your eye up is nice, but this is a bit distracting.
view ChzPlz's profile
I really like the ceiling treatment - Looks like it was well considered and very well done. The effect is subtle, not at all claustrophobic to me.
view annamaria's profile
The ceiling pattern is so neat! Keep it!
view Aimi's profile
I'd leave it. It is very reminiscent of the common Craftsman bungalow ceiling beams, but in a more "modern" way. Like an echo of the past. I wish my home had something so interesting.
view fjorlief's profile
Oh i like it, i'd live with it for awhile at least.
view DahliaCactus's profile
I love that someone took the time to do this in the first place! I would live with it for a while; I think it looks awesome.
view mcq's profile
Quick check-in - we left it! We got to the point where "what looked best?" was answered by "what requires no more painting?"
It actually raises the ceiling a bit, in normal perspective. Hard to show it in photos.
Thanks for all the feedback! (Maybe later I'll show you the black stripes that were in the bedroom... and red ones in the dining room... and the purple office.)
view faith's profile
paint that ceiling white!
Personally, I think it's a bit cheesy the way it is...
view kpetuck's profile
It's not that they should match, there are no "shoulds" in design, but I say paint it because the ceiling is way too busy for all those architectural details you have going on there. It's a little claustrophobic.
view semidivine's profile
The ceiling looks divine as it stands---and kudos to those who took the time to measure, tape and paint the design. I like what Fjorlief wrote, it's a "now nod" to the beams typical of Craftsman construction.
view krister's profile
i love the detail, surely keep it!
view sanna's profile
paint it white. That ceiling is too busy and awful.
view wild-er's profile
It's a beautiful detail - it's hardly "busy". It's not like there are zebra stripes on the ceiling or something. Once furniture's in the room it should add some nice balance, instead of a big flat mass of nothing up there.
view sunspot42's profile