If you're thrilled with the color you chose for your walls, why not compliment it or match it on the ceiling? In addition to being just a bit unexpected, it also visually expands the room.
A pale wash of color looks bright and welcoming in a sunny space, while a deep hue can enliven a smaller space. It's an easy, colorful change from basic ceiling white.
- Gorgeously rich blue walls and a lighter blue ceiling create a cozy reading spot in Marie Claire Maison.
- Designer Jay Jeffers cleverly takes both color and pattern up to the ceiling in a room from the San Francisco Decorator Showcase.
- Butter yellow brightly update a traditional room. Via Everything Matters".
- Navy makes a dramatic statement in a tiny kitchen. Domino via Cream City and Sugar.
- Designer Stephen Shubel creates a calming, pretty living room with pale pink walls. Via House Beautiful
Images: 1. Marie Claire Maison 2. Jeffers Design Group 3. Everything Matters 4. Domino via Cream City and Sugar 5. Jeremy Samuelson for House Beautiful
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Love it! Who says a ceiling has to be white?
Blue is my favorite color; any shade but the 'blue' room is actually a bit too much for me.
I cringe at the thought of ruining those beautiful walls with that paint treatment. I think it takes away from the molding.
All others are really nice and I think the kitchen looks really fun.
I like these, except for that ugly, amateurish "arch" thingy in the second photo. I suppose they're going for a "fun" look, but it doesn't track with any of the underlying structure, so it just looks clumsy and arbitrary.
I agree with this article, ceilings are overlooked all of the time. What a great idea to paint it in a complimentary color!
If the ceiling is not high, color on it can be suffocating, especially in rooms that have a lack of natural light. White, or a paler tint of the wall color like that of the blue room, adds height and light, although I'd prefer an even lighter tint. The butter yellow works due to a high ceiling and the pink works because there is ample light. I'd feel claustrophobic in the narrow, smallish navy kitchen, however. We spend mostly dark hours in our apartments; in winter the sun sets early, and in summer when we are outdoors a lot. There is simply not enough natural light in my city apartment to sway me to use color on the ceiling. Colors on the ceiling look different, too, when illuminated by artificial light. I'd like the editors to consider showing day/night shots when showing a new idea such as this.
Grrrr..."complement," not compliment. Now what were you saying?
Oops, looks like they've gotten a bit of blue on the fireplace surround & mantel. Need to wipe that up before it dries!
By all means compliment it with a complimentary color. I'm sure it'll greatly appreciate all the flattery.
The concept tends toward the monochromatic. I think that works best with warm colors. Monochromatic blue (even in paintings) has always struck me as lifeless and cold. (I love blue, too.) I might be OK with the first room if the ceiling has a tiny bit of green or something in the color so it didn't feel like night on an ice berg.
Photo 2 is too contrived.
The others work because of the molding, ceiling height, and the light.
The "treatments" made the beautiful wood trim in 1-3 disappear. How sad.
I like this idea in general. Sometimes a stark white ceiling looks disconnected from the rest of the space. It can seem to take the life out. Several tones of one color together in a room can be harmonious and make a neutral backdrop that's not too choppy, especially in a small space. However, some rooms flow together and need some consistency in ceilings, floors, or trim from room to room.
I guess I'm just not in the know, but I always just thought people left ceilings white because they're a huge pain to paint. I always sort of thought that painting the ceiling was the natural thing to do when you paint the walls, either the same color or an accent to set it off. So, I guess I don't see why this is that special, other than the fact that they actually put in the effort (which is more than I can usually say for myself).
I don't like white ceilings (unless the walls are white). I lived in a basement flat for a while and painted the rooms quite light colours, with the ceilings in exactly the same colours as the walls. It made it feel cosy and looked really good.
My home's rooms are small, and I'm tired of its all-white walls and ceilings. I'd like to paint most of my home's interior walls greenish blue like turquoise and the ceilngs yellowish green like chartreuse or a botanical true green. I prefer blue walls and ceilings that lean toward green like aqua or purple like periwinkle to trite and true blues. I might paint a cool tint on the ceiling that complements the walls' color if I want the ceiling to appear higher. I might paint a tint of the walls' cool color on the ceiling if I want to obscure a room's overall small dimensions. Either way, I'd look for paint with little black in it since interiors already are too grayed by shadows.
I'm painting my living room blue both walls and the ceiling. I don't have any light either but in finishing of with a coat of varnish to help reflect the light. It really makes a difference. I left one corner unvarnished in the test I did. Here's a pic:http://ploefff.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/img3031.jpg