Like most DIY painting endeavors, painting your ceilings is something that can end up looking either really good, or really bad. In the right space and with the right color, it can create a really appealing, seamless look that adds character to the room. On the other hand, depending on the color, it has the potential to make small rooms feel heavy, dark, and claustrophobic - plus, painting a ceiling is just a tricky, messy, and time-consuming job.
But just because a project is time-consuming and potentially tricky doesn't mean it's not worth it. DIYer Melissa's beautifully baroque bedroom is a prime example of how painting a ceiling (when done right) can turn a good room into a great one!
The "before" look for Melissa's (aka @dustyroseblog 's) bedroom demonstrates why sticking with default white for ceilings isn't always the best choice. Her room was beautifully ornate, with gorgeous dark wood furniture and doors, a chandelier and candelabras, intricately detailed crown moulding, and a breathtaking pastoral mural behind the bed. This whole room would look right at home in a palatial French chateau... up until its plain white ceiling, which, as Melissa said, cut the visual flow of the room and made it feel shorter.
Creating the Illusion of Space With Painted Ceilings
This is one of those cases where painting a ceiling can actually make a room feel bigger, by obscuring the lines where the walls meet the ceiling and "lifting" the space visually. It helped that the room already had a fairly light, soft paint color ( French Gray No. 18 by Farrow and Ball). All Melissa had to do was take her wall's color and bring it all the way up!
I did wince a little when Melissa painted over that intricately detailed crown moulding , but I get that it was a necessity for the look she was trying to achieve. She took the time to fill it in carefully with a small brush so that the details would still stand out and it wouldn't end up looking like a "landlord special" paint job. Taking care of the crown moulding was an ordeal, though - according to Melissa, that part alone took three days! My arms hurt just watching her.
However, after days of effort and trading off work with her boyfriend, Melissa finally achieved her desired outcome, and... wow. Without the stark white capping off the gray-green walls, the room now has this seamless visual flow from every angle. It looks more authentically 19th century than it did before, and you can easily see what Melissa means when she remarks that it makes her ceiling look higher. The natural light from the windows reflects off the ceiling's glossy finish and creates the illusion that the walls are taller than they really are, which in turn just helps to make the room feel even more opulent. Tres chic !
Painted Ceiling Precautions
Melissa's bedroom makeover is a great example of when painting the ceiling the same color as its walls can visually heighten the room. The key factor here, however, is that the color was on the lighter side and would reflect more light than it absorbed. Were the paint color a darker shade of gray, or some other deep, dark shade, the effect would probably feel a lot heavier and overwhelming. Making a room feel smaller with dark ceilings isn't always a bad thing, but in a small room with a lot of bulky furniture, I could see that getting oppressive fast.
That doesn't mean you have to contrast dark walls with plain white ceilings, though. According to a blog post from ECOS Paints, some experts recommend painting your ceiling almost the same shade as your walls but 20% lighter . This can create a subtle contrast that still maintains a seamless visual flow while visually heightening your ceiling!
There's really no "right" or "wrong" answer here; it all comes down to an individual's space and their preferences. I know one thing, though: if I finally take the big leap and paint my ceilings, I'm using Melissa's video as a reference!
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