Decorating Myths Busted: White Isn’t Always Right For Your Ceiling
Some rules are made to be broken! Here’s why ‘paint your ceiling white’ is one of them
Susannah E James
1 June 2014
When planning a colour scheme, most of us spend hours poring over paint charts to find the perfect shade for the walls, but we barely give the ceiling a second thought. Because, well, you should always paint the ceiling white, right? It’s true that in our quest to make our rooms seem larger and lighter, white has become the default choice, but if you treat this as a hard-and-fast rule and have never considered doing anything different with your ‘fifth wall’, you’re missing a trick. Not convinced? These ideas might just change your mind.
Try some timber
We are used to wood floors and panelled walls, but timber ceilings? Well, they can look pretty incredible, too. Wood panelling adds a cosy, cocoon-like feel to a living space or bedroom. And if the real thing is too much of a commitment, you can fake it with a trompe l’oeil wallpaper. One thing worth noting about this room is the way the striped rug has been laid to echo the direction of the timber, visually linking the floor and ceiling. Clever.
See how to elevate your interiors with reclaimed wood
We are used to wood floors and panelled walls, but timber ceilings? Well, they can look pretty incredible, too. Wood panelling adds a cosy, cocoon-like feel to a living space or bedroom. And if the real thing is too much of a commitment, you can fake it with a trompe l’oeil wallpaper. One thing worth noting about this room is the way the striped rug has been laid to echo the direction of the timber, visually linking the floor and ceiling. Clever.
See how to elevate your interiors with reclaimed wood
Be bold with black
Pairing black with cream is a brave choice, but it pays dividends here. The dark paint makes the tall ceiling seem lower, drawing attention to the gorgeous ceiling rose and adding a hefty dose of ‘wow’ to a simple cream scheme. It looks fabulous with the dark wood furniture, too.
Pairing black with cream is a brave choice, but it pays dividends here. The dark paint makes the tall ceiling seem lower, drawing attention to the gorgeous ceiling rose and adding a hefty dose of ‘wow’ to a simple cream scheme. It looks fabulous with the dark wood furniture, too.
Introduce some sunshine
Yellow kitchen units are only for the brave, but a canary-coloured ceiling? That’s something anyone can do. A splash of paint in a vibrant daffodil shade was all it took to turn this dark room lacking natural light into a cheery, sunny space.
Yellow kitchen units are only for the brave, but a canary-coloured ceiling? That’s something anyone can do. A splash of paint in a vibrant daffodil shade was all it took to turn this dark room lacking natural light into a cheery, sunny space.
Add curve appeal
OK, this ceiling does have a fair amount of white on it, but if the owners had left it at that, you would barely notice its gorgeous curve. Introducing a sweep of wood is an inspired move that highlights the rounded shape, picks up the tone of the flooring and kitchen units, and really sets this room apart.
OK, this ceiling does have a fair amount of white on it, but if the owners had left it at that, you would barely notice its gorgeous curve. Introducing a sweep of wood is an inspired move that highlights the rounded shape, picks up the tone of the flooring and kitchen units, and really sets this room apart.
Cover it in concrete
If cool and contemporary is your thing, consider polished concrete on the ceiling. For this to be effective, the rest of the room needs to be immaculate – think crisp, white walls and pristine furniture – otherwise there is a risk it will look like you never got round to finishing the decorating…
Explore the appeal of polished concrete
If cool and contemporary is your thing, consider polished concrete on the ceiling. For this to be effective, the rest of the room needs to be immaculate – think crisp, white walls and pristine furniture – otherwise there is a risk it will look like you never got round to finishing the decorating…
Explore the appeal of polished concrete
Paper it
Who says wallpaper is just for walls? Hanging it on the ceiling may test your DIY skills to the limit, but you will be rewarded with an incredibly striking scheme. Done right, this can actually make your ceiling look higher in a way plain old white never could. The trick is to use moulding to ‘contain’ the design and to paint the edges of the ceiling the same colour as the walls. This tricks the eye into thinking the walls are taller than they are – perfect for improving the proportions of your room.
Who says wallpaper is just for walls? Hanging it on the ceiling may test your DIY skills to the limit, but you will be rewarded with an incredibly striking scheme. Done right, this can actually make your ceiling look higher in a way plain old white never could. The trick is to use moulding to ‘contain’ the design and to paint the edges of the ceiling the same colour as the walls. This tricks the eye into thinking the walls are taller than they are – perfect for improving the proportions of your room.
Make it metal
If you don’t want to lose the light-reflecting powers of white, but do want to be a little more adventurous, tin ceiling tiles are a good bet. They are modern, eye-catching, inexpensive and they boost light levels. What’s not to like?
If you don’t want to lose the light-reflecting powers of white, but do want to be a little more adventurous, tin ceiling tiles are a good bet. They are modern, eye-catching, inexpensive and they boost light levels. What’s not to like?
Get creative in a kid’s room
A child’s room is one place where you can go all-out and try something really different. Continue a world-map mural onto the ceiling, so your little one can lie back and daydream about distant lands (and improve their geography knowledge at the same time!).
A child’s room is one place where you can go all-out and try something really different. Continue a world-map mural onto the ceiling, so your little one can lie back and daydream about distant lands (and improve their geography knowledge at the same time!).
Choose midnight blue
Floor-to-ceiling windows and glossy white surfaces make a room look big and light, but on the flip side, all that brightness can come across as cold or, even worse, sterile. With limited wall space, there is only so much you can do in terms of wall coverings and artwork, but an inky blue ceiling instantly makes the space seem more inviting and intimate.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and glossy white surfaces make a room look big and light, but on the flip side, all that brightness can come across as cold or, even worse, sterile. With limited wall space, there is only so much you can do in terms of wall coverings and artwork, but an inky blue ceiling instantly makes the space seem more inviting and intimate.
Bring on the red
Scarlet is not the usual choice for bathroom décor. Used on the walls, it might counteract the restful, serene feel you’re striving for. But a red ceiling? Now we’re talking. This strong, rich hue adds warmth and, with the lights low, casts a gorgeous rosy glow on the walls. A crimson-painted tub pulls the scheme together without any risk of overkill.
TELL US...
What do you think of these non-traditional ceilings? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Scarlet is not the usual choice for bathroom décor. Used on the walls, it might counteract the restful, serene feel you’re striving for. But a red ceiling? Now we’re talking. This strong, rich hue adds warmth and, with the lights low, casts a gorgeous rosy glow on the walls. A crimson-painted tub pulls the scheme together without any risk of overkill.
TELL US...
What do you think of these non-traditional ceilings? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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I went to a talk recently on using colour in the home, and the strongest message I came away with was 'it's often better to depart from white ceilings'! So we have used a mid-grey on the ceiling of our white-tiled bathroom to great effect! If we had gone for white, the eye would have travelled up the wall and off into the great beyond! Now, the eye is 'stopped' at the top of the wall where the tiles meet the grey ceiling, and it gives the whole room a much warmer, cosier feel. Now we are planning darker ceilings in most of the downstairs rooms as well ... !
honeymummy - what other colours do you have in there? If you have coloured units you could use a similar colour on the ceiling. Or tone it with the floor colour, or even pick out a colour from your soft furnishings or crockery. A colour on a low cottage ceiling could really warm it up :)