Growing up in the seventies, every ceiling in my entire home was painted a flat white. Today, many decorators and redesigners (like myself) realize that color is the easiest way to change the entire feel of a room.
As long as your ceiling is not textured ("popcorned"), it is definitely a candidate for some colored paint.
There are a few things you will need to consider before you jump in and start painting your ceiling:
1.) The amount of natural light that will be coming into the space.
2.) The amount of artificial light that will be used in the room. For example, a bright white glossy ceiling will bounce more light back into the room than a flat dark color ceiling.
3.) The height of your ceiling. A ceiling that is over 9.5 feet tall can be painted a much darker color than a ceiling that is only 8 feet tall.
4.) The overall style and function of the room you are going to paint. For example, I would not paint a kitchen a very dark blue but would consider a nice sage green for a kitchen with medium dark wood cabinets.
The ceiling can also serve as a focal point for the room, with a beautiful chandelier and a 16 inch round decorative medallion. To achieve an updated look for your home, I would recommend painting your ceiling a few shades lighter of the color you have selected for your walls. I would also recommend using a flat finish paint on the ceiling to prevent glare from sunlight and artificial room light. If you have a ceiling that is over 9 feet tall, crown molding painted in a high gloss white should always be used.
If you are not ready to jump into too much ceiling color, white comes in many shades from a creamy white to a blue tinted white to complement your wall colors. You may want to consider going with the white shade that works with your wall color scheme.
Painting a ceiling is no easy task, and the paint manufactures have recognized this by creating paints just for the ceiling. Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint Gallon in a Ultra Flat Finish offers a superior hide and splatter resistance to help us with our paint projects. You can also get this version of paint made in any color. Lowe's sells Valspar Color Changing Ceiling Interior Paint which goes on a light purple but will dry a flat white.
Good luck with your home redesign project.
-Kate (www.kateshomestaging.com)
