When it comes to updating a space with paint or adding style and personality to your home, the ceiling is often not the first place homeowners think about. For decades, white ceilings have been the norm, as they’re safe, bright, and easily blend in. But what if your ceiling had more potential than that? What if it could be a stand-out part of your home’s design that elevates the space? It’s time to look up and rethink your ceiling, because it has more potential than you think! At Oak City Coatings, we help Raleigh homeowners reimagine every inch of their space and bring their unique design ideas to life, including what’s up above. Whether you’re going bold with color drenching, or just looking for a softer, more cohesive feel, ceiling colors are a powerful (and often overlooked) design tool. In this blog post, we’ll help you think beyond white and learn how to choose the right hue for your home!
In This Post
Why White Became the Default Ceiling Color (And When It Works)
For several decades, white paint has been the go-to choice for ceiling colors for a few practical reasons. White is a neutral color that bounces light around and makes rooms feel brighter, bigger, and more open. Plus, white ceilings are a safe, crowd-pleasing choice that go with most wall colors, trim, and doors, which can help boost your resale value.
White ceilings are a great choice for:
- Small rooms that need to feel brighter and more open.
- Low ceilings where a darker color may feel heavy.
- Minimalist designs that favor clean lines and simplicity.
However, just because white is a common choice doesn’t mean it’s always the best (or only) choice. In these instances, a soft off-white or warm cream ceiling color can work well and bring more harmony to your room than a traditional stark white.
How Ceiling Colors Affect Space and Mood
Think of a ceiling like the room’s “fifth wall.” It has the power to totally transform how your space looks and feels. So why not take advantage of it and make it really work for your home and bring out your unique style and personality?
Think about it this way… color has a great impact on mood. It’s the psychology of color overhead. The color you choose for your ceiling can create a calming, energizing, or cozy feel for the space. If you’re needing a change in your space, don’t just assume it has to be with the wall color. A subtle change of ceiling color might just be what your room needs to stand out and feel refreshed!
Visual Impact of Darker vs. Lighter Ceilings
Choosing between dark or light ceiling colors can make a huge difference in the visual impact of the room and how it feels.
- Darker ceilings create a cozy, intimate feel, especially in larger rooms with high ceilings.
- Lighter ceilings can open things up and make the room feel bright, airy, and refreshing.
Choosing Between Warm Tones vs. Cool Tones for Ceiling Colors
Playing with different color tones can also change the ambiance of the room. This is where you can really lean into your style and the mood you want to create.
- Warm tones (like soft terracotta or creamy beige) add comfort to a space, giving it a welcoming feel.
- Cool tones (like haint blue or misty gray) bring calm and clarity, giving the space a relaxing vibe.
Creative Ceiling Color Ideas by Room Type
Choosing the perfect ceiling colors depends on your design style and the mood you want to create, but also the room type and size.
Whether you want to go with a softer or more dramatic color, or try out color drenching by painting the walls and ceiling the same color, follow these guidelines for choosing the best color palette and painting approach in each type of room.
Living Room
Living rooms are cozy gathering spaces, so go for a gentle contrast, like pairing a pale taupe wall with a deeper mushroom ceiling, for warmth, comfort, and style. This color approach prevents the paint from overwhelming the space.
Dining Room
Dining rooms are a great place to play with more bold, dramatic ceiling colors. Rich tones like navy, charcoal, or forest green make a bold statement and can set the tone for memorable meals and conversations around the dining room table.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms are meant to be safe, serene spaces, so opting for pale blues, greens, or even soft blush ceilings can create a calming, soft, environment, perfect for winding down and relaxing.
Bathrooms
When choosing ceiling colors for bathrooms, think about relaxing, spa-inspired colors, such as pale grays, aqua, powder blue, or light gray.
Home Office
For home office spaces where you want to improve focus, get inspired, and add a little sophistication, muted earth tones like soft sage work well for ceiling colors.
Creating a Cohesive Look With Color Drenching
One of the most popular design approaches today is creating a cohesive look in a space by painting the walls and ceiling the same color. This trend is known as color drenching or paint drenching.
Color drenching envelops the room in a unified look, making small spaces like bathrooms or reading nooks appear bigger. Since the wall and ceiling color is the same, there’s no visual break, creating one cohesive look that adds dimension.
Color drenching can also make ceilings feel higher since the harmony between the walls and ceiling isn’t broken up by color changes.
You can also take color drenching to the next level by painting walls, ceilings, and trim the same color for a seamless, monochromatic look.
If you want to add contrast between your ceiling and walls, you can choose a bold color to make it really stand out.
For a more subtle contrast, opt for a ceiling color that’s a few shades lighter or darker than the walls. This adds dimension and architectural interest without breaking harmony or drawing too much attention to it.
No matter which approach to color drenching you take, keep in mind that you want the walls, trim, and furnishings to all look cohesive with your ceiling. Think about the tones in the space. For example, a warm-toned room with neutral beige walls, creamy white trim, and wood furnishings would look “off” with a gray ceiling.
What to Know Before Painting Your Ceiling
Before you head out to the store and purchase your paint, keep these tips in mind to ensure you get the best possible outcome for your space:
- Finish matters: Flat paint hides imperfections and is the go-to for most ceilings. However, in bathrooms or kitchens, a satin or semi-gloss can stand up better to moisture and grease splatters. Learn more about paint finishes and which work best in certain rooms in this blog post.
- Lighting makes a big difference: Natural light will reveal undertones in your ceiling paint color that you might not see under artificial light. Always test paint samples at different times of day and see how the color looks when different lights hit it.
- Avoid common painting pitfalls: Going too dark in a room with a low ceiling, ignoring the undertones in your walls or furnishings in the room and choosing a color that clashes, or going for a hue that overpowers the space can throw off your whole design and the mood you’re trying to create.
Before and After: Ceiling Color Transformations
We’ve helped homeowners across the Raleigh area transform their rooms simply by thinking beyond white for their ceiling color and experimenting with unique colors or color drenching.
In one color-drenched bedroom, we painted the walls, ceiling, and trim a soft sage green, giving the space a relaxing vibe that the homeowner loved.
In a dining room makeover, a bold, navy ceiling paired with crisp white walls brought drama and elegance, perfect for entertaining.
“Oak City Coatings came highly recommended to me from several work colleagues and the experience didn’t disappoint! I had a few companies come and give me estimates, but Nick’s estimate was by far the most thorough and easier to really see what they would be doing and what value I would be getting for my money. Nick did a great job helping pick out the color and keeping us in the loop as the date approached for the job to start. The team did a great job with painting our interior walls. We had a large portion of the house painted (walls, ceilings, and trim) but they managed to do it with minimal disruption to our family and got it all done in 2 days! We’re really pleased with how it turned out. Our house looks so much cleaner and brighter now!”
-Russell Giroux
Ready to Think Beyond White For Your Ceiling?
Are you ready to think outside of the box and go beyond white for your ceiling? You don’t have to settle for the easy, safe default white. Lean into your style and design elements and choose a ceiling color that will create the mood you imagine in your space. Whether you’re drawn to bold color drenched rooms or just want a subtle, serene update, the right ceiling color can transform your space from the top down.
At Oak City Coatings, we take a hands-on approach to working with our customers. From color consultations, high-quality paint product selection, and professional application, we don’t just paint, we partner with you to bring your vision to life.
Contact us today to schedule your free estimate or book a color consultation with our team.
We look forward to reimagining your space with you!
