Home Improvement Painting Interior Painting

7 Best Ceiling Paint Colors

Man painting room ceiling
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The ceiling, often called the fifth wall, forms much of the look and feel of interior spaces. White works as a ceiling color most of the time—for many practical reasons—but other colors like red, blue, yellow, and brown can catch attention or make a room feel cozier. Find out the best ceiling colors for your home, plus a case for why white might be the best color for ceilings.

  • 01 of 07

    White

    White Ceiling

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    White is likely the most popular ceiling paint color for homes. This isn't just out of an adherence to tradition. Homeowners and designers favor white as a ceiling color because it creates an illusion of depth, reflects light, and is easy to apply and repair.

    Tip

    Ceiling paint is almost always flat or matte finish. Reflections in semi-gloss or glossier paint are visual stops. Reflections disappear in flat paint.

  • 02 of 07

    Gray

    Gray Ceiling

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    Gray lends rooms a calm, sophisticated feeling. Gray is a spectrum of tones that range from barely-there to almost-black. Not only that but gray has undertones of colors other than white and black, such as greens and blues.

    If you don't want a gray ceiling in every room of the house, try it in a room or two. Gray differentiates the room from neighboring rooms.

  • 03 of 07

    Blue

    Blue Ceiling

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    A blue ceiling evokes the feeling of the sky. Where dark blue might feel oppressive, light blue can help visually open up a room.

    When you use white crown molding, baseboards, or chair railing, you create a room with a stately, traditional air. Another idea is to push the blue into the darker tones to evoke the feel of a nighttime sky.

  • 04 of 07

    Brown

    Brown Ceiling and Wood Flooring

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    Brown on a ceiling helps the room feel smaller, cozier, and more inwardly focused. Some bedrooms look and feel better with a brown ceiling. Brown ceilings minimize ambient light, a plus for home theaters.

    Continue to 5 of 7 below
  • 05 of 07

    Yellow

    Yellow Ceiling

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    You can hardly ignore a yellow ceiling. And that's the point of it. Unlike white, which is intended to fade from view, yellow pops out and announces itself.

    When the ceiling is yellow, pair it up with walls that are more subdued. Use gray or another neutral color for the walls to highlight the yellow ceiling.

  • 06 of 07

    Red

    Red Ceiling

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    While a flat white is usually the safest ceiling color, the opposite end of the scale is to pursue a striking, dramatic, and confident feeling. A red ceiling can bring life to an otherwise dull room, especially when the room has a lot of natural light.

    Red ceilings pair up well with off-white or gray walls. Remember, not all red ceilings need to be fire engine-red, either. Bring down red's tone to burgundy for a more understated effect.

  • 07 of 07

    Wood (Brown)

    Wood Ceiling

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    A room with a wood ceiling always feels a little more relaxed than other rooms. It's perfect for spacious living rooms or for primary bedrooms. Wood is also a good way to cover up a ceiling that has minor imperfections. Install tongue-and-groove wood boards on top of an existing ceiling. Attach the fasteners directly to the joists above the ceiling drywall. Paint the wood white if you'd like the room to have a shiplap look. But the true value of a wood ceiling is the natural wood. Coat the boards with polyurethane, and you'll be able to see the wood and its grain in perfect clarity. Or stain the wood to give it the richer appearance of hardwood.

Reasons to Paint a Ceiling White

Using white as a color for ceilings is supported by white's ability to maximize light and provide an illusion of depth.

Light Reflection

The ceiling reflects light as much, or more than the other four walls. Changing the color of your ceiling can greatly affect the amount of light in the room. White reflects as much light as possible.

Visual Depth

A white ceiling gives the illusion of depth; dark ceiling colors have a visual stop point. In the eye's peripheral vision, white blends away.

Easy Application

Ceiling paint is already tinted white. This means color consistency varies from can to can. It also means that rolling on flat-sheen, white ceiling paint is easy because errors tend to be less noticeable.

Simple Repairs

When it comes time to touch up your ceiling paint, flat white merges with the surrounding finish, with no need to re-paint the entire ceiling (unless the ceiling is especially discolored).

Tips for Choosing Ceiling Colors

  • Experiment: Don't be afraid to try a color. Ceilings are fairly easy to re-paint since they are clear areas with few obstructions.
  • Try neutrals: Neutral colors don't have to be boring. Consult a color wheel to see the full range of neutrals and how they are influenced by primary colors.
  • Use room elements as inspiration: Start with the furniture and decorations. Adapt the paint color to the elements in the room or take color cues from your favorite artwork.
  • Choose different shades of one color: For example, consider painting the walls dark blue and the ceiling light blue.
  • Look at the color in all lights: If you've added a sample color to the ceiling, make sure to see the color during all times of day, in all types of lighting.
  • Be patient: Once the ceiling has been painted, give the color time and live with it. Changing colors can be jarring, so let yourself adjust to it.