A Dozen Ways To Dress Up Your Tray Ceiling

Paint your tray ceiling a color different from the walls. This will make a big impression; your tray will stand out the moment someone comes in the room. If you have a light neutral palette on the room's walls, adding even a slightly bright, contrasting color to your tray will bring attention to it. Light hues can be relaxing and are perfect for kitchens and bedrooms. For example, blues and greens in soft tones will add to the calm feel in a kitchen or bedroom. Add Sherwin Williams 'Upward' (SW 6239) to make it feel like the sky is above you.

Deeper, bolder shades on your tray ceiling will create dramatic contrast from your wall color, which is great for gathering spaces like dining rooms, entryways and living rooms.

Paint your tray ceiling the same color as your walls. Painting the tray ceiling only (not the sides) the same color as the walls will accentuate the tray slightly, perfect in a room that you want to feel layered.

Paint your tray ceiling a deeper version of your wall color. When exploring this option, consider the height of your walls and the natural light coming in – darker ceilings can draw your eye downward and dim the light space.

A deeper color on the tray works well in some rooms. The deep tray ceiling color works really well in this media room because there is not much lighting. The color darkens the space, which is ideal for watching movies.

Accentuate the shape of the tray. Instead of adding color to the ceiling of your tray, add crown molding to the sides. Then paint it a contrasting color or stain it to complement the other wood tones in the room. Moldings are made from a variety of materials from wood (a good choice for staining your molding) to polyurethane and polymer (an option if painting your moldings).

Paint the walls the same color as the tray walls. Another easy way to paint your tray is to paint the walls of your tray the same paint color as the walls in the room. Leave the room ceiling and tray ceiling a lighter shade. The contrast will enhance your tray without adding lots of color above your head.

Paint your tray ceiling and room ceiling the same color and paint walls a different color. If your tray runs through most of the ceiling, consider painting the entire ceiling the same color, using crisp white moldings to differentiate angles. This creates an architecturally pleasing focal point.

Coordinate the color with accents. Paint your tray a color that coordinates with accents in the room. Picking up the ceiling color in elements like window treatments, artwork, rugs and throw pillows will tie the space together.

Decorate with moldings. For greater impact add moldings to your tray ceiling in an interesting pattern (you might need to hire an experienced contractor for this). Moldings are available in many shapes and patterns, and you can use a great assortment of pre-primed panel moldings and corners to create boxes, rectangles and patterns; there are even arched pieces available that can be used to create rings.

To further dramatize your tray, install cove lighting (indirect lighting built into ledges, recesses, and ceilings). Lighting professionals recommend installing cove lighting at least 18 inches from the ceiling and 6 feet 8 inches from the floor.

Decorate with wallpaper. Make a huge statement by papering the ceiling of your tray. Coordinate the background color or another accent color in your paper with your wall color to pull the room together. It can be a deeper or lighter hue of the wall color. Wallpapers with gilded accents look spectacular when light reflects off the shiny gilded surface.

Decorate with wood planks or paneling. Create a beautiful focal point in your tray by installing ceiling planks. For a rich, traditional feel, use stained wood; for a lighter cottage approach, install paneling and paint it white or off white.