Kitchen ceiling color change?

17 years ago

So here's the deal. Hubby and I had a set of colors all picked out (and bought) for our kitchen redo. Then we wound up deciding to stain rather than paint the cabs and changed our minds on the granite. Hubby insisted we still use the yellow that we had picked out for the ceiling. I don't like it there (nice color, just bad usage). I think it makes the ceiling look dingy/dirty and it makes the cabinets look too yellow/orange (an issue we're fighting with this stain color which is a whole 'nother story). After over a year, I think I almost have Hubby convinced to redo it. What is "winning" this particular argument is the fact that we have this odd corner where the current FR meets the kitchen so we have three colors meeting and the yellow looks really bad with the FR color (a light brown that brings to mind cafe au lait).

here's the best pic I have of the ceiling:

From Kitchen

here's the odd meeting spot:

From Kitchen

The wall on the right (behind the pendants) is the cafe au lait color.

Lots more pics if you click through.

Yes, the cloud/flower panels stay. That's a battle I (mostly) lost.

My suggestion is that we paint the ceiling white - the same white as the trim. Hubby's not too thrilled with that, though, as that means the trim will "disappear". There is matching trim around the kitchen window, idea being to make the ceiling panels look more like a window/skylight.

So what do you think? All white? Paint one or the other something else? If so, what? How about a very dilute version of the purple? Would that work?

In case you've not figured this out yet, I love color. I also love lots of detail.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: 'nother ceiling pic here that is a bit more true to color

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Comments (9)

gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
17 years ago
If the kitchen ceiling flows into the FR ceiling, then they should be the same color.
pbrisjar
Original Author
17 years ago
It doesn't (at least not yet). The kitchen has one of those horrid drop ceilings (real ceiling material - just dropped down to accommodate the cabinets and the hideous fluorescent light). It's about 8 inches lower than the rest of the house and has a clearly defined border.
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User
17 years ago
Why don't you just lighten one of the wall colors by a couple of shades and put that on the ceiling. I've done that in most of our rooms and it works really well.
pbrisjar
Original Author
17 years ago
That would be the purple idea. Though the cafe au lait might be nice, too. Hmmmmmmmm.
stu2900
17 years ago
I like white ceilings, so I'm probably not much help. Although, if you're going to keep the sky/cloud thing, what about a soft sky blue?
pbrisjar
Original Author
17 years ago
So, just talking it out I realized that the cafe color (it's Behr Haze) would be a great idea as it will bring out the brown tones in the cabs and help this really awkward area blend in more. It looks good with the purple, too.

I proposed it to Hubby and got an immediate OK :) - a rarity around here.

Next question - gloss or flat? I know gloss is traditional for ceilings, but the surrounding areas are flat (nasty popcorn with flat paint). We have flat on hand, gloss we'd have to buy.
dilly_dally
17 years ago
"I know gloss is traditional for ceilings."

I had always thought it was just the opposite. Even in a kitchen flat is used to cut down on glare spots.

I like the color you have right now. Is that a vote? Or does the ceiling have to change?
pbrisjar
Original Author
17 years ago
Well, there's no "must" involved but IRL it just doesn't work. I agree it's a nice color and it looks good with the purple and the white. Just not the cabs and the awkward wall.

In prep for my parents' visit (Tuesday!), I did a big clean of the kitchen so figured I'd go ahead and take soem new pics. Here's a pretty good pic of the trouble area:
From Kitchen as of July 12 2009

More pics if you click through.
megsy
17 years ago
I like the cafe au lait option! Especially since it butts up to the ceiling too.

Flat paint on the ceiling.