It depends on the ceilings. I have 10ft in my house and I hate them. It's silly but in chocolate brown the room looks cozy and intimate. My mothers old ranch house has low ceilings and she went soft pale blue lighter then baby blue and it lifts the ceiling like the sky, in her formal living and dining it is painted a soft creamy peach shade again almost a glow of white and at dinners it gives such a soft candlelight glow to the whole room it's quiet pretty. If you pick out a white paint book in most hardware stores you will notice that most whites have some undertone to them just picking the right "white" can help your mood depending on the room, but don't be scarred to do color just remember a light color lifts and a dark shade lowers.

I think the general rule is: if you want to "bring your ceilings down" go with a darker color and to "raise your ceilings up" go with a lighter color (than your walls).

any idea what the wall color is?

wall color question answered in several other photos. Check Restoration Hardware.