It took me awhile to find this picture. What concerns me is how will the painted ceiling look when it meets the lower ceiling? IMO, I would keep them the same.

Will be interesting to hear other opinions.

This is the closest pics I could find.

Then what color would you use?? I really want the trim color for den ceiling but is that not a good idea? I want my crown to show up.

Very close!!! I think ceilings being different colors will be ok? There's a very clean angle where they meet. There's no beam or trim but if is clearly a different space. Guess I can paint along the edge and see.

You might try a darker shade for the ceiling--dark ceilings can creat dramatic and intimate spaces.
PyramidDG.com

I have been looking and looking and can't make a decision. The walls in den, dining room, foyer,
Kitchen are all SW Worldly Gray. Trim is Westhighland White. I am completely stumped on ceiling color. Help!!!!

I looked at SW Worldly Gray and, given that computers don't present true tone, it looks like a grayish tan, not really gray at all. And VERY light, which should be wonderful for all that open space and so many windows.

I agree with commentors above: a darker ceiling would work nicely to highlight the trim and add a dramatic flare to the space. It should be noticeably darker, but not "heavily" dark. You have the height for it, which is rare enough. Take advantage of it and be adventurous!

I am such a chicken. The worldly gray actually turned out darker than I thought it would. Of course there is no light in the house yet. What if I got that gray at about 50% tint?? This is the only place where I am stuck. I picked the rest of the house with no problem. :(

Have you thought of wallpapering just the pitched ceilings? Its may sound nuts but I just saw a home by Novogratz show and it rocked in a room much smaller than yours. A subtle pattern with the gray walls would be luscious I think. The second attached picture is the novogratz nursery they did with wallpaper up above.

I will darken the ceiling tomorrow to see the difference .

I know you may like the open feel but that opening should have a header and cased opening or even a few cased openings easier to walk away as a framer but to me it's not a realistic look.

Sorry Brian. It is done and that is the way we like it. To each his own I suppose. :)

Also the framing etc is properly done. We just chose to have none of it exposed. Again, a matter of personal taste.

Color changes on ceiling you choose. mind you theses are quick drawings .

Thanks Everything Beautiful! See, in your pictures I love the look of the darker ceiling. But it terrifies me to actually do it. That vaulted space is very difficult to paint and my husband is doing the painting to save $. Most any other space can be easily redone but this one is tough! I think we have plenty of lighting going in. There are lots of windows but it is very shady outside so the natural light will be filtered.

The credit goes to Pyramid designs fore mentioning the darker ceiling . I just did the drawing . Thanks anyway . Don't be afraid of color do a sample test first like the kitchen ceiling and walls . Color will look a bit darker in kitchen less light,than in the den . If you find it's to dark have the paint store lighten it by two shades .

This color is called relax kaki .

I love the idea of a dark ceiling and would not be afraid of the color.. but...in this situation I think the first drawing with the light color in just the vaulted area accents the beautiful architecture of the ceiling, draws your eyes up and around and overall is uplifting. Love the colors! I have Old Salem grey (similar to Smoke Bush) on my living room walls which is a similar space and it doesn't feel dark at all..to me ; )

I like the darker shade or the same color as the wall.

Amanda I would definitely use a different ceiling color ! will make all the molding to pop ! go for it !

A darker shade or the same color for the ceiling is preferred. It will make the room feel larger and the eye will immediately be drawn up instead of being cut off at the ceiling break.

A darker shade on the ceiling would be beautiful also- and provide a dramatic, well designed look. I like having the contrast between the dark and lighter shades- accenting the vaulted ceiling architecture. The room seems large..so not sure there is a concern for making the room feel larger??

I am not afraid of the room feeling larger. I am just new to the darker ceiling idea. :). So, if the vaulted area is darker then is the adjoining kitchen ceiling dark also? The den, kitchen, dining, halls on either end are one continuous open space.

Use an off white in Fine paints of Europe Brilliant. The highly reflective quality of this paint will amaze you.

...well if you don't 1/2 tone like your kitchen will probably be you gotta stop the color somewhere on the corner bead I guess the corner bead and tape cut off trick.

Good thing your trim isn't done there is still time to get it thrown in...A nice reclaimed 3x6 would look nice too lagged to trusses then you wouldn't have to case the opening. Anyway good luck!!

Brian, I don't understand??

Say you paint the cathedral a dark color when it comes down to meet the what I think is the kitchen nook area you have to stop that color somewhere a header of some kind would look better than stopping it on the edge of the corner bead. Also if you put a trim header (not real beam) I'd case both ends of the opening to the floor (square the 45 into the nook with trim) that way later on if you decide to paint your nook with a color you fall in love with you have a place to stop the color besides an outside corner...you could do all this (trim) years down the road anyway was just giving you ideas of problem i found out after my first house.I just don't think stopping paint colors on outside corners look good...looks tract.

Gotcha, Brian!! Thanks for the good ideas.

Ok. Finally made our choice. Ceiling in both vaulted area and kitchen is 25% of Worldly Gray. It looks darker than you think. I think the vaulted angle plus the way the light comes in our energy efficient windows makes color appear darker than you would think. Here's a sample photo where we tried it out. Thanks!

What direction does that room face? I fear a northern exposure, as you have no direct sunlight--just glare. In which case I wouldn't go for a dark ceiling. Fan lights don't help either. Too faint. And recessed lights can look artificial.

Faces northeast. There are tons of windows and lots of filtered light. I don't think the color is very dark at all?? The wall color is the 2nd lightest color ok the strip and ceiling is just 25% of that.

Terrific. Were the drawings any help ?

@everything beautiful, they helped so much!! Thanks!!

well it"s all painting now have fun.

Love the room height. I don't like the darker color on the ceilings. I also thought the photo from Houzz Kelly posted with the yellow triangle part of great room vault leading into the kitchen chopped it up too much and made the kitchen ceiling look far too low. I definitely would paint the ceilings in both rooms the same lighter color. Can't wait to see after photos!

Sorry for the run-on sentence!

@7768 I think it is going to be beautiful. I had a light today so I got a little bit better picture. The sun hasn't shone here in days!

It looks great!