they may be using up-lights for photography. but you can always go straight white (no tint) if you so desire.

Are you using paint designed for ceilings? Or the same paint you used on the walls?

I am using the same paint used on the walls. Are paint designed for ceiling different?

@acm-I am trying to use the same paint color as the effect I like in the designer pictures is no or minimal contrast between the walls and ceiling. Straight white may have high contrast with simply white. Articles here on Houzz and other sites suggest using same paint color for white to avoid contrast.

I was told to paint ceiling matte or flat finish. Ceiling paint is also thicker. But I painted kitchen SW Whitetail - matte on ceiling, satin on walls, semi gloss on trim. Upper cabinets are whitetail, too.

@goodiesforus Yes, BM has a paint specifically for ceilings. specific. It has low reflective value, or something like that. You can have it mixed Simply White.

Go with a flat ceiling paint.

No one should ever use ceiling paint. The color is criminally arctic, gray and dead.

You can use any grade of paint on the ceiling in a flat finish.

There's nothing special about product labeled specifically for ceilings. In fact, it's often lesser quality.

White is only white when light is reflected off the surface. The ceiling has less light being reflected off the white than the walls and the angle of the light is hitting your retna at a different angle.

Many people will try to cut white or light paint colors and have the color shift and they do not get the color they expected.

I have a can of paint handy that is a BM Satin Advance Base 1 custom color. Bright warm white that was a color match to Devine Icing - one of my favorite whites for trim, cabinets, ceilings.

The formula is simple:

Y3 (Oxide Yellow) 0x0.75 and

W1 (White) 0x31.25

So they added a pinch of Yellow Oxide - a slightly orange yellow

and they added a good dose of Titanium White

No sense adding a picture of white - the description of the color from an artist pigment manufacturer explains it better than a picture will.

Titanium White is known for being bright white, almost bluish, and has excellent opacity and high tinting strength. When mixed with another color, it rapidly lightens the color. The drawback of Titanium White is it can be over-bearing at times, especially when you are just looking to lighten the value a bit and not greatly change the color it"s mixed with.

If I cut the pigment by 25% I am going to end up with a color that is darker and grayer than the original color because the main additive is Titanium White which is whiter than the Satin Advance Base 1.

To make it lighter / Whiter I actually would need to increase the W1 pigment. and may need to increase the Y3 to combat the blue of the W1.

Honestly, I don't know that lightening the white will do anything in your circumstance. No matter how light you make simply white you still will not have light reflecting off the ceiling and will end up with something that appears darker than the walls.

This is not always bad - it is expected and appears normal when we walk into a room with all white walls. Our brains compensate for difference in colors based on light and shadows.

Personally, If I loved Simply White on the walls I would paint the ceiling in the color, same brand and line of paint and just use flat on the ceiling, eggshell on the walls and satin on the trim.

IMO you need to address your lighting before choosing paint and applying it. Make sure all your lighting is LEDs in4000k and then I use the same matte paint for my ceilings and walls and do not see a difference in how the color looks and then I use the same color but in a semi gloss for my trim I love the look . IMO all the info above is not really helpful to the average person choosing paint and can honestly make the decision more complicated than it ever needs to be.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I tried the color PPG delicate white on the ceiling. In my house, it looks exactly same as simply white on the walls but goes a tad lighter on the ceiling. So, it was better match for the ceiling but still did not avoid the contrast. I tried other whites and surprisingly the Behr pure white on the ceiling is the one which shows no contrast with simply white on the wall. This is so far based on natural daylight. Just applied it so will keep checking until later this night. I am surprised as Pure White is such a different and cool white from Simply White. I am guessing that its just reflecting the wall color to make it look same. As long as the effect is same, I will be OK with it:)

So sorry I am so late to this conversation. I have a modern white living room with a 14 ft. ceiling and walls look exactly the same. They both look like they are painted in BM super white matte. Are y'all saying I can't repaint both in BM super white matte and have them look exactly alike? I love that there is no line between walls and ceiling. I am north facing by the way - no sun. Thanks - if anyone is still out there.

Listen to Patricia Colwell's advice about your lighting fixtures. Those will definitely affect how your ceiling is perceived.