Original color vision

What are the rest of the ceilings? I would keep them all the same in connected spaces.

The rest of the ceilings are white. Only the living room has the coffered.

I would do white and let the texture make the statement but I dont’t love a lot of contrast/drama in rooms - maybe go with your original vision and then change it if you don’t like it - it’s just paint which is nice

will your lights have the white trim like in the photo?

Yes to a lighter color. Unless you have extremely tall ceilings I'm afraid a darker color would tend to visually lower the ceiling.

IMO the coffered ceiling makes the space feel closed in already so I would just paint it all the same as the rest then after move in and all the furniture is in place you might find the inside of the coffers need to be a different color.

For me even Anew Gray is too dark. One of my relatives painted her whole house Agreeable Gray and that is plenty dark enough. Unless you're used to this color from your current house, I suggest you do some large samples to make sure Anew Gray won't be too dark on all the walls. A little paint chip doesn't give the same effect as the color on every wall.

How tall is the ceiling?

@mark bischak doing all white was another option I was considering. Wasn’t sure if I should use more then one finish. So thank you for the suggestion. Would the rib be the molding and beam?

@cpartist 9ft

I would go with warm white.

Everything should be your trim color. How does this transition to the rest of the living areas? Cased openings? Surely not just that abrupt stop shown.

Gray? No.

IMO you can take a perceived negative and play it up and make it wow. Paper the ceiling field in gold leaf/foil wallpaper. White beams.

Not this particular pattern paper but good concept photo. Nicer papers follow.

Nicer papers:

Ceiling Gold Leaf Gilding · More Info

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Paint the ceiling of the living room the same white as the ceiling in abutting room. If the beams weren't there would you paint the two ceilings a different color? Of course not.

We used a very light blue in the squares of our coffered 10' ceilings. It changes color in different lighting. The color is SW Sky High 6504.

How much attention do you want your ceiling to have? I feel a white on white beamed ceiling provides all the attention it needs.

It all should be the same ceiling color if it's the same space. It's bad enough to not be separated into a separate room and just be hanging down with no rhyme or reason for starting and stopping.

I'm going to disagree with @Mark Bischak, Architect I'd paint the trim white but paint the rest a saturated color, perhaps something in a gray-green or gray-blue. And no, it won't make the room feel closed in--just cozy.

Soft Industrial · More Info

Midtown - American Foursquare · More Info

Hmmm… not a pro, but my last home had coffered 12 ft ceilings in LR. I liked the texture to take precedence so I painted same as other ceilings. I think it’s personal taste, really. 9” ceilings are a tad low to do a dramatic ceiling, IMO, but if you love it, go for it.

@Mark Bischak, Architect I can't get the flyswatter metaphor out of my head dammit!

That reminds me of a joke:

What is the last thing that goes through a bee's mind when it hits a car's windshield?

I agree with @Mark Bischak, Architect: I feel a white on white beamed ceiling provides all the attention it needs.

There is enough interest there already, and flat white will make that room as bright as possible. Medium/dark colors kill reflected light and really darken a room. I know this from personal experience.

I don't know, what is the last thing that goes thru a bee's mind when it hits a car's windshield?

why not try a lighter color in the squares? I like the dark too, but if you think the room is dark, then why not a soft blue gray or soft green?

I love this look

this one they did the same as the wall color

plain white. yawn.

It's stinger.

(at the risk of being banned from Houzz forever)

Our coffers are either the same color as the walls or the same color as the walls in the adjacent room. (In that room we have wallpaper. You can kind of see it in the butler pantry at the back of the second picture.

We were in a restaurant last weekend and remarked how nice the atmosphere was. There was dark gray wainscoting on the lower part of the walls with brick above, and a tray ceiling painted black. Contrary to what you might think, the ceiling resembled the dark night sky, and it felt expansive, not closed in. Not sure what it would look like during the day, but it's something to consider.

If you want to draw attention to the ceiling, a darker color in the squares would do that. Painting it all one color, especially white, won't be as dramatic.

How tall was the ceiling, did you have your tape measure with you?

Not one like for my dramatic gold leaf? (Mark, sorry I asked lol)

Okay thank your for your like lol.