I do like painted ceilings and have always wanted to do that. In my current house, the ceilings are the same as the wall color — khaki/dark gold/tan/ — but with lighting, the ceilings can look quite different than the walls. Nothing exciting, though.

I like wallpapered ceilings, but it’s of course riskier.

I’m in awe that someone can have a vision like this:

This is so beautifully dramatic:

That’s a good question about ceiling height. I don’t think it’s always necessary, I guess it just depends on a combination of factors.

I like the idea. I’ve thought about painting my office ceiling a deep forest green similar to your 4th photo.

IIRC Joan from fortheloveofahouse blog paibted her ceilings with a high sheen, which made them glowy. I love her style.

Kaleb from wyseguide wallpapered the ceilings of his bedrooms. Here are screenshots from a reel on his IG page.

I think it’s a bold choice, but why not?

The only time I've had a darker ceiling than walls is when my daughter was a baby and we painted hers sky blue. Currently most of my house has the same color on the ceilings and walls and I like the wrapped look. Similar to Jilly, it's the same but can look different depending on the lighting--it's the same and different all rolled into one.

Sorry, that doesn't answer your question at all.

I think white / light ceilings are so often the default because we want the space to feel more open or bigger. But sometimes bringing a ceiling down can create a feeling of comfort or shelter in a space and I think the darker ceilings seem to be doing that in these pictures. In one of the Sarah Susanka books, I recall reading about how varying ceiling heights can make a home so much more comfortable than consistently lofty high ceilings. In the examples above, I can absolutely see how a darker ceiling in a bathroom or dining room can bring that feeling of coziness and shelter.

Feathers I was about to grab pics of Kaleb's house but you beat me to it - I LOVE that room. Love the whole 2nd floor redo, really. Well, the whole house is wonderful. And the gardens.

I love those examples of painted ceilings, not the blue as much but the other colors.

I’ve had tall ceilings in our last 2 homes 1890 with 12’ and 1910 with 10’ and 8’. I have had wide crown and/or picture rail and frieze. So far I haven’t been adventuresome enough to have those painted a different color than the ceiling. What I did do in the 1890 home was have the frieze painted in the shiny trim paint which made it look like very wide molding. I loved that look. ( trailrunner)

I like all the painted ceilings you've posted, Sue. These do not seem overwhelming or claustrophobic. Wallpaper would be too much of a commitment, so I'd never go there.

Not for me. Yes to claustrophobic.. I do not mind ceilings that are lighter than the walls.

The ceiling in my parent's kitchen and breakfast room was painted dark green, but they were 10' high. I think if the ceilings are builder standard at 8', a color would work if a) you wanted a super cozy room, possibly dark color drenched with walls the same color or b) you used a lighter tint.

In the 1950s-1964, my mother had her kitchen ceilings wallpapered. I still love that idea. Love the ones above in the bedroom in Kaleb's house. I have a couple of painted ceilings and may do all of them at some point. My painter was always resistant to anything not white, but once he did it for me, he really liked it, so maybe next summer...eta ps, I use the same color as the walls-looks different on the ceiling.

my daughter did her babies nursery with a colored ceiling. it was beautiful . mind you was a nursery so she was not afraid of too much color.

this picture is the only one I couldt find. it was 15 years ago.

the photo does not capture the color of ceiling . it looks gold but really it was green and matched that center cushion on window seat.

it was only 8 foot ceilings and i do not find it closed the room in at all.

@Lyban zone 4 love the idea in a nursery where baby is presumably often looking up.

I’ve actually considered closing up my dining room ceiling so I can have it painted metallic gold - like gold leaf - but …. money … and …. husbands.

Not a fan of wallpaper anywhere.

“And … husbands.” LOL

What do you mean by closing up your ceiling?

This is my dining room. Someone opened up the ceiling back in the 90’s. It was great suring my shabby farmhouse phase, bit not as nice now.

I love a ceiling painted the same color as the walls. I don't like a different ceiling color, whether it is a punchy effect or sweet like the pink one above. I like a more limitless feeling above my head. It's too claustrophobic for me to think of it as a fifth wall.

Those are all lovely rooms and colors in the OP - I could live with any of them - especially the sky blue final one 🙂

I've only lived with white and off-white ceilings however.

I have continued a pale wallpaper onto the ceiling, used a slightly lighter version of the wall color and have had traditional white ceilings. I have liked them at the time. Although I love the look of a darker ceiling, I have had lower ceilings and I do not think that would work for me.

I think higher ceilings are better suited for painted ceilings, but I do like Kaleb's floral wallpapered ceiling.

When ceilings are painted the same color as the walls, it appears to be a tad lighter. The marjoirty of the rooms in our last house were colorwashed. The ceilings were high. I liked the look and I think it made the rooms cozier.

A high gloss paint must be applied by a professional with high gloss experience, and on a ceiling without any imperfections. Depending on the color, light reflection can hurt the eyes. A dark color more so. Not something I have ever wanted. The people that bought our last house did a high gloss in the living room, and in photos/vidoes you can see imperfections. That would drive me nuts.

@1929Spanish-GW I love the raised ceiling and the white beams do not bother me. But I can see where you are coming from. Have you ever considered painting just the beams a medium dark brown to mimic the color of your wood pieces? Not exactly what I was looking for to post, but you get the idea. Maybe someone with Photoshopping skills can do an image.

Our first home, a rental, had pooh colored ceilings. It was very claustraphobic. 100% the only way colored ceilings work is if they are out of the ordinary high. We painted with in the first month.

I have a friend whose library/study is all bookshelves and wood paneling in maybe mahogany (something leaning red-ish). Her ceiling is a medium turquoise. It is stunning!

That sounds amazing, bb. I love a dark, cozy library room.

My childhood bedroom’s remodel had a pink and white freeform-y plaid check 8’ ceiling, coordinating border, and white walls. It was charming.

I find myself drawn to the pink ceilings. I have sometimes thought of painting my kitchen walls a pale pink, but it would probably be too cutesy/Easter-esque with my pale green cabinets. However, maybe a pale pink ceiling is what I need! The power room at one end of the kitchen is pink (walls and ceiling) and the mudroom on the other end has pink wallpaper.

We have to repaint one bathroom some time this year, and repair some paint in a couple of other rooms, so before I get a painter, I’ll need to think more about my ceilings.

Here’s a crazy ceiling! No, I wouldn’t do this.

I love some of the ceilings shown but my question is how do these rooms work with other rooms? We have high ceilings through the center rooms in the house (cathedral). All our ceilings are the same, and light in color. It works in our home which is light and bright (light shades of neutral colors with lots of windows). I don’t think I could pull off a mishmash of ceilings. Maybe our kitchen could handle a different ceiling 🤷‍♀️

Same here; our living room, sitting room, and dining room all have very wide openings between them so I think it would be odd to have one ceiling be wildly different. But the kitchen is less visible from the other rooms. OTOH, I forgot for a sec that we have recessed lighting in the kitchen, which obviously ”blends in” better with a white ceiling.

@Allison0704 thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately our beams are all structural, not pretty. Plus because they took some out, cables were added at some point. Really it should all be covered up. We had five figures worth of structural work in the room because it was a nightmare. you just have to say no more at a certain point.

how do these rooms work with other rooms?

It takes a special situation and application. In my house, I only have my office, bedroom and bathroom, and mudroom (plus 2 spare bedrooms) in which this could work. The other main common areas aren't conducive to this.

However, because only I would see the areas in which I could apply something unique and unusual, I'm more tempted to just go for it... because, why not?

Spanish, I like your DR beams, but I can understand your frustration with the incongruency.

Annie, your colors are purposeful--I'm assuming the painting was all done at once? I think that's my problem. I would need to start everything over.

Yes the painting was all done when we built. But then I added an accent wall in the library and decided to use the same color in the coffered ceiling of the "enfilade" between the library and dining room.

But as you can see, some of our rooms are open to each other, but still we used visual cues like soffits and molding treatments and floor treatments to make the spaces feel separate....the impression of walls without actual walls... so painting a ceiling different in one room to the next actually helps give it that feel of separate rooms even though they are so open. This was done intentionally to add the sense of space in what are really modest-sized rooms.

If you have an open space, it doesn't mean you can't paint the ceiling a color, but most likely would paint it one color and then can use the walls in the spaces to give it a sense of separate spaces. No need to do plain white which can be very stark.

I find myself very temperature sensitive in terms of color, and find even a soft white on a ceiling makes me feel warmer than a stark white. My bedroom walls had a really plain decorator white which had a grayish undertone and it drove me crazy. I spent so long looking until I found just the right color...now it looks the same color except like the sun is always shining on it, so it warmed it up. I am so much more comfortable in the room now. I didn't bother to repaint the alcove so it's the original color. You can see how much warmer the new color feels.

I love painted ceilings and have one in our current MBR; it is a darker yellow than the walls.

My reaction to the pictures you posted is mixed. I like the rooms with the ceiling painted, but heartily dislike the rooms in which the paint has been continued down the walls and ended with a little strip of picture molding to ”bring down” the height of the ceilings. It looks ill conceived and the insubstantial molding makes it look poorly executed.

So, Annie, what is the color you chose? It is very pretty, almost yellow, but not.

Pittsburgh Paints Parchment Paper

1929Spanish-GW, I love your beams!

I’m not sure cathedral ceilings would look good painted a color. I also would not want different paint colors on the walls. Rest assured the areas are delineated and our ceilings are not stark white. Soft colors and lots of natural light can still be cozy 😊

PS spanish, i love the beams also!

I did sky blue ceilings and pale cream walls in our exercise room and I really like it. The room has nine foot ceilings and lots of windows. I wanted us to feel like we were outside while we were on the treadmill! The color looks cheery but not loud.

Our sunroom is vaulted and we painted the ceiling navy blue to make it feel a little lower. We love it!