Should you paint your walls and ceilings the same color? What are the rules? What colors and finishes look best on your ceiling? What are the best wall/ceiling color combinations to enhance the overall look and feel of your room?
Pros Of Painting Your Walls And Ceilings The Same Color
Painting your walls and ceilings the same color, or “color drenching” as it’s often called, definitely has its advantages. Some of these advantages are:
Heightened Perception. Painting your walls and ceilings the same color gives the illusion of higher ceilings, which makes your space feel airier and larger.
Cohesive Look: It creates a seamless, unified appearance that can make your room feel more harmonious and spacious.
Calming Atmosphere: A monochromatic scheme typically invokes a sense of peace, comfort, and tranquility, which makes the space feel more inviting.
Simplified Design: When walls and ceilings are painted the same color, the need to coordinate multiple colors is reduced, which greatly simplifies decor choices.
Versatility: A single color allows for easier integration of decor and furniture as it serves as a neutral backdrop that complements many different styles. It also minimizes visual clutter, which allows other design elements, such as artwork and other furnishings, to stand out.
Simplicity: Overall, the painting process is easier when you are only using one color.
Cons Of Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls
While it is true that painting your walls and ceilings the same color can lead to great results, it may not always be the best choice. Some of those reasons are:
Monotony/Lack of Contrast: It’s possible for a single color throughout a room to feel bland and unexciting, making the space less dynamic. It can also lead to a “boxy” or “closed in” look in certain spaces.
Lighting Challenges: The same color on both your walls and ceilings may react differently under various lighting conditions, especially if there aren’t natural lighting sources in your room.
Difficulty In Defining Spaces: Identical colors on your walls and ceilings can blur the boundaries between rooms, leading to a less organized look.
Best Ceiling Colors
Decorating and painting your home is all about your personal style and preferences, so there’s no way to determine what the best colors are for every individual. However, here are some helpful suggestions:
White
White is the most popular color people use to paint their ceilings. White reflects the most amount of light, which creates a beautiful and spacious look. Since your ceiling reflects as much if not more light than your other walls, a white ceiling can greatly affect the amount of light in your room. White ceilings are also typically easy to touch up. Dark paint tends to bleed through your tape, which can make even small mistakes stand out. White ceilings also effectively showcase your wall decor and furnishings, creating an eye-pleasing aesthetic.
Gray
Gray is an interesting color to paint with because it adapts to the lighting in your room, and can bring a calm yet sophisticated feeling to your space. Gray has undertones of both black and white, yet also of blue and green, which is why it adapts so well to a wide range of color palettes. For a relaxing feel, you can pair gray with neutral colors such as off-white, beige, white, or blue. Gray also blends in well with bright colors such as orange, pink, purple, or dark shades of blue.
Pastel Colors
If your walls are painted white or a neutral shade, you may want to consider painting your ceiling a pastel color such as sky blue, pale green, light peach, or even a very pale yellow. These colors will give your space a lovely, breezy feel. Sky blue, in particular, will give your room the feeling of being outside.
Red
A red ceiling can add a striking and confident look to your home. Red ceilings pair well with white, off-white, or light gray walls. You could also try a burgundy ceiling for a more understated look.
Additional Tips When Choosing Ceiling Paint Colors
Neutral tones never go out of style, and they look good with almost every color palette.
Use peel-and-stick paint samples. We recommend choosing a color sample you like, and then leaving it up on your wall or ceiling for a few days. Paint can look very different depending on its exposure to surrounding light sources, especially natural sunlight. This method helps you to get a more accurate perspective of how paint colors will actually look on your wall/ceiling.
If you ARE painting your walls and ceilings the same color, dark or light colors work best. Medium tones don’t typically create a desirable look when walls and ceilings are the same color.
Take cues from your existing decor: furnishings, existing flooring, artwork, and window coverings.
Best Wall And Ceiling Color Combinations
Here are a few of our favorites:
Same Color, Different Shade: Every color contains within it a spectrum of many different shades and intensities. For a cohesive look that still adds variety, try painting your ceiling one color, and your walls a different shade or intensity of that same color. If you go this route, it's important to keep in mind that two shades from the same color won’t automatically pair well together. This is due to the fact that different shades have different undertones within them, and those undertones may not always complement each other. We recommend that you choose a single color, and then match it with other colors along the same color gradient.
Same Temperature Color Combinations: “Same temperature colors” are simply colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. “Red and orange”, and “blue and green” are examples of this. These combinations work well together and can create a stunning look.
Dark Ceilings, Light Walls: Colors like black, navy, and dark brown are becoming a popular choice for ceilings. They create a warm and inviting atmosphere while also creating a modern, contemporary look. Keep in mind that if your room has very little natural light, a dark ceiling may not be the best choice.
Light Ceilings, Dark Walls: Since most people paint their ceilings white, this is the most traditional wall/ceiling color combination. It is an excellent choice for small spaces. If you have light furniture, it will naturally stand out against darker walls.
Dark Walls, Slightly Lighter Ceiling: If the concept of dark walls combined with a dark ceiling appeals to you, try using ceiling paint at 75% strength of the original wall paint color. This will give your room the color-drenched effect without it feeling oversaturated.
Wall Paint vs Ceiling Paint
Typically, the type of paint used for walls is latex-based. Latex helps the paint to go smoothly. However, it is very common for latex paint to drip as you paint with it. Consequently, if you try using latex paint on your ceiling, chances are you’ll be dealing with constant drips and drops on your floor.
Ceiling paint, on the other hand, is thicker and stickier than standard wall paint, and therefore less likely to drip. Its thickness also helps to hide any existing blemishes or stains your ceiling may have. For rooms with low humidity like your living or bedroom, we recommend a flat acrylic ceiling paint. Flat or matte paints don’t reflect much light, which makes them great choices for most ceilings. For rooms with higher humidity such as your laundry room or bathroom, we recommend satin sheen acrylic paint because it is less prone to cracking, staining, and chipping in humid environments than flat paint is.
Painting Ceilings The Same Color As Walls Conclusion
Painting your ceiling can be tricky and challenging. It requires you to stand on a stool or ladder for an extended period of time. This can become uncomfortable and can also pose safety risks if you have particularly high ceilings.
If you have questions concerning ceiling paint colors, the ceiling painting process, or simply want to have a professional get the job done for you in the Tucson area, give us a call at Spahr's Painting. We offer free consultations and have specialized equipment that enables us to get up to your high and vaulted ceilings safely, reach behind your light fixtures, and get into all of your nooks and crannies. We focus on every detail to provide you with a flawless finish and enhance the overall aesthetic of your space. We service Tucson and the surrounding areas.
