Revitalize Your Ceiling
White is a bright, light and common color. It is almost always seen in some combination of trim, cabinetry and walls in any home. And almost ubiquitously, it appears on ceilings. While white ceilings provide a bright way to balance a room, you have many more options. One of the most impactful ways of changing your home’s interior is by painting the ceiling.
Do I Want to Paint My Ceiling?
Colored ceilings may not be for every room, or every home. Before you hire a painter or lay a drop cloth, take a minute to consider if your ceiling is a good candidate for paint:
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Is your ceiling surface smooth? If you have a textured ceiling that has roughness, a popcorn finish or other textured contouring, painting directly onto the surface probably isn’t your best option. Older homes may also have sagging or bowed ceilings. White does a good job of masking these irregularities. A colored ceiling could draw attention to them—something you want to avoid, especially if you’re putting your home on the market. Smooth, flat ceilings are the best candidates for painting.
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Prepare your textured ceiling for painting. A popcorn finish or other textured ceiling coating can be removed by a professional painting company. Removal of a textured ceiling and refinishing will make it a smooth paintable surface that you can have painted by a professional painter, or by yourself.
Choosing a Ceiling Color
Interior designers and other home remodeling professionals are fond of choosing a different shade or hue of the existing wall color for painted ceilings. This popular choice creates a feeling of unity of tone in a room while adding variety and pleasant contrast between the ceiling and the walls.
Whatever color you decide, you may be happiest with one that complements or coordinates with either the walls or some other prominently colored feature of your room, such as furniture, rugs or trim. As a rule of thumb, darker colors will make the ceiling feel lower, creating a cozier atmosphere, whereas lighter colors will tend to open up a room and create a roomier feeling.
Incorporating Ceiling Design and Color
Creating a new feel in your home by painting your ceiling can be enhanced with other design options. Moldings are a bold way of accenting your ceiling color and compensating for imperfections in your ceiling.
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Use moldings to frame your ceiling. Place them about a foot from each corner, creating a unique and attractive design.
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Drop moldings below the ceiling to conceal imperfections. Sagging or bowing ceilings can be “leveled” by placing molding 5 to 10 inches below a ceiling on each wall. Paint the tops of the walls the same color as the ceiling down to the molding. This frame along the wall will be level, making your ceiling seem ship shape.
Zenith’s professional painting team is always available to answer your questions at 800-381-4601 and we can get you started with a free estimate.
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