Dear Andrew,
I am about to paint my living room. I have already picked out the colour and am ready to go. I just have one problem: I hate white ceilings! What are your thoughts on painting the fifth wall?
– Brian
Hi Brian,
Great question. Although the rule of thumb is to paint ceilings a flat white – usually to make a room seem brighter and larger, and to hide imperfections – I have always maintained a different approach. When I am painting a room, I start by painting the ceiling in a tone of my wall colour. I ask for a one-quarter or one-half formula of the wall colour, unless it’s a very dark or pale colour.
For instance, if I were painting my walls in Sherwin Williams Taupe #8238, I would ask the paint store to mix a flat white base in a one-quarter or half formula Taupe #8238. The result is a more subtle, more harmonious and less stark white that will complement the wall colour. And because the paint is a tone of the colour on the walls, it will also allow for a less-than-perfect cut between the ceiling and walls.
Some tips on painting ceilings:
Do: Paint the bathroom ceiling in the same colour as the walls, the tiny space creates more trouble than it’s worth.
Do: Paint a contrasting colour on the bedroom ceiling, if you’re feeling adventurous. It provides a fun way to express individual tastes, especially in a child’s room.
Do: Paint ceilings a soft blue or purple to get a feeling of sky.
Don’t: Paint over stucco or popcorn ceilings. Stucco is made of water. Painting it with a latex paint will cause it to dissolve. You’ll have stucco raining down on you. It needs to be painted first using an oil-based primer.
Hope this helps!
IMAGES COURTESY OF SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
