Best Ceiling Paint to Make Ceiling Look Higher?
I have a beautiful apartment but the ceiling is very low. I recently painted the place Benjamin Moore White Blush diluted down to make it even lighter. It is a cream like color. The old paint on the ceiling is flat white and honestly does not look like it even needs repainting but I was…
I have a beautiful apartment but the ceiling is very low. I recently painted the place Benjamin Moore White Blush diluted down to make it even lighter. It is a cream like color. The old paint on the ceiling is flat white and honestly does not look like it even needs repainting but I was wondering if there might not be some texture or tone of white that will make the ceiling appear to recede more.
Unconventional, but use a really dark color for the ceiling – black, dark purple, dark green.
use just a faint blue tint in your white…. cool colors tend to recede, warm ones move forward.
I do flat white with pale blue/indigo tint and it looks awesome. you should not be able to tell this color is not white… it is just a cooler shade of white.
duckumu is correct about contrast as well.
I know it’s “against the rules”, but I painted all of my ceilings in an eggshell instead of a flat paint. The flat paints just completely sucks up the light, especially on the higher floors of my house where the ceiling heights are lower.
I used “Picket Fence” white, I believe. It’s just a bright bright white, I think from Sherwin Williams.
Yes, use a “ceiling white.”
ceilings appear low when there’s a lot of contrast between the color and/or shape at the line where the ceiling meets the wall. our eyes see that clear delineation and the result is the feeling of a lower ceiling.
decorators fix this by reducing the contrast between the planes. you could try painting the ceiling the same color as the walls, but what i’ve heard is to use an eggshell ceiling paint mixed with a little bit of your wall color. it will take down the contrast a bit and make your ceiling relate to your walls. and the eggshell finish will bounce around a little more light.
don’t underestimate the role furniture and artwork can play here, too. putting a big, tall piece of furniture that nearly grazes the ceiling will actually make your room seem taller. it sounds counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely true. try hanging some artwork close to the ceiling too — if you have a verticle grouping, put a larger piece up high, closer to the crown/ceiling; it will draw the eye upward.
Ceiling White is a good option, as cipster said. The added bonus is that it is a standard, builders grade product and is not a Benjamin Moore premium finish.
Another alternative is to repaint the walls. If the ceiling and walls are all light, you will not have any contrast to help the ceiling recede. If you change the walls to a darker color, or even if you can have vertical focus in the room (through furniture or subtle painted stripes on the walls) your walls will look taller and therefore, your ceiling higher.
Also, make sure the ceiling is lit with upward facing lamps or chandeliers. This will help make it appear higher. Good luck!
If it’s already bright white, that’s as good as it’s going to get. Texture won’t help.
We just moved into a house with a low ceiling on the garden living level (7’6″) and are very happy with the Benjamin Moore “Ceiling White”. It’s ultra white and ultra flat so it is bright and reflective but without any glare. This plus some creative lighting has worked wonders. Good luck.