What Color Should You Have Your Ceiling Painted in 2020?

A popular trend among homeowners is painting the ceiling of a room a unique, non-white color, whether the same or a different color than the walls. This trend can definitely make a statement, but is it right for every room? Should you have your ceilings painted the same color as the walls in your home, or should you stick with white ceilings throughout? There are several ceiling paint color options, as well as different opinions on the effect using different colors and combinations can make.

Understanding how different colors change the appearance of a room, along with seeing photos of different wall and ceiling paint color combinations can help you decide on a new look you like best. Here are a couple of different and maybe new ways you can have your ceilings painted.

Same Color as Your Walls

One easy option for choosing your ceiling color is sticking with the same color as your walls. If you are painting your room a neutral color, this is a fairly good choice. The wash of color over the entire room helps trick the eye and allows other features and decor in your room to take center stage.

This can be tricky, though, since having your ceilings painted the same color as your walls can also create a caved-in effect if there is no other color in the room to help break up the space. It also can look (boring) (monochromatic) if there aren’t enough interesting visual details throughout the room. Shades like Benjamin Moore’s Golden Straw or Sherwin-Williams Marshmallow would work well in a room like this.

Allow your decor to take center stage with a neutral color painted on the walls and ceiling.

Paint Your Ceiling a Contrasting Color from Your Walls

On the other end of the spectrum, you could choose to paint your ceiling a contrasting color from your walls. This will help bounce light around your room and give something interesting to draw the eye upwards.

A well-done contrasting ceiling color can make a statement for your home, but if not done carefully with complementary colors, it can make your space look less put-together. Our interior designers work with you to make sure your choices go well in your space.

Have Your Ceiling Painted a Darker Color than Your Walls

A similar design choice is making your ceiling darker than your walls. This is extremely popular currently, with ceilings painted in bold, distinctive colors such as Sherwin-Williams Naval gracing many design magazine pages. A darker ceiling has a number of positives -- it can make a room feel cozier and more inviting to guests, and give your room a modern and chic look.

However, if your room has low ceilings with little to no light to spare, this can soak up the remaining light in the room and make it feel dark and claustrophobic. In a room that is large, has high ceilings, coffered ceilings. or has a lot of natural light, having your ceiling painted a darker color is an excellent, on-trend ceiling paint color choice.

Add personality to your home with a dark ceiling.

Lighter Color than Your Walls

You can also choose to paint your ceiling a lighter color than your walls. This is, of course, the choice you’ve made when you have your ceiling painted white and the walls any other color, and it’s the most common wall/ceiling combination.

If you go just a few shades lighter on a paint chip and use that lighter color paint on your walls, you can easily open up a room and make it feel larger and more full of light than before. This is an excellent tactic for small spaces. Additionally, you can choose this option if you want your furnishings and decor to stand out, but you don’t want the room to feel one-note with everything the same color.

Have Your Ceiling Painted White

Lastly, of all the different ceiling paint colors, white is always an easy, go-to option for any room. A white ceiling will have similar effects to a ceiling painted lighter than your walls; it will allow your ceiling to disappear from focus and bring either your decor or your walls to center stage.

A white ceiling will reflect the most amount of light and can help tie together other contrasting elements of your room.

According to Sherwin Williams, white is the right choice, especially when the room lacks light. “While somewhat cliché, white ceilings are sometimes the best choice for a room. When paired with pale-hued walls, white ceilings do tend to disappear, keeping the attention focused on the room's wall coverings and furnishings. This is important if the ceiling has a lot of visible imperfections or is textured or patterned, which can make a successful paint job quite difficult. Plus, white is the most effective color for reflecting light back into the room, which is vitally important in rooms with few or no sources of natural light.”

White is a great choice if your room is darker and lacks light.