Interior Design Facts on Ceiling Color
With today's decorating styles, you are not necessarily tied to institutional white ceilings. Today, color can bloom up the walls and over your head, given the right design circumstances. Does this Spark an idea?
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Colors
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In general, use a flat paint that will help hide cracks and water spots on your ceiling. A glossier finish will only highlight that which you don't want seen.
Use white paint on the ceiling if you want the room to look larger. It will create a more open feel. If you have a large cavernous room, try using a paint that is darker than the walls. It will help give the room a cozy feeling. If you're looking for something in between these options, consider painting the ceiling a couple of shades lighter than the walls. This monochromatic look will add height to the room. For the truly bold painter, consider the ceiling a fifth wall and add a completely different--but contrasting--color. If it does not work, you can always go back to white.
Paint
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There is a difference between "ceiling paint" and wall paint. Ceiling paint is made to reflect light and, when applied correctly, hide imperfections. Because ceilings are often long-neglected and may have acquired water stains, they need something thicker than wall paint. On the other hand, ceilings won't be subjected to regular cleaning and scrubbing the way walls are, so ceiling paint is not made to be as durable as wall paint. All this means is that you can use wall paint on the ceilings, but you should not use ceiling paint on the walls.
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Special Situations
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Very high ceilings are made for special touches, like crown molding. The trim will attract your eyes and make the ceiling seem a little lower.
Introduce some drama into small rooms by painting the ceiling and walls the same color.
A very dark room, with little natural lighting, should have a white ceiling. The white will help spread what little light is coming in.
Preparation
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Before painting the ceiling, use a sealer on the stains. Water stains require alkyd or alcohol sealers. If the ceiling has not been painted in a long time, use a latex primer sealer, or you will probably have to give the ceiling two coats of paint.
How Much?
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A good rule of thumb is a 400-square-foot room will require a gallon of paint. Break out the calculator and multiply the room's length by its width, then divide by 400 to see how many gallons of paint to purchase. A second coat may not be necessary, but it helps ensure you don't have to paint the ceiling again anytime soon.
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