How To
By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
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Drop cloths or plastic tarp
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Painter's tape
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Primer
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Two colors of paint
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Paint roller with extendable handle
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Ladder
Step1
Prepare the room in which you wish to paint by covering or removing all the furniture and draping the floor with painter's cloths or a plastic tarp. You can secure the tarp in place with painter's tape to ensure that your floor or carpet is not damaged by paint splatters.
Step2
Select a couple of shades of paint for your tray ceiling in order to make the most of its structure. You can use paints one shade lighter and one shade darker than your wall paint.
Step3
Wipe down the ceiling with a damp cloth or duster to remove any excess dust or dirt before painting. A vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment can also be used to prep the area for painting.
Step4
Apply a coat of primer which prevents stains from seeping through before you paint the ceiling. It is important that you use the right kind of primer for the kind of paint you choose. An oil-based primer should not be used with a latex top coat.
Step5
Create a sharp line marking the transition in your tray ceiling by using painter's tape to tape off the edges of the angled or stepped features before applying the darker paint to the center of the ceiling.
Step6
Paint using a zig-zag motion to get the most coverage when working with an extendable paint roller. This technique should be applied to both the center of the ceiling and the angled sides.
Step7
Repeat the same taping process for the angled section once the center of the ceiling has dried. If you have a steady hand, you can also use a sponge brush to create a smooth line of the lighter shade of paint between the two surfaces.
Step8
Paint the angled portion using the lighter of the two shades of paint. You may also wish to embellish this portion with decorative stencils such as flowering vines or geometric shapes to create a more customized look.
