How to Paint Walls to Make a Room Look Taller

Ceilings can be made to look taller with paint.

Rooms in a home that have short ceilings, such as a standard eight foot ceiling, can have the illusion of being higher by the application of paint. This can be done using a painting technique that requires painting the ceiling and extending the paint a short distance down the walls. You can paint walls to make a room look taller by first determining what color to paint the ceiling.

Things You'll Need

• Step ladder
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Chalk line
• Painters tape
• Paint
• Rollers

Instructions

1. Measure down 6 inches from the ceiling in one corner of the room with the tape measure. Make a mark on the wall. Repeat this step on the other corner of the wall.

2. Place the end of the chalk line on a pencil mark in one of the corners. Extend the chalk line to the mark in the other corner. Pull the chalk line taught and then snap the line to leave a mark on the wall.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for the remaining walls in the room. This will create a chalk line around the perimeter of the room.

4. Apply painters tape so that it aligns just under the chalk lines that you made in Step 3.

5. Paint the ceiling and the walls down to the painters tape with the roller. Allow at least two hours for the paint to dry.

6. Remove the painters tape from the walls to complete the project.

Tips & Warnings

• White paint makes the ceiling look brighter and gives the illusion of being taller when the walls are a darker color.

• The color of the ceiling should be lighter than the color of the walls to provide the necessary effect.

References

• Education.com: Make a Room Look Larger

Resources

• HouseRepairTalk: Low ceilings... what do I do with my wall color?