How to Paint Rooms With Tray Ceilings

A recessed tray ceiling with a chandelier fixture can be painted to complement the room's furnishings.

A tray ceiling is a flat ceiling with a recessed central area. Often, the side walls of the tray are tapered and some are trimmed with moldings. A standard tray may recess a foot to give the room's ceiling some drama. Often trays are found in a master bedroom and bathroom, in dining and living rooms, or in specialty rooms. Painting a room with a tray ceiling offers both opportunities and challenges. Consider the function of the room, the design and style of your furnishings, and the architectural style of the home when deciding how to paint your room and tray ceiling.

Things You'll Need

• Color palette
• Color fan
• Painter's tape
• Tall ladder
• Plastic sheeting
• Roller, tray and brush
• Primer
• Flat ceiling paint

Instructions

1. Assemble a color palette collection for the room with the tray ceiling. Bring in samples of the flooring, curtains, area rugs, upholstery or linens, woods, metals, glass, mirrors and any other finishes. Add photographs of the furniture. Include accent colors and art. This will help you determine the colors you want to use and the feeling you want to achieve in the room.

2. Acquire a color fan from the paint store. A color fan is a portable collection of all the available paint colors. This is very helpful for reducing paint color choices. Take the color fan and the palette color collection into the room and look at them together in the light of the room.

3. Look at the walls, the flat portion of the ceiling perimeter, and the angled walls and recessed flat ceiling as three separate planes or painting areas. Because a tray ceiling is a value add in most homes, you want to show off the tray without making it gaudy. One way to accomplish this is by using paint colors in different tones of the same color such as a dark, medium or light version.

4. Consider the function of the room. If the room is a grand room, such as a very dressy dining room, then you may want to consider leafing the ceiling with gold or another metal. In a room with one or more grand chandeliers positioned in the tray, leaf will bounce the light around in a spectacular way. If you decide to leaf the ceiling, then the walls should be more neutral to direct the focus upward.

5. Empty the room and cover the remaining floor with plastic sheeting. Paint the tray first. Roll primer over the entire tray, the flat ceiling and the walls. Take paint samples from your paint color fan selections and paint sample patches on the tray, the flat ceiling and walls. Arrange the colors in a variety of ways. What you want to achieve is a contrast and a feeling of comfort and drama.

6. Tape off your corners and edges with painter's tape. Paint the inside of the tray ceiling first once your selections have been finalized. Paint your flat outer ceiling next and your walls last. Use a roller and at least two coats of a quality paint as you do not want to see streaks later. Cut in with a paint brush around moldings and corners.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint your tray red if you intend to gold leaf over the paint. The red supports the gold color. Add sizing and wait until the sizing is tacky before drifting your leaf into place and pouncing with a pouncing brush.

References

• That Painter Lady: Tips For Painting A Tray Ceiling
• My Perfect Color: Painting Tray Ceilings