<h2>Practical: Ceilings, ceiling paint, and tips on painting your ceiling.</h2>
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In terms of square footage, ceilings are a significant part of any room. And especially in bedrooms, they're something you look at each and every day. Painting the ceiling is a great way to give any room a complete, more finished look.

Traditionally, white is the most commonly used color for ceilings. This is because it reflects light very well, and—let's face it—white goes with everything.

So if you want a foolproof ceiling solution, white should definitely not be overlooked. However, do bear in mind there are many different types of whites—from subtly warm, to cooler and more blue-based.



Choose a shade that will work with the room, and the rest of your décor. For example, a bluer white may be ideal for a bathroom, while a warmer white might be an excellent choice for a bedroom.


(See Designing a Dreamy Bedroom web article for more suggestions on how to decorate ceilings in bedrooms).

Contrary to what you may have heard, white can actually make ceilings appear lower in rooms with low ceilings, and make them seem even more distant in rooms with high, lofty ceilings.

Based on this, there are some good general rules to follow when selecting paint colors for your ceiling area:

If your room has ceilings that are 8' high or under, paint the ceiling a shade or two lighter than the color of your walls.

If your ceilings are higher than 8', paint them a shade or two darker than your wall color.


Following this advice will help give an illusion of space to a low-ceilinged room, or add a feeling of coziness to rooms with higher ceilings.

Leaving the ceiling white, while painting the walls with color, can occasionally make a room seem unfinished. Adding just a touch of color to a ceiling can bring a certain intimacy, as well as give the space a much more finished and refined look.

Depending on your room architecture and natural light, all whites may appear somewhat stark.

To overcome this, and add a little unexpected drama, consider painting your ceiling a color that contrasts with the color of the walls (i.e. its opposite on the Color Wheel) (see The Creative Power of the Color Wheel feature)

Then finish the room with crown molding painted the same color as your walls, but in a glossier sheen.

To make your ceiling project a success, we recommend BEHR Premium Plus® Ceiling Paint.

Specially formulated to be spatter resistant and hide surface imperfections, BEHR Ceiling Paint can be tinted in any color from the Premium Plus® system and will give your ceiling a long-lasting and durable finish.

Try the ColorSmart™ by BEHR interactive program to experiment with thousands of different color combinations and see how they look in actual room settings.

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