What color do you paint the underside of a soffit?

[George Bokros]

Ceiling color
Wall color
Some other color

My Dad always said you paint anything you look up at the same color as the ceiling.

[Bill Orbine]

I need a fourth choice..... the answer is "it depends.......". Do you want to highlight the soffit? Make it disappear? You can get in to a whole range of discussion. There's no rule(s) other than personal preference.

[Rick Potter]

My personal choice would be wall color, assuming the wall of the soffit is wall color. Painting it ceiling color will visually chop up the room.

[Mel Fulks]

Agree with " it depends". Even when you paint a ceiling and wall the same color they usually look different color just from the way the light hits them.

[John Goodin]

First inclination is wall color. painting it the ceiling color may visually lower the ceiling and make the room look shorter.

[Myk Rian]

The wall color.

[Brian Elfert]

I painted the island soffit in the kitchen of my previous house a bright red accent color that was different than the wall color. I wanted to add a splash of color.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Depends on what you are after. Some might say the same color as the trim.

[Jason Roehl]

It depends. If your ceilings are textured, and the soffit is as well, then the soffit should match the ceiling. If the ceiling is textured and the soffit is not, then the soffit should be the wall color. If neither are textured, then the soffit can go either way. Often a soffit will flow into another portion of ceiling with no break, then it definitely needs to go with the ceiling color.

That's only my 19 years of professional painting experience speaking...

[roger wiegand]

It depends. Inside or outside? We did the soffits (outside) on our craftsman style remodel in clear finished fir, and I think they look great.

[George Bokros]

It depends. If your ceilings are textured, and the soffit is as well, then the soffit should match the ceiling. If the ceiling is textured and the soffit is not, then the soffit should be the wall color. If neither are textured, then the soffit can go either way. Often a soffit will flow into another portion of ceiling with no break, then it definitely needs to go with the ceiling color.

That's only my 19 years of professional painting experience speaking...

Thank you Jason, this makes perfect sense to me. We will go with wall color.