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Thread: Painting Rooms??

  1. #1
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    Painting Rooms??

    Odd question but got into a weird discussion with someone and thought I would throw it out here. I value this group. Painting rooms in a home. How many people paint their ceilings white and walls another color?? How many people paint the entire room the same color including the ceiling. Is one way more modern or more acceptable or is it just a matter of taste. I think it is a matter of taste. But the person I talked to mentioned a few things. One is with white ceilings it makes the room look larger. They also said that to have one wall a different color makes the room more interesting along with a white ceiling. Thoughts please. Thanks.

    Asking these questions because I am about to paint the rooms in my house after I get the bath and kitchen remodeled this year. Right now all rooms the walls and ceilings are the same color. Just a carry over from when I lived at parents house and that was the way my Dad did it. I should mention woodwork is stained a med brown. That will stay. No painting woodwork, doors or windows.
    Last edited by John Terefenko; 02-27-2021 at 1:06 AM.
    John T.

  2. #2
    Well, I’m still awake! I’ve always painted ceilings white, but truth is we don’t do much painting as we have made a lot of changes and done
    some messy jobs ,like soundproofing two baths. But I plan to paint the living room soon. Probably yellow,if I can find a good one ,meaning
    bright with no subtlety or beige -ness. For the ceiling same paint ,but mixed with white to attempt as smooth a blend in with the help of
    Some new lighting. I plan to make an Art Deco fire place floor to ceiling and possibly try a curved transition on to ceiling with some wood
    ”sun rays”. Always liked Art Deco. And the fire place has an elevated hearth so I don’t think traditional would look right with that.
    .

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by John Terefenko View Post
    Odd question but got into a weird discussion with someone and thought I would throw it out here. I value this group. Painting rooms in a home. How many people paint their ceilings white and walls another color?? How many people paint the entire room the same color including the ceiling. Is one way more modern or more acceptable or is it just a matter of taste. I think it is a matter of taste. But the person I talked to mentioned a few things. One is with white ceilings it makes the room look larger. They also said that to have one wall a different color makes the room more interesting along with a white ceiling. Thoughts please. Thanks.

    Asking these questions because I am about to paint the rooms in my house after I get the bath and kitchen remodeled this year. Right now all rooms the walls and ceilings are the same color. Just a carry over from when I lived at parents house and that was the way my Dad did it. I should mention woodwork is stained a med brown. That will stay. No painting woodwork, doors or windows.
    You can have your ceilings any color you want, as long as it’s flat white with a touch of grey added to tone down the brightness slightly. Then walls can be anything.

  4. #4
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    The largest convention is to make ceilings white because of how it distributes light. There's no rule that says you cannot do something different, but it's not the norm. I'm betting that in some cases where the ceiling matches the walls it's because it's easier...many folks find cutting in along the ceiling line to be very challenging. It's an art-form that requires patience and that means a lot more time. Too many want to "just get it done" and that's not consistent with things like careful cutting in. This is one reason why pro painters make a good living...it takes time to do it right.

    BTW, I don't buy "ceiling paint"...I just use good quality flat-white paint.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 02-27-2021 at 9:22 AM.
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    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
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    We toured a lot of homes ~5 years ago, before we decided to build - a variety of ages and styles. I'd say white was, by far, the most common ceiling color. But we did see some examples of ceilings painted a light grey or light beige, with walls painted a deeper, complementary shade. These were almost always highlighted with white crown molding. If done right, I think it creates a nice formal look.
    Last edited by Gary Ragatz; 02-27-2021 at 2:30 PM.

  6. #6
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    all ceilings flat white for us. makes the rooms look cleaner, more open and bright. we have done accent walls as well, usually one wall is a color and the rest is whatever offwhite you like. we use westhighland white from SW.

  7. #7
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    In the 70’s when I painted my first homes interior, my wife insisted a ceiling should be painted a VERY diluted color the walls were painted. Don’t remember the percentage but just a little bit more than somewhat of a hint. I still remember the LR and DR walls were “Wedgwood blue” (She sold fine china). The gentleman at the Great Western paint store getting the color just right by manually making color additions that were spot on. Great Western is long gone and a very sad story for the career employees who were left with nothing, including the above person who lost his retirement after decades of work. Currently our ceiling are flat white ceiling paint.
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  8. #8
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    I suspect that flat white is common because it hides poor quality taping and mudding of sheetrock. Back in the day it was that popcorn texture stuff. My timber frame house is a story and a half so the upstairs rooms have ceilings that are angled at 45 degrees that start at about 4' high at the outside walls. Painting them white seemed wrong. But, as Jim points out, the rooms with darker colors are much darker because everything is the same color.

  9. #9
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    I personally dislike the stark white of most ceiling paint. Throughout our home the ceilings and crown moldings, in the rooms that have them, are Sherwin-Williams Dover White. It is light and reflective without being stark. It also plays well with most colors you might chose for your walls.

  10. #10
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    "Ceiling White." Or perhaps as Jim says "good quality flat-white paint". I've painted a significant number of rental units going back years and Ceiling White is all I've ever used. Same for my own house. It's a good time to practice cutting in if you aren't already good at it. Get a decent trim brush and do the ceiling first.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Lisa Starr View Post
    I personally dislike the stark white of most ceiling paint. Throughout our home the ceilings and crown moldings, in the rooms that have them, are Sherwin-Williams Dover White. It is light and reflective without being stark. It also plays well with most colors you might chose for your walls.
    I call Dover White.....beige using an alias ,to get “a new start”. Or maybe that I’m looking at a bad batch !

  12. #12
    I would not paint a ceiling any color except white. I know other people who paint it the same as the walls. I think the room seems to close in on you that way. But hey, people should do what makes them happy.

  13. #13
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    Antique white for walls and ceilings in rooms that are painted.... Blends in with any style / color furniture IMO...(actually wife's opinion!!)...

    Daughters BR has been pink, green, grey with always a white ceiling..
    Last edited by Ed Aumiller; 02-27-2021 at 5:58 PM.

  14. #14
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    White ceilings, except if it has a recessed tray, then paint the recess blue and it looks really cool.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm Schweizer View Post
    White ceilings, except if it has a recessed tray, then paint the recess blue and it looks really cool.
    Yes, it’s a Roman impluvium with a new improvium that lets in light ....but keeps rain OUT ! Franchise Available In YOUR area !

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