We have been thinking of painting our ceiling in our finished family room downstairs a semi-dark charcoal or black. The walls are a soft white. Our concern is: would painting it that way make the room look small. The ceiling is about 7.5 ft. tall. Any suggestion is appreciated.
– James W., Comstock Park
This is a great question. Something we’re seeing a lot of right now when it comes to paint is color drenching, which means painting everything in a room the same color: the walls, ceiling, trim and doors. We’re specifically seeing this done using darker tones or deep colors. You would think it might make a room feel smaller but because there are no visual breaks in the space, it actually can make a room feel bigger, while also giving it the intimate, cozy feel you are hoping to achieve in your living room.
Full Color Drenching
Another option if you wanted to have a combination of the soft white and a darker paint would be to do the walls in the charcoal color and then keep the ceiling white. Even though you are creating a visual break between the two colors, it would keep the ceiling feeling light and high.
What to Avoid
I think the one direction I probably would avoid is painting the ceiling dark if the walls are white. With the walls of a room being so bright and airy and just a ceiling being dark, it can make it feel like the ceiling is closing in on you.
Dark paint can absolutely work in either a smaller space or a space with low ceilings and not only not minimize the space, but can actually make it look bigger, as long as it’s done right.
Image courtesy Urbanology Designs.
