For too many years to count, our ceilings have been a super bright boring white color and most times with a blecky, yes that is an official word, popcorn finish. If you have ever tried to repaint or clean that kind of ceiling, you know what a horrifying experience it can be. The “popcorn,” because that is really what it looks like – fluffy buttery popcorn, falls on your head, in your shirt, all over everything and before you’re finished, it is EVERYWHERE.
These faux popcorn ceilings make a home feel old and dated, and if you’re trying to sell it, well just hang it up, they will turn away many potential buyers. So for the sake of your ceilings, I must say, attend the support group and just SAY NO to popcorn ceilings! Unless you are just in love with that sticky fall-apart ceiling, give them up and go with a flat finished ceiling, or even one with color!
I love and endlessly talk about ceilings that have color on them. Of course people think I am nuts. Colored ceilings can visually make a room seem smaller, but mainly they make the room feel cozier and more intimate. For houses with very high ceilings, color is a great way to give the room a comfortable feeling rather than an imposing feeling. But colored ceilings can give a library or bedroom a cozy, friendly atmosphere.
Another reason to color your ceiling is to help soften a sharp contrast. Many of our rooms have a wall color that contrasts sharply with the ceiling color and make a room uncomfortable and shocking. If your walls are painted a deep green, a bright white ceiling sticks out like a sore thumb, think of using a soft green to soften this transition. The ceiling gives the room a shocking atmosphere rather than a cozy feeling. Even if the ceiling is painted a shade of tan or ivory, the color softens the contrast between the walls and the ceiling and brings the right feeling back into the room.
In order to make your ceiling comfortable, you do not have to paint it a solid color. Some of my friends painted a sky scene on the nursery ceiling in their home. They had green carpet, symbolic of grass, trees, flowers and animals on each wall, and a beautiful clear sky with just a few clouds on the ceiling. The effect was amazing. As she grew older, their daughter always loved lying down on her “grass” and watching the “sky.” Years of joy came simply because her parents chose to put her ceiling in color.
