How to Use Paint to Make Low Ceilings Appear Higher
Your paint color picks do more than set the mood for your room. They can create an optical illusion to make your room look bigger, smaller, cozier—or even make your ceilings feel taller. And if you're looking to fake grand ceilings in a standard room, you're in luck: Our paint experts have the tips (and a few key suggestions) to help you make your ceilings look extra tall—no construction required.
So break out the paint brush and these ideas to achieve this home design magic in no time flat.
❖ Lisa Hudson, brand president, Fresh Coat Painters
❖ Amy Wax, color expert and author of Can't Fail Color Schemes
How to Create a Taller Ceiling With Paint
There's no single correct answer for how to create a taller ceiling, as there are a few different strategies you can use to create the effect. (So go ahead and choose the one that works best for you!)
Let your ceiling and wall colors work together
The ceiling paint isn't the only opportunity for creating height. "You can adjust the visual perception of your ceiling height with the use of color, but remember that the wall color and ceiling color are working together," says Amy Wax, color expert and author of Can't Fail Color Schemes. "A dark wall color will bring the walls in—leading you to focus on the wall colors that are closest to you, raising the ceiling that is so far away."
Choose lighter and brighter ceiling colors
"When you paint the ceiling a bright white or a really pale, airy color, it soaks up all the light in the room and reflects it back," says Lisa Hudson, brand president for Fresh Coat Painters. "That light reflection is what makes the ceiling feel like it's a mile away, creating that sense of open, vertical space."
If you're using a lighter color on the walls, Wax suggests opting for a dark—yet still bright—shade for the ceiling. "Imagine a bright colored ceiling—say a teal or bright yellow. That will bring your eyes upward so that the ceiling feels higher and more distant. If you use a heavier color, the ceiling will come down, appearing lower, changing the proportions of your room. A lighter ceiling will brighten your space, an easy way of making the ceiling feel a little higher, airier, and more open."
Choose a softer shade of the wall color
To create a more subtle effect, consider painting your ceiling in a slightly lighter or brighter version of the color on your walls. "Using a tone-on-tone approach by using a darker shade on the walls and a lighter version of the same color on the ceiling also helps create the illusion of taller ceilings," Hudson says. "This creates a subtle contrast that makes the lighter, brighter ceiling feel higher and airier, while still keeping the room cohesive."
This is a favorite paint technique for Wax as well. "I like using colors for a ceiling that are in the same family but are created using less pigment to simply brighten up the room. The lighter ceiling is higher, and I prefer a ceiling color that is not too stark and distracting. Cleaner, lighter, expansive—these are feelings the lighter ceiling can create in a room."
Consider a color drench
Color drenching has been in vogue recently, and it can help make ceilings look higher. "By painting the walls and ceiling the same color, you eliminate the visual break at the top of the wall," Hudson says. "This makes the eye see one continuous, seamless space, pulling your gaze upward and making the room feel taller."
3 Paint Colors Guaranteed to Make Your Ceiling Look Higher
If you want to use a color drench or a tone-on-tone effect, you'll simply need to choose those shades based on the wall colors you pick. But if you want to go with a light neutral to brighten up your ceiling, Hudson recommends these three colors.
High Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams
"The most reliable recommendation is a crisp, bright white on the ceiling," Hudson says. "I'm talking about a true, untinted white, not a creamy one. The reason they're so effective is that they maximize light reflection, essentially creating a 'sky' over your head that feels boundless and can be used with any wall color you choose."
Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams
"The most reliable recommendation is a crisp, bright white on the ceiling," Hudson says. "I'm talking about a true, untinted white, not a creamy one. The reason they're so effective is that they maximize light reflection, essentially creating a 'sky' over your head that feels boundless and can be used with any wall color you choose."
Sea Salt by Sherwin-Williams
Want to move toward a more botanical shade? Hudson suggests a soft green. "A soft, cool pastel naturally recedes, and when used on the ceiling or both surfaces, it gives you that feeling of an open sky, making the space feel taller."
As seen on Real Simple.