Color Ideas for High Walls & Ceilings
- Explore the options when dealing with high walls and ceilings.Mel Curtis/Photodisc/Getty Images
High walls and ceilings can present a challenge when deciding what color to paint them. In general, white is used for both due to its light reflecting qualities and the fact that it makes an area seem larger, lending an airy feeling to the room. Learn some other color combinations to make the room stand out. - For ceilings that are very high, such as 8 feet tall or more, opt for a shade of paint that is one or two shades darker than the wall color to make the room appear cozier. A kitchen can benefit from a bright yellow wall color and a slightly darker creamy yellow for the ceiling. A bedroom or bathroom would look stunning with the walls painted sky blue and the ceiling painted a smooth watery blue.
- Use warm colors on high walls and ceilings to add balance to the room. Kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms look appealing in shades of yellow, ochre and creamy reds. Living rooms, great rooms and bedrooms are pleasing in shades of hunter green, burgundy or mustard. Warm colors seem to advance into a room, making it appear slightly smaller while still maintaining an open feeling.
- Choose a contrasting color to help lower the ceiling, such as sky blue, creamy pink or pale peach. Paint the ceiling in the chosen color, and apply a layer of glaze in the same color to bounce the light back down into the room. Choose vivid colors for the walls, including bright yellow with the sky blue, vibrant burgundy for the creamy pink and rich ochre for the pale peach.
- Select a very dark color for the ceiling if crown molding is installed. The whiteness of the crown molding will indicate to viewers that there is a clear demarcation of the high walls and the ceiling. For the ceiling, choose midnight blue, chocolate brown or a dark gray color. Add a light blue for the walls, a nice peanut shade or a pale gray. Keeping the colors in the same color family ensures that the space will look cohesive. Do not attempt this technique if there is no crown molding as the room will appear claustrophobic.
