Hot Home Trend: Painted Ceilings

Splashing a color on the home’s fifth wall is becoming the “it” factor.

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BrightRoomSF © The Home Co

A twist on the accent wall: Paint the ceiling a contrasting color than the surrounding walls. It’ll force people to look up and take notice.

Paint and texture are dressing up more ceilings. The 2023 Houzz U.S. Emerging Summer Trends Report shows online searches have spiked over the past year for “high-gloss ceilings,” “painted ceilings” and “black ceilings.” Searches for “tongue-and-groove ceilings”—wooden planks that fit side-to-side across a ceiling—are also up significantly, growing by 73% over the past year, Houzz reports.

That standard white-painted ceiling may be starting to feel dull. For those who want to channel the painted ceiling trend in a more toned-down way, paint the room’s walls the same color and the ceiling one or two shades lighter or darker for just a little contrast.

Hulya Kolabas

You also could go bold and paint the ceiling a completely different color from the surrounding walls. For example, this nursery designed by Malka Helft of Think Chic Interiors, has a bright ceiling in hot pink. The rest of the walls are painted white, drawing eyes to that dramatic ceiling.

Painted ceilings can add personality and uniqueness to a space and play with the proportions of a room. Paint a high ceiling to bring the height down. Darker colors make a room feel more intimate and cozy. But in a smaller room, painting the ceiling in a bold shade can create a more spacious feel, designers say. Painted ceilings also can add that design punch to an otherwise neutral space.

Excerpted from the NAR-National Association of Realtors newsletter