Young House Love

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Painting The Ceiling A Little Darker (And Glossier)

We’re doing Children’s Hospital stuff today, but a bunch of you noticed a foyer ceiling update in the background of yesterday’s post, so we owe you those details. We actually knocked it out before the big kitchen paint-fest, but that post cut the line because it was too exciting to save for later and we have the patience of toddlers (not to be confused with having the body of a baby). We usually hate painting ceilings (big rooms = sore backs) but the foyer’s a relatively small swatch of space, so I ended up just rolling the whole thing while Sherry knocked out some simple cutting in around the edges.

Painting a ceiling a darker gray Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore

If you wanna see some ceiling painting in action, check out this video of us painting our nearby office:

Two coats later, we were high-fiving under the stars the star chandelier. It was well overdue. For the last few months it was sort of like our foyer was wearing a fancy outfit (nice painted walls) with dirty matted hair (bad yellowed ceiling). Not a good look.

Sherry got me on board with going one shade darker on the ceiling in there thanks to an image from Traditional Home. We already had leftover Revere Pewter paint from the walls and ceilings in our sink nook . It’s the slightly darker square on the same paint swatch as Edgecomb Gray, which is what’s on the foyer walls. And both are ranked among the best greige paint colors, so why not?

Foyer with blue door and gray ceiling Revere Pewter Benjamin Moore and greige walls Edgecomb Gray

We really like how it turned out, although getting accurate photos of it has proven a little rough.

Foyer with Contrasting gray ceiling Revere Pewter

Sometimes it photographs darker or grayer than it looks in real life (like the detail below, or the hallway shot from yesterday’s post). In person it’s definitely noticeably darker than the walls, but thankfully not in an oppressive or gloomy way.

Detail of Revere Pewter Ceiling Simply White Trim and Edgecomb Gray Walls

Typically we use a flat finish when we paint ceilings, but the leftover paint that we were using from the bathroom was eggshell. Turns out we really like the extra hint of sheen because it glows a bit more in the window light, helping it still feel kind of airy in a way. You can see what I mean below:

Foyer With Edgecomb Gray Walls Simply White Trim and Revere Pewter Ceiling

But I’m not sure this experience makes us ready to officially jump off The Flat Finish Ceiling Train permanently, since any added sheen ups the risk that dings, dents, or seams in the ceiling will show up more clearly. We just lucked out that the foyer ceiling was in great shape. But when we’re buying paint specifically for ceiling use (like in Clara’s room) we’ll probably stick with flat just to be safe. Update: just realized we used eggshell on Clara’s ceiling too! The light (or maybe it’s the color?) just reads really differently in there, so it looks more matte compared to our foyer ceiling.

Little Girls Room With Colorful Raindrop Walls with Simply White Background

I do think it’s safe to say that we’re fans of a non-white ceiling though (hello blue in the sunroom!). Although I feel like we’ll probably end up going with a white kitchen ceiling since there will be so much going on already with the two-tone cabinets, painted walls, and the paneling.

Our Favorite Paint Colors

If you’re having trouble picking the right color to paint your room, check out these detailed deep-dive posts about our favorite paints: 

Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house? Just click on this button: 

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Comments

  1. Jen w says

    I really enjoy your blog and I love the ceiling color! Also the front door!! Where did the star light fixture come from? Sorry if this is repeating information! I’d love to know the source though! Thank you and keep up your awesome work!! I love reading what you guys are up to!

    Reply

  4. Sri says

    Yes! I am currently prepping to painting the ceilings of my bathroom and kitchen. Turns out our home was a project home, obviously knocked out pretty quickly. They painters didn’t bother to prime the gyprock which has resulted in cracked, peeling and flaky paint. GRRR! Anyway, I’m very much looking forward to starting the adventure of doing up both of these spaces. I’ll be sticking to white in both these areas, because they’re such dark rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light. Thanks for all the inspiration to get in and get the job done!

    Reply

  5. Anne says

    Looks fantastic!! The only ceiling painting I’ve done includes bumping the ceiling with my roller when I am impatiently rolling a wall. Makes for a heck of a ceiling, LOL! Tres chic. :-)

    Reply

  6. Casey H. says

    Yes, lots of ceiling painting going on in our new casa (tragically). We started painting the yellowed ceiling only to find it all peeling off the next day after it dried. Turned out the yellowed ceiling had a 30ish year old coat of oil based paint on it which didn’t agree with our decision to paint over it (Zinsser ceiling paint). So, we opted for the cheap, but OH-SO-INCREDIBLY-PAINSTAKING-AND-MESSY option of sanding it all off…Next time, we will opt for spending the $500-$700 to put tongue and groove boards over it for a cottage-y look :) Or pay someone to re-drywall it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      ARGH! That’s my nightmare! So sorry the oil-paint got you! I always hear about how terrible that can be. So glad you got ‘er done in the end though! And I love your next time idea. Haha!

      xo
      s

  8. Nan says

    I thought the ceiling looked painted in a photo the other day but since you didn’t say anything I assumed it was the lighting. It looks great! Painted ceilings are my new favorite thing. Our living and dining rooms (which have very high ceilings) are painted gray-blue. My bathroom has gray walls and I painted the ceiling chartreuse with a white design stenciled on top. It is my favorite thing in our house and makes me happy every time I go in there. Love Clara’s pink ceiling too!

    Reply

  9. Rebecca says

    I’ve painted three different ceilings this year and I hated them all. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because I’ve been using semi-gloss paint!! I’m so unsatisfied because you can see every streak from the roller. Why did I not think to use flat or eggshell up there! Argh…

    Reply

  12. Katie says

    Ack! Just realized you guys find out next week the sex of the baby!! Any big plans swirling on how to tell your families? There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest now!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Wahooo! We’re so excited! We really hoped to tell them in person over Thanksgiving, so I think there will just be a lot of excited phone calls and maybe a fun email photo from Clara and Burger, the proud older siblings.

      xo
      s

  13. Megam says

    I just finished my daughter’s room. It has plaster with popcorn over it and painted in eggshell in the same pink as above but while my friend was rolling, I was throwing glitter at the ceiling in hopes to replicate the old ceilings that had a little sparkle. By far my favorite feature in her room.

    Reply

  14. Sharon says

    LOVING the look of EVERYTHING! The ceilings look spectacular! One question, channeling Jonathan Adler for a moment, is the artwork (in the 5th photo) a little too high or is it the angle of the pic? I’m a stickler for not putting artwork too high. Being that I used to do it myself, too. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Good question! It’s the same height as the other art in the room (eye height) – like the one next to the door and under the stairs, but it does look sort of floaty there. Might need one more canvas on the bottom for a little trio.

      xo
      s

  17. Hanna says

    Love the ceiling. I know you guys say that painting the ceiling of a bathroom or other small space the same color as the walls helps make it feel bigger. Does the same concept hold when you have white crown molding? I notice in these photos that the crown really punctuates the two different shades of paint. I wonder if it would look crazy in a small space (and with the same color on either side of the crown)?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, that’s a good question. The crown does really do a nice job of drawing the eye up, so I think you could argue that the same toned ceiling would be gorgeous and a lighter or slightly darker or even a soft color up there could be really cool too!

      xo
      s

  18. Veronica says

    Whenever I think of different paint finishes, it always brings me back to that episode of MTV Cribs (old school!) with Mariah Carey. The walls of her foyer were glossy amber colored. Not just a normal, glossy paint finish but straight up shellac!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      AHHH! That was my favorite cribs ever. I don’t remember her foyer, I just remember her in that hot tub. Trying to be all sexy. It still makes me laugh hysterically to this day.

      xo
      s

  19. maria says

    not related to the painted ceiling which is beautiful by the way–I hope its ok to send a little christmas themed watercolor painting on paper I recently worked on! would love for it to go for a good cause. Wrote in greetings from Brooklyn, NYC :)

    Reply

  20. Diana says

    Love the painted ceilings! In all our rooms with crown molding we painted the ceiling one shade lighter than the walls (light colors in all those rooms) so the white crown would pop! And it worked! Ceilings looks pretty close to white but the crown molding really stands out!

    Reply

  21. Chris says

    Love what you guys are up to these days. We’re used both paint colors in our home and love them. They’re definitely very livable and compliment other colors well.

    Reply

  22. Naomi says

    We painted all of the ceilings in our house in eggshell! They’re not in that great of shape, either, although we did our best to patch and sand before we painted. You can definitely see the flaws. But we’ve got really low ceilings and when we bought the house it was so gloomy. With a bright white in eggshell on the ceilings it bounces light around and looks airy.

    Love the darker ceiling. I think its smart, if the color is darker, to go with a little sheen. It looks fun but not cave-like.

    Reply

  24. Krista says

    Just wanted to say that I actually LOVE your slate floor. We had a dark gray slate floor in our bathroom in England, which I adored. I love the texture and moody color. It really adds a beautiful contrast to your newly lightened walls and trim. And as for the grout, well, I’ve currently got duct tape covering a 2-inch hole in my faux wood laminate kitchen floor. Such is life.

    Reply

  25. Alison says

    When we bought our house the whole interior was painted with flat paint. The bathroom however wasn’t holding up with flat paint so we painted the whole room in satin and we really like it. I think when we get to painting the rest of the walls in the house, because honestly flat paint and kids don’t mix, I will try egg shell or something like that. Picking out the paint has been a real big lesson to us though. We are learning a ton!

    Reply

  26. Wendi says

    Sorry if you answered this before..but where did you get the star light in your entry? I love it and have looked all over your sight trying to find more info on it. Thank you!!

    Reply

  27. mrs paulsen says

    Oh. my. gosh.
    Yes– this was the longest week and a half in my life– we reno’ed our 1978 u shaped kitchen with cabinets that hung from the ceiling, and the last task in the reno (completed 2 years later) was to scrape, sand, patch and paint over 800 square feet of popcorn ceiling shared by the living room on the same floor. We scraped, sanded, patched, sanded, skim coated a second time, sanded and then primered before we tried a super flat paint. It was HORRIBLE. coming down the stairs the next morning the sun glanced off every blessed roller mark. We ended up painting it with a light blue eggshell which was better. I still see things I’d like to go back and fix… I guess home improvement is never really done…

    Reply

  28. Wendi says

    Thank you!! (and I meant site, btw, not sight:P) Oh and I ordered one of your globe lights from Shades of Light. I can’t wait for it to arrive! There’s are real need for lighting changes in my house. Happy Holidays

    Reply

  29. Jessica says

    So, um . . . is it time to retire Revere Pewter yet? It feels like you use it everywhere and the house is so very gray and tan and lifeless.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think we’re of the school of “paint your house what you love” – so to us a sink nook connected to a closet and a foyer ceiling aren’t everywhere, but it might be 100% too much RP for you! We’ve heard from folks who have used it on their entire first level (it’s a nice timeless neutral) but definitely avoid it if it’s not your thing!

      xo
      s

    • Amanda says

      I actually like how your paint choices are more neutral in this house. It lets the art and accessories do the talking. When I lived with my parents I always groaned when they went for a tan type color because I found it so boring, but your foyer is absolutely gorgeous. And I love the Revere Pewter in the sink nook because it plays off the gorgeous pepper colored bedroom. Keep on keeping on. (And ignore the grout worriers, it would be way different if you were like “this is the 100% stage 2 foyer, but you aren’t done yet, and haven’t even tackled the floor. Your house looks way cleaner than mine anyways)

  31. Samantha says

    Hi guys! I wanted you to know that I totally just got in touch with my inner child and wrote a letter for your bulletin board, complete with Disney princess crayons artwork:). I’ll pop it in the mail tomorrow – so that will be at least one letter! I hope lots of other readers join in – it’s really fun and you get the warm and fuzzies!

    And maybe I’m just weird or something, but after reading the comments I went back and checked the photos, and I thought your grout looked fine. Maybe I’m not a grouting connesuir, but I liked it – wouldn’t think anything of it if I walked in and saw flooring like that.

    Reply

  32. Shavonda says

    You know what I hate about painting ceilings? Painting ceiling!! Know what I love about it? The huge impact it makes! I love the color you chose. This almost makes me want to paint another ceiling….almost ;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! I love those first four sentences. It’s like a perfect standup routine for the DIY niche. At least for me. I’d be laughing in the front row because it’s SO TRUE.

      xo
      s

  33. Andrea says

    Last year I painted four ceilings. I did two of them darker than the walls, and the others I just extended the wall color to the ceiling (both bathrooms, both just a version of white). We should really paint the rest of the ceilings, but with an open floor plan (the ceilings never end!!!) it’s not a job I’m looking forward to.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      You’re way ahead of us! Other than Clara’s pink ceiling, our blue planked ceiling in the sunroom, and our new foyer one, we have about 10 others to tackle. It does feel like one of those long projects that you have to chip away at over time (and pretend to ignore sometimes, haha).

      xo
      s

  34. Megan says

    I love the painted ceilings! I would like to paint ours but I have a hard enough time trying to pick the right color for the walls and if I had to throw in a ceiling color I may go into a permanent paint paralysis! On a side note, I was wondering if you guys were going to do any treatments for the side lights beside your door. I have them at my front door although they are full length and in our living room so we need the privacy. Right now there are just white make-shift curtains but I would love bamboo roman shades, unfortunately I’ve not found them close to the size I need anywhere!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would do that frosted film from Home Depot (we’re fans of that stuff, it comes in rolls, is pretty easy to put on, and looks nice and crisp). That way it’s a clean look without sheers or anything to clean, move around, etc. We have some tutorials for applying it in our archives if that helps!

      xo
      s

  35. Michelle says

    Hi Petersiks! When is the absolute latest that you need well wishes for your hospital project? My daughter is stuck at home with Tonsillitis so I thought it would be great to get her to prepare something. However we’ll be posting it from Perth WA so it might take a week to get there. Cheers! Michelle

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re hoping within the next two weeks to receive them, so hopefully that gives you some time! We have two load-in dates, so we’ll check the PO Box each time, and add to it as they come in afterwards as well!

      xo
      s

  36. Nancy says

    Can’t find it now on her blog but pretty sure For The Love of a House has all shiny ceilings. Or at least in the smaller rooms?

    Reply

  37. Mary says

    Hello gorgeous! Love this! Seems you have plenty of natural light to carry a touch darker of a ceiling. Lovely surprise! I am wondering…. I am heading to Colorado and wil stay with my sister in law a few days and would like to do some paint updates for her as she has a disability. Freshen things up ya know!? Anyway, she has oak floors throughout and oak trim that I wish was painted, but it’s what I have to work with! Do you think these same colors would work with that? She has lots of natural light as well. I’d like to do her master bedroom and bathroom, but she unfortunately has some older dated off white countertop tiles and off white laminate cabinets in there as well. You know….. That era! Maybe a bit like your kitchen countertops! Thoughts?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! I think Revere Pewter wold look really pretty! Another one to try would be Quiet Moments. It’s a soft blue-gray tone that’s so pretty with any color – along with almost any sage/celery color (those look great with oak and off-white) so they’re are good options too! Maybe bring a few swatches and just hold them up to see what works (and what she likes?).

      xo
      s

  41. Krista says

    Hello, there. I took a big risk in my “fancy parlor” by recently painting the ceiling BLACK! We have two parlors–one fancy & one family–and the fancy parlor is the first room you walk into in our 113 year old house. We recently took out our dropped ceiling revealing ceiling heights in excess of ten feet–SCORE! I wanted something dramatic and different in this first room so I went with ultra white walls and a black ceiling. Two houses and 7 years ago my husband and I bought a very expensive chandelier for only 10 bucks and have been lugging it around ever since. My fancy parlor was the perfect spot for it. I have a red couch that will go in the room and I plan on using one of the walls as an art gallery wall. When I told people what I was going to do 99% frowned, but now that it’s done everyone is amazed at how awesome it looks. The ceiling looks even higher, now. I can’t wait to get some really dramatic crown molding and a picture rail installed. So glad I went with my gut!!!

    Reply

  42. Susan says

    In our current house, the builder painted all ceilings the same color as the walls. Now we are changing wall colors (and hate to paint ceilings), so are leaving ceiling color mostly as-is. So far, so good. We painted one room SW Ivory Lace, left ceiling SW Copen Blue; love it.
    Having dealt with old tile, old grout and stubborn stains, I feel your pain. I have tried lots of stuff–painting/staining grout worked best. [My experience was that fresh, “clean” color made old/yellowed or faded surfaces seem more “dirty”.] I love what you’re doing and only notice the floor when others comment on it: I almost feel sorry for it at this point. Here’s my thought: Since you’ll probably demo it eventually, why put any more effort into it? I’d get large rugs for the space (like indoor/outdoor seagrass?), keep calm & carry on with stuff that has ‘staying power’.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Susan! I go in phases I think (waging war, losing the war, doing something else, getting a second wind and trying something else, getting frustrated and doing something else, etc). It’s a vicious grout cycle!

      xo
      s

  43. Sarah @ An Inviting Home says

    I’m currently painting our new bathroom ceiling with a flat white but have revere pewter all ready to go on the walls. I love all of the inspiration on Pinterest with that color! I’m going to try the Benjamin Moore matte finish on the walls because a friend told me that you can still clean it. We shall see…

    ~Sarah

    Reply

  44. Jenn says

    I successfully scrubbed my grout with some vinegar, a toothbrush and baking soda. Let the vinegar sit on the grout for 15 minutes and scrub with baking soda on the toothbrush. Worked like a charm.

    The ceiling is beautiful (great color) but I think it makes the foyer look lower. It takes away the height. but thats just me. The house looks great so far! Love the white molding and paneling!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Jenn! I actually tried that recipe on our grout but no dice. I’m not sure if it’s just too old and discolored or that’s just the color (no matter what I try it stays yellowed).

      xo
      s

  46. amy says

    Not to beat a dead horse but, the tile. Seriously this stuff is called La’ awesome tile cleaner. We had tile at my work that the grout was actually black. We used this stuff and it is white again just like it was when it was brand new. Spray it on let it soak for 5 mins and scrub with a bristle brush. It doesn’t smell bad at all. I swear it works, with minimal effort. It is on amazon for $8.

    Reply

  48. paula w says

    Thanks, I though that was probably the case about being bordered all around by molding. OK, back to painting, kids. LOL

    Reply

  50. Kamil says

    I´m following your blog for quite a while now, but for some reason I´ve bever realised your fancy, colourful doors! ;) This is a really good idea to bring some colours to your house…

    Reply

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