I love going into paint stores and looking at their brochures.  Especially the one labelled “Kitchens & Baths.”  Are there such a thing??

Honestly, not really.  We have talked about the skin-flattering tones in the master bathroom, but other than that, all rules are meant to be broken.  I have put every color imaginable in a bathroom or kitchen.

So go wild!

And last but not least… the dining room ceiling…

Why do we paint it dark?  Or use a faux finish?

Because when we are having a dinner party, we like to have a feeling of intimacy.  A dark ceiling can make the space cozier.

So of any room in the house, the dining room ceiling is the most likely candidate for a dark treatment.  Eat up and enjoy!

Here’s the question: do you paint the ceiling the same color as the walls? 

Sadly, there is no right answer to this question.

Paint the ceiling the same as the walls if you:

1. want a more contemporary look
2. have lots of angles and want to highlight the architecture
3. have really low ceilings
4. are painting yourself and don’t want to take the time to tape off the ceiling

Paint the ceilings white if you:

1. are going for a more traditional look
2. want your room to look taller
3. like a contrast between the walls & ceiling
4. are painting yourself and feel like you need to do tons of prep

Paint the ceilings their own separate color if you:

1. are looking to highlight the ceiling
2. want to…

I have to say, I really like the theme week thing.  And what is the theme of this week?

Ceilings.

Today’s class is on how to lower them.  Not literally, just visually.  Sometimes this is a good thing, but sometimes you need all the height you can get.

The number one way to lower your ceiling?  Paint it a dark color.  Or even a dark – er color (not dark, just getting there). 

This can be great if your house family room has a 20′ ceiling and you want it to feel cozier.  I have also used it in tallish bathrooms where I paint the walls white and the ceiling a color just to have a little fun.

Darker ceilings can certainly be interesting and useful – as long as you are using them in a way that is interesting and useful to you!

Picture this: I am remodeling the bathroom in my first house.  I am so excited to make it beautiful.  I chose a charcoal gray tile for the floor, white subway tiles for the shower, a white vanity and a seaglass paint color for the walls.  It was beautiful. 

And then, my dogs walked into the bathroom to check things out.  And all the beauty went away.

Why?  Because the sad fact is: dark floors are absolutely lovely, but…

THEY SHOW EVERYTHING. 

And I mean everything.

This is not a “don’t ever use a super dark floor” post.  This is a “be aware that dark floors show everything” post.  Now you know.