Why you should paint your ceiling
Often referred to as the ‘Fifth Wall,’ painting your ceilings can be an interesting way of incorporating bright or bold colours, expanding a space or creating a focal point in your home.
Read on to find out more about the different ways you can paint your ceiling, to add an extra element of design to your interiors.
Left - Wall: Sweet Nothing, Hessian, Ceilings: Dijon by @therowe
Right - Ceilings: Cafe Luxe by @bykirstylou
Dark and cosy
Painting your ceiling a dark, dramatic shade of black can either make a room feel bigger or smaller depending on how you style it. If you have décor that leads the eye upwards, such as tall bookcases, vases and plants, this can make the room appear larger by illuding to infinite ceilings. However, if you paint your walls a light shade, dark colours will lower your ceiling for a more intimate feel that’s perfect for creating a cosy, cocooning vibe.
Create a striking contrast by pairing a blue-toned, Black Sand ceiling with soft off-white Steamed Milk walls. The shades are dramatically different but maintain an element of cohesion with matching cool undertones.
This gentle, pared-back bedroom pairs delicate off-white Still with earthy green-brown Grounded, and pulls the darker ceiling colour down to the picture rail in order to enhance the cocooning effect.
Left - Wall: Steamed Milk, Ceilings: Black Sand by @thatsurreylongdrive
Right - Wall: Still, Ceilings: Grounded by @another_1930s_adventure
Light and airy
Painting the ‘lower half’ of your walls a dark colour, while painting the ‘upper half’ of walls and ceilings a light colour, instantly adds interest without drenching the room. Dividing the room horizontally will make rooms appear wider, for a light and spacious look—even with an intense colour on part of your wall.
Perfect for rooms with low ceilings, this smaller bathroom is instantly expanded with smoky blue-green panels in Deep Sea, contrasted with cream-toned Chalk White on the upper walls and ceilings.
Create a similar effect by painting walls and ceilings off-white Moonstone, and wall panels dusky green Serenity, for a cohesive look with matching grey undertones. Painting walls and ceilings the same colour can also expand the space, especially if it’s a lighter shade.
Left - Wall & Ceilings: Chalk White, Panelling: Deep Sea by @thehouseroundthecorner
Right - Wall & Ceilings: Moonstone, Panelling: Serenity by @coorie_renovations
Bright and playful
Painting your ceilings is also a great way of incorporating a brighter, bolder colour for added interest that maintains a room’s spaciousness.
This bedroom is cleverly divided into three sections for a powerful sense of depth. The rich mustard yellow Dijon on the ceilings, and uppermost stripe of the wall, is the perfect antidote to the cool, pink-toned white Sweet Nothing, before finishing with a final stripe of earthy beige Hessian to ground the look.
For a statement look, this vibrant kitchen pairs two complementary shades together, softening the bright lilac Violet Macaroon with muted mint Leaplish on the ceilings, walls and skirting boards.
Left - Wall: Sweet Nothing, Hessian, Ceilings: Dijon by @therowe
Right - Ceiling: Leaplish, Cupboards: Violet Macaroon, Tiles: My Husband Said No by @thiscolourfulnest
With a wide range of wall paints to suit every room and budget, it’s never been easier to paint your ‘Fifth Wall. Expand your interior spaces with light coloured ceilings, or add a little pizazz to more subdued rooms with a bold shade up top.
Looking for more design inspo? Check out the latest trending colours for 2025 to get those creative juices flowing.
Left: Ceilings: Serenity, Panels: Quarry Lime by @wildinthewolds
Right: Doors and trims: Leaplish, Ceiling: Coral, Walls: Clotted Cream by @elliegooder