Home Home Improvement Painting Beautiful Ceiling Paint Colors That Will Make Any Room Look Bigger The right ceiling paint color can trick the eye into thinking you have sky-high ceilings. By Daniel Bortz Daniel Bortz Daniel is a freelance writer and real estate agent. He's been writing about personal finance and real estate for over a decade. Highlights: * Began as an editorial assistant at The Huffington Post * Former personal finance reporter at US News and World Report * Currently a real estate agent with Keller Williams * Freelance writer with a background in personal finance, real estate, home improvement, careers, and weddings Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 12, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Patrick Frost/EyeEm/Getty Images High ceilings may be little more than a pipe dream for many of us, but with the right ceiling paint color and some pro-approved design tricks, you can fool the eye into thinking any room is bigger than its dimensions. Homebuilders today often construct new homes with 9-, 10-, or even 20-foot ceilings, but many older homes were built with lower ceilings. Living in an older home doesn’t necessitate suffering a low, dark ceiling, though—a smart ceiling paint color can help the fifth wall feel lighter and brighter, creating the illusion of a larger living space without breaking the bank. Pro tip: “If the room is small, [a trick] is to paint the room a light neutral color and carry the color up onto the ceiling,” says Karen Gray Plaisted, a home stager and decorator in Warwick, New York. “Painting the ceiling molding the same color as the ceiling will also make the ceiling appear higher,” Plaisted says. Combine this expert paint trick with one of the roof-raising paint colors below, and you'll be amazed how a couple coats of paint can transform your space. 5 Brilliant Places to Add a Pop of Paint 01 of 03 Pale Blue Benjamin Moore Bethany Adams, an interior designer in Louisville, Kentucky, says pale blue is her go-to favorite for rooms with low ceilings. Why? “When we see blue above, we instinctively feel as though we’re outdoors, looking up at the sky, which lends a cramped space a more expansive feel,” she says. Our favorite: Windy Sky by Benjamin Moore RELATED: Why So Many Southern Porches Have Blue Ceilings 02 of 03 Pale Yellow Behr Like pale blue, this unexpected ceiling paint color can make a ceiling appear higher by giving you the illusion that you're outdoors, where there’s plenty of room to breathe. “Pale yellow is a good choice for the ceiling in many rooms because it's a light, bright, neutral hue that works well with many palettes,” says Dan DiClerico,home expert at HomeAdvisor, a remodeling project resource. Our favorite: Pale Daffodil 370A-2 by Behr 03 of 03 Bright White Sherwin-Williams White is the default color for ceilings, and for good reason: A white ceiling adds the illusion of height to any room, says Felipe Navarro, owner of Philippe Luxe, a Los Angeles interior design firm. “It’ll also make the room more modern and crisp,” Navarro adds. Even if you have a bold color or a soft neutral on the walls, stick with a white ceiling to make the room feel taller. Our favorite: Ceiling Bright White by Sherwin-Williams Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit