Painting the Ceiling Darker in a Tall Great Room

Select a color that complements the light hues in the room. The ceiling color should be your room color's opposite on the color wheel. Gather color samples and lay them out in your room. Attach a few of the color samples to the wall to see how they look. No matter what dark color you select, a flat finish for the paint is the best option for the ceiling. You may also get a paint that is specifically made for ceilings because the paint is thicker and holds better to the ceiling.

Clean the ceiling. Remove any cobwebs on the ceiling and in the corners to prepare the ceiling for the paint.

Set up scaffolding or a tall ladder. Reaching the tall ceiling will probably be your greatest challenge in painting. If your ceiling is very high, rent a scaffolding, which is safer than trying to balance and paint on top of a ladder. Whatever you choose, the ladder or scaffolding should be sturdy.

Stick paint-blocking tape around the top of the walls so that the paint doesn't run down the walls.

Cover the floors with a drop cloth. Cover everything in the room, including furniture with drop cloths so that you don't ruin anything as you paint.

Prime the ceiling before you actually paint. Use an extension pole for the paint roller. Priming before you paint with a dark color creates a smooth and consistent finish.

Paint at the edges of the ceiling and work towards the middle. Painting around the edge is more difficult. Climb down from the ladder and move it to where you need it to be when you paint to avoid reaching too far and losing your balance. Apply two coats of paint. Wait at least six hours between the two coats.

Carefully remove the tape after applying the second coat.