How to Paint Your Ceiling to Make It Feel Higher

Buy a ceiling paint with a gloss factor that is designed specifically for ceilings. Ceiling paint is thicker and will better mask any imperfections and cover the previous paint color. Semi- or full-gloss paint, as well as satin paint, offers a reflective sheen. Sheen lets the light bounce off your ceiling, which makes the ceiling seem higher than it actually is.

Select a light paint color. Bright light shades, such as white, give the illusion of more space. If you paint the ceiling a dark color, attention is called to the ceiling and the room will feel even smaller that it already is. A light paint choice heightens the visual field, and shifts the natural focus of your eyes to the wall color.

Paint the trim, or crown molding, at the top of your wall a color that is contrasting to the ceiling color. Choosing a darker color for the trim draws the eye slightly below the actual ceiling, distracting from the fact that the ceiling is lower than you'd like. If you don't have a structural trim, create one with a stripe of paint that goes around the top of the wall. Put a strip of painter's tape all the way around the room's wall approximately 3 inches down from the ceiling. Paint the wall above the tape to create the effect of trim.