How to Give the Illusion of Depth to a Ceiling

Prepare the room for painting. Remove or cover any furniture in the room. Place drop cloths on the floor and run them a ways up the walls to provide a total layer of protection for the floors. Tape off the wall and ceiling seams to avoid getting ceiling paint on the walls.

Paint the ceiling a slightly different color than the walls. Go one shade darker or lighter to give the illusion of depth. For example, if the walls are ivory, paint the ceiling a light tan color. If the walls are a dark blue, paint the ceiling a light pastel blue color. Apply at least one coat and let it dry for four to six hours.

Remove the painter's tape. You will need to remove the painter's tape right after the paint dries or else the tape may stick. Gently peel it away from the seam of the wall and ceiling. If you have any touch-ups that need to be done, do them now.

Add crown moulding to the top of the walls. Crown moulding draws the eye up and gives the appearance of greater height to the ceiling. Use a trim color that is different from the walls. For example, with brown walls, use ivory trim. For blue walls, use white trim. Attach the moulding with a nail gun and trim nails that are color-matched to the moulding.

Alternatively, if you don't want to install crown moulding, you can apply a wallpaper border to the top of the walls. Stay away from overly busy prints and choose a simple pattern that will draw the eye upward. The same color rules apply; for neutral or warm-colored walls, use a lighter, neutral border. For cool toned walls, use a border that is predominantly white.