Paint Colors for Cathedral Ceilings

White

• White ceilings open up spaces with low ceilings. However, rooms with cathedral ceilings already have a voluminous feeling because of their height. Cathedral ceilings often have skylights punctuating their surfaces, adding to the lofty, light effect. There are many white tones, and depending on the color scheme and intended use for the space, white may be the perfect solution. For a warm effect, choose a warm white, and for a cool, clean effect, a cooler tone will be a good choice. Simply adding a tiny amount of the wall color to the white ceiling paint results in color unity. Grayer versions of white soften the brightness, while brilliant versions of white dramatize the lightness.

The Wall Color

• To unify the space in a cocoon of color, paint the ceiling the same color as the walls. This approach reduces the impact of the volume of the space and creates a sense of security and harmony. The selected color must be a lighter tone, so that the color does not become weighty and oppressive.

A Wall Color Tint

• Using a tint of the wall color on a cathedral ceiling will create unity and harmony in the space. Tints are formed by adding small amounts of white pigment to the paint color until the desired lightness results. The effect of a slightly lighter tone of the wall color on the ceiling is pleasing to the eye, yet offers some color variety to the space.

An Analogous Color Tint

• Analogous colors are friendly colors, and appear next to each other on the color wheel. For yellow, the analogous colors are greens and oranges; for blue, the analogous colors are greens and violets; for red, the analogous colors are oranges and violets. A tint of an analogous color to the wall color produces a harmonious effect, and rewards the eyes looking upward with visual harmony.