Paint Ideas for a Vaulted Ceiling Kitchen

Choose a Color Palette

• Painting starts with a color palette. Choose colors that go with existing elements, such as your counter tops, cabinets and flooring. Bear in mind that most kitchens don't have a lot of wall space because it's largely taken up with cabinets, windows and doorways, so you can choose deep or strong colors without overwhelming the room.

  Pick a shade from the counter tops, or bring in a color from an adjacent room to pull the space together. If the kitchen opens to a family room with deep red upholstery, you could paint the kitchen walls deep red.

  Kitchens with vaulted ceilings tend to be large and airy by nature, making it even easier to get away with vivid colors. If your style is more understated, choose classic colors like warm beige, light brown, soft green or gray.

Your Fifth Wall

• Rosanne Dunkelberger, editor of Tallahassee Magazine, stresses that the ceiling can be many different colors other than white; this goes doubly for a vaulted ceiling.

  To bring down a large expanse of high ceiling and make the room feel cozier, paint it a lighter shade of the wall color, or a complementary color. For instance, if you have deep red kitchen walls, paint the ceiling a honey beige to echo the floor or wood cabinets. If your decorating taste tends to the dramatic, consider a deep color for a vaulted kitchen ceiling, such as navy or rich dark brown.

Accent Walls

• Instead of painting the entire kitchen a vibrant color, you can introduce a splash of color with an accent wall. Choose a wall that has an interesting shape, or that frames a feature. This could be the wall around a bay window, or a transition wall between the kitchen and dining or family room. Paint it a deep shade of the lighter wall color, or a complementary color to match another design element.

Faux Painting

• Some faux or decorative painting techniques, such as stripes or sponging, can look a bit too "busy" in a kitchen, which already has a lot of elements. However, a subtle faux effect like glazing or a Venetian plaster look can impart a warm, rustic glow to your kitchen, especially when paired with earth tones in terracotta, gold and green.

Paint Sheen

• You no longer have to choose semi-gloss paint for a kitchen. While glossier paint is easy to clean, it can reflect glare, especially if you have ceiling spotlights. There are now satin and washable flat (also called matte) paints on the market that have a softer finish, yet are durable and scrubbable. A softer finish also will help set off varnished wood cabinets.