Can You Have a Black Ceiling? – One Room Challenge Spring 2021 Week 5

If you’ve ever considered painting one of the ceilings in your home black, then you likely have a little hesitation along with A LOT of questions. Find out what a black ceiling can do for a room, and if it’s the right design choice for you.

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This post is part of the Better Homes and Gardens One Room Challenge Series for Spring. You can read all about the progress of our Dining Room Makeover in the updates below!

• Week 1: Dining Room Design Plan
• Week 2: How to add Picture Frame Molding to Walls
• Weeks 3 & 4: We’ll chalk that up to pregnancy fatigue. 🙂

Do ceilings have to be white?

Gone are the days of plain white flat ceilings in every room of the home. Today’s design trends are leaning towards big and bold in the ways of color, texture and even pattern.

Updating your ceiling could be the one design choice that ties a room together and provides that missing touch.

Today, more and more homeowners are opting to ditch the boring white ceilings in favor of something more colorful, playful and even dramatic. Everything from wallpaper to bead board, wood beams, planks and more are making a statement now.

We actually made the decision to install some gorgeous rustic wood planks in our dining room’s tray ceiling a few years back. It’s still a conversation piece for everyone that visits our home.

why paint your ceiling black?

If you’re on the fence about diving into this design trend, then there’s a few things you should consider to determine if painting your ceiling black is the right choice for your room.

1. Are you open to the idea of being daring with paint? Remember, it IS only paint. Which means if you don’t like it, you can easily go back and change it in an afternoon.
2. Is everything in your home neutral? Decorating with neutrals is an easy way to make your home feel cohesive, but it can get a bit boring without some additional design elements. If this is you, then a black ceiling could be just what you need to elevate the look of a room.
3. Is the majority of your closet comprised of little black dresses or black clothing? Okay, this last point is less related to design and more to personal taste, but just go with me here. If you’re a lover of this classic color in your closet, then chances are you won’t regret adding it in your home.

what effect does a black ceiling have?

So you’re considering going for it, but now you have all the questions and you’d like to see some inspiration before you take the plunge, am I right?

Say no more friend! I’m beyond excited to show you how our black painted ceiling turned out, and answer all of your burning questions!

Aside from adding some major drama to a room. Black ceilings can instantly make a space feel more refined and luxurious due to its sophisticated color. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at our before and after.

Does a black ceiling make a room look bigger or smaller?

This is a legitimate question that a lot of people are concerned with when they think about painting their ceiling a darker color. The design myth that’s been going around for as long as I can remember is that dark paint colors tend to make rooms appear smaller.

But this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

When designed right, and paired with lighter colors and textures to balance out the contrast of the room, a black painted ceiling can make a room appear larger. When the eye is drawn up to notice such a bold statement, it can give the illusion that walls are taller than they actually are.

how to paint a black ceiling

While painting a ceiling is really no different than the techniques used to paint a traditional wall, there are a few key elements to keep in mind when working with such a dark color.

1. It’s typically best to opt for the lowest paint sheen possible when painting a ceiling black or any other dark color. Flat paint is the most forgiving and does a wonderful job in concealing flaws and imperfections in your ceiling’s texture.
2. There are of course exceptions to this, especially when painting over materials that aren’t drywall. We actually opted for a satin finish on our planked ceiling due to needing an added sheen to showcase, rather than hide the rustic texture.
3. Don’t waste time. Dark paint can be less forgiving for roller and brush marks, so you’ll want to work quickly in blending these when cutting in around walls and rolling your ceiling.

black ceiling paint

The array of black paint color options on the market are endless, but that doesn’t mean that all black paints are alike. Just like every shade of white can be different with various undertones, black can also pull in different shades depending on the lighting and surrounding furniture or accent pieces.

Earlier last year, we made the leap into painting all of our interior doors black. It made such a dramatic difference in the feel of our home. But I quickly noticed that my very favorite black paint color, Cheating Heart by Benjamin Moore, pulled just a bit of navy blue dark grey in certain lighting.

I was still in love with this dark moody shade of black paint though, and decided to pull it into the design of our black ceiling. Funny enough, I can’t detect a hint of anything but black on these gorgeous planks, but I would strongly encourage you to sample your paint colors with your corresponding fixtures and furnishings before you commit.

our black ceiling with white walls

I will be the first to admit that I was super hesitant to paint over our already gorgeous planked ceiling, but I also knew that this one change was going to help me tie this entire design plan together.

The result? I could not be happier!!!! Take a peek at a few more photos below of this amazing ceiling, and drop me a comment below to let me know what you think, I love hearing from you and answering your questions!

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