Distressed tin ceiling - paint or leave as is?

14 years ago

We are painting the bedroom level in our house and the painters have chipped away the many old layers of paint from an original tin ceiling in one large bedroom. It looks very distressed and funky to me, and we'd keep it exactly as you see it here (white chips of paint and all) if we decide not to paint:

However, my husband is....less sure, to say the very least. He thinks the aging of the ceiling looks too varied and its darkness will suck too much light from the (south-facing, sunny) room. Ceiling is nine feet high.

Two questions for you decorators:

1 - would you paint or leave as is? This is a guest bedroom/exercise room and the furniture is eclectic - some antiques, some modern.

2 - if we paint, we were thinking either cream (using BM White Dove on two other ceilings) or the lightest green on the fan-deck card that has the wall and trim colors. Walls are BM Pear Green, trim is BM Wales Green. The lightest green would be Seahorse.

Thanks in advance for looking - any advice appreciated.

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Comments (12)

parma42
14 years ago
OMG, what a beautiful treasure to uncover.

My vote...as is.
igloochic
14 years ago
I'd post this question on the old house threads (in the home forums as well...click on "other forums" and you'll find it in the list). The reason being...It might work to leave it as it is (and I adore it) but you may have to treat it with something to keep it looking as it is (if that's what you want).

You could also remove it...and give it to me LOL It's fabulous!
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pbrisjar
14 years ago
That's gorgeous. Another vote for leaving it as-is.
zeebee
Original Author
14 years ago
Hadn't even thought about an x-post - good idea.

Thanks for the compliments, Parma and Igloo. I love it as is. It's been covered in about 20 layers of paint forever, so that's a good point that we might get more patina now that's it's uncovered....
Robbi D.
14 years ago
Can I be in line behind igloochic? I LOVE that ceiling! I want a tin ceiling in our basement so bad...... It is beautiful and I'd leave it at is. What an awesome find :-)
justgotabme
14 years ago
It's beautiful as is, but my only concern would be is that lead paint? Did the painters check before removing it?
I'm thinking I'd want to seal it just incase. igloochic has a good point about cross posting to get more informed information.
zeebee
Original Author
14 years ago
Justgotab, I'm sure there was some lead paint in there - 1890 house, painted many many times since it was built. I know when the prior owner stripped woodwork, she found milk paint at the base.

Painters did not check specifically for lead but did close off the room, wear masks, chip the paint off with chisels (no sanders) and power-vacuum all the debris.

I'm x-posting over at Old Houses on a sealer and might post on the This Old House site if no one at GW knows about sealers.
allison0704
14 years ago
As is and seal if someone else that knows about tin ceilings says you should, but not shiny.
zeebee
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for everyone's feedback. My husband and I have really locked horns on this one, and I'm glad I'm not alone in seeing the beauty of the ceiling as is.
dilly_dally
14 years ago
Let me add the vote to leave it as it is now. It is beautiful.

Remember, you can always paint it "later" if you find there is a reason you can't live with it. If you paint it white now and regret it later, it is going to be a lot harder to bring it back to the bare tin.
User
14 years ago
As Allison said seal but with something non shiny. I love it...would like to see the whole room ,..please...other pics of the house .. we have an 1890 too and I love to see other ones from that era. What a fabulous find. c
tomatotomata
14 years ago
Wow! When I do any remodeling, all I ever uncover is asbestos :)

Keep it, keep it, keep it!

Distressed tin ceiling - paint or leave as is?

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Distressed tin ceiling - paint or leave as is?

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