Yes, we paint our ceilings (or were painted by someone previously). I've never seen ceilings that weren't painted (excluding non-drywall ceilings, like tin ceilings, etc.) If people didn't paint drywall ceilings, the ceiling would just be bare drywall or bare texture. I don't think anyone leaves them bare. Same goes for inside skylights.

We've always had ceilings that are white or something similarly neutral. (Even where the walls are a non-white color.) I seem to remember tons of threads about whether people use paint on the ceiling that matches the walls vs. white paint. Personally, I like the airiness of white ceilings AND I don't want to have to repaint the ceiling if we change the wall color.

Some of my rooms have molding, some don't. I don't think molding is a requirement to paint a ceiling. That means there's often a color change at the corner, but I don't think that looks bad (I think it's very common).

Hello!

We recently painted our ceilings a 1/4 tint of the color we used on the walls. I loved the effect. Especially if you have molding or interesting beams-it really brings these elements out. I think it gives a room more richness. But I think you need to be careful with the colors. We used a cream/tan which looked good at 1/4. If you did a red, lets say at 1/4 it would probably look pink;)

I think all ceilings should be painted if they are plaster or drywall. They will stay cleaner that way, especially in the kitchen. Painting ceiling will make it look more "finished" than leaving them bare. Often times with new construction, ceilings and closets were not painted to "save money".

My parents home (formerly the grandparent's home) did not have the closets or linen closets painted when it was built - in 1921. By the time they got around to painting them in the '90s, the bare plaster had grabbed so much city soot that it was difficult to get paint to take well.

I would at least put down a coat of primer on your ceilings. It will be worth it down the road to not have to worry about cooking grease, cig smoke, dirt and soot soaking into the unpainted ceiling making it impossible to wash too.

If your ceiling has those older acoustical tiles you could paint them, but realize that you would lose the acoustical value that they provide. Tin ceilings and other decorative ceiling styles can be painted, and it is just a personal preferance if you like them painted or not.

Whether you paint your ceiling white, off-white, a percentage of the wall color, or even a completely different color depends on the room. Posting pictures would help if you are looking for advice on what color you should go with.

Yup, we paint our ceilings too. I usually either add some of the wall color to white, or get the ceiling paint mixed a couple shades lighter than the wall color and it looks really good.

I wonder if the OP is talking about using a color on the ceiling other than white? Mine are all white but that's because they have a knock down texture. Believe me, I don't want to call attention to those babies.

OP asked a good question about painting inside the skylights. I have no idea!

I believe the OP is starting with a white ceiling and is questioning whether to change it.

Personally, I like white ceilings. But, yes, I would paint the vaulted area up to the skylight the same color as the ceiling.

The downside to painting a ceiling is that it is more difficult and tiring and messy to paint than the walls.

If the ceiling is to be a different color than the walls, paint the ceiling first. Then give it plenty of time to dry AND CURE if you plan to use painters tape at the edge for a different color on the walls.

I personally love to paint but not ceilings. We hired someone to paint just the ceilings, white. They were a lighter grey than the walls, it was depressing. I like to change wall colors every few years and would not like to think about changing the ceiling color as well. You don't need moulding to paint the ceiling, just tape it off or have a steady hand.Yes, I would paint into the skylight. You don't have to paint all of the ceilings in all of the rooms if you don't want to, unless, of course, they share the same ceiling. There was a thread about painting ceilings, try a search on here or on the paint forum.

I'm sorry I was unclear.....yes, I meant do you paint your ceilings a color other than white. Off course it would be silly to have dry wall up there! : ) I was going to ignore them and not include them with the wall colors I'm choosing (it's an older house 1950s and they are in great condition-painted white). I think i'm just going to ignore them!

Thank you for all of your posts, esp re: skylights for future reference!

I paint almost all ceilings white, but if possible I repaint them whenever I paint the walls.

First, a room looks more finished and complete if everything is freshly painted, including the ceiling and trim. If you are only painting the walls to change the color, this may not matter, but if the whole room looks a bit tired, it helps to paint the ceiling (even though I agree that painting ceilings is a pain).

Second, I like to coordinate the white of the ceiling with the wall color, the ceilings in other rooms, or both. I never use "ceiling white," and usually I choose a shade of white specifically for the room - typically one that leans very slightly toward the wall color. (If the walls are white or near-to-white I use the same white on the ceiling.) However, in my current house, I will probably paint all the ceilings and trim (except in the Cashmere White room) SW Dover White.