I painted the beadboard ceiling in my kitchen using oil-based paint. I absolutely love the sheen! I would definitely go high-gloss or oil-based if you can!!

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen

Gigi, I'm sold! Your kitchen is lovely. And, I love the reflection on the ceiling. Did you use oil paint as well? I don't think I've seen pictures of your kitchen? What kind of range is that? Sorry to go off topic, but I love the two tones, everything I see in that picture.

aokat15! YES! It was your kitchen I saw that made me want them. Is your ceiling painted the same color as the cabinets? China White? I love your kitchen. It's just awesome!

Thanks, I'm definitely going for it. Just have to decide on oil or not.

Just remember if you use oil (in white)it is going to yellow in a few years. Ask me how I know!!! Also SW has a higher gloss than most any other paint stores so if you want really shinny, go with SW paint.

Also remember that the higher the gloss, the greater you will see imperfections in the surface.

Susie,
I did not use oil based paint, just regular semi-gloss. You will definitely see imperfections even with new sheetrock, but I didn't mind. Range is Lacanche Sully, which I love! As soon as I get an island and pulls, etc. I will post some finished photos, should be around this time next year at the rate I'm going.

Gigi, is your ceiling smooth or does it have a light texture?

I did my ceiling in high gloss black. The very experienced painter let me down. He was convinced that it was ok to get 2 coats done in one day. Really wasn't the overall look I wanted, too many roller marks. Plus his crew used cheap rollers. I think it should have been sprayed, fwiw.

Go for it.

Love the black ceiling - very dramatic!

Just a couple questions/comments about high gloss on ceilings:
1. Should I consider painting the beadboard in my porch ceiling high gloss as well?
2.Is house exterior trim usually semi gloss?
3. Painters accidentally painted a hallway ceiling in semi gloss. The color was BM shale, which I used on my stair risers in semi gloss (love it). When I saw the semi gloss on the hall ceiling, it looked terrible. very dark. They redid it in eggshell and it looks great.
4. I would consider painting my kitchen ceilings a gloss - but only in white. There will be no texture or beadboard on the ceiling, just a plain 7.5' ceiling with recessed lights and pendants. Would you recommend for, or against, a white gloss on a plain, low ceiling?
thanks!

Bee, love your black ceiling! Looks great to me, but I know you see more in person.

I'm going to go with the latex high gloss because of what caminnc said about it yellowing. I have latex painted walls and oil painted crown in my house right now and I can see a big difference. Don't think I want that look in the pantry.

Gigi_4321 can't wait to see your kitchen! I spotted that Lacanche right off! Mine is a Cluny 1400.

Phylhl, I hadn't thought of it making a difference in lower ceilings. Mine are 8'. I would think it would actually help. But what do I know?

Bee -- is your ceiling smooth -- no texture? That is very dramatic. I might have tried it in one room but not sure I could have done it in the common areas, but I love the way the light fixture looks like a full moon against a dark sky. Wouldn't have been at all the same with a white ceiling.

Hate to puncture the consensus, but: There's a reason most people don't paint ceilings in high gloss. It's oppressive, uncomfortable, reminiscent of a damp cave, and makes most people run for the Lysol and asthma medication. It takes a ceiling from something you rarely notice, thus giving you the feeling of open space above you, to something that you are afraid will give you a pulmonary disease while simultaneously crushing you. If I were wrong, asking for ceiling paint would give you high gloss.

I am not talking about dramatic, carefully thought-out choices (black takes gloss well) or maybe not even pantries, since those are confined little spaces. I'm just talking about general reality.

lascatx, my ceilings are smooth
Susie, yay for lacanches! I have to admit, I'm biting my nails waiting to see how your kitchen turns out, it's a bit of a difficult floor plan, but I'm sure you will make it work for you.
marcolo, quit being a debbie downer, I always figure that if something isn't common, the reason is the trend setters haven't done it yet. I think you will begin seeing a lot of high gloss ceilings soon.
Bee, ugh, now I want a black ceiling!
thinking about paint in the kitchen, most people paint semi gloss on the walls, but do they do semi gloss on the ceiling also? Hmmm...

We have a mix in our house. The bathroom ceiling (beadboard), pantry (flat), and my daughters' bedroom have semi-gloss white, I love it. Very easy to wipe down and spider webs don't cling like they do to the flat ceilings in the house. The kitchen has flat as of right now, but I'm really thinking I might do semi gloss in there as well. It reflects light well and those rooms look brighter in my opinion, even with darker colors on the walls, and tiny windows. These are also the lowest ceilings in the house.

I have never heard of doing a ceiling in anything but flat. This sounds really interesting.

Does anyone have any more photos? In satin or semi-gloss?

You WILL see every nail pop, drywall seam, gouge mark, and roller mark with a gloss paint. There is no way around it, experienced painter or not. It's not a function of the painter, it's a function of the paint, and more importantly the prep work behind the paint. A surface has to be 100% flat, and it helps if it's sprayed. You can do a short nap roller with Floetrol added to the paint, but that doesn't work as well on a ceiling as it does a vertical surface. Gravity just works against you with the paint "settling out". Over time, ceilings usually also develop a very slight droop between the joists where they are fastened. That slight droop isn't that noticeable when the surface is non reflective, but just increase it's reflectivity and you'll spot it immediately.

It's exceedingly rare to have a ceiling so flat and smooth that you won't notice all of these issues when painted in even a semi gloss finish. And if your ceiling isn't perfect, getting it that way will cost a lot of extra time or money. It may not even be possible at all in some cases.

marcolo, quit being a debbie downer

No need to name call. We were all asked our opinions--it doesn't mean yours is important and mine is to be dismissed.

Do you speak from any experience? I do. Our house had a gloss LR ceiling painted by the PO. Everyone at the open house, including realtors, remarked on it. "What were they thinking? What's wrong with that ceiling? Is there a moisture problem?" Too bad the sellers never heard that criticism before they put the house on the market.

My ceiling was sprayed with the oil-based paint so I don't have any issues in terms of roller marks, etc. My ceiling color is BM Ceiling White. My cabinets and trim throughout our house are BM China White.

I grew up in a house with oil-based white trim and had oil-based white trim in my last house and have never seen the yellowing that was noted earlier...

Good luck!

I don't think there's as much of an issue with roller marks or even brush marks when you are painting beadboard, which is the OP's question. A wooden ceiling is a different animal entirely, and brush marks actually cost you extra these days if you want them on your cabinets. I was speaking about the rush to spread a tidal wave of semigloss on drywall, which is not a good idea if you are not willing to do the prep.

I've seen ceilings that were actually lacquered to a mirror finish. The effect was phenomenal, and so was the price tag. Blobbing on a can of semi on typical drywall is not in the same ballpark.

From the paint forum

Another high gloss ceiling.

Gloss, no gloss, whatever, I love the yellow ceiling!
S