Perhaps if you post a wide view someone could photoshop a painted ceiling. I'd be a little worried about how the paint would adhere to the matte poly. Do you have extra tiles you can use for experimentation?

I can just leave it but it will continue to oxidize so maybe i will try another polyurethane coating. The kitchen is in a state of flux presently.

I am taking off a section of uppers we no longer need and the walls are in need of skim coating and then repainting. I will hopefully have finished pictures in a few weeks.

Dee no extra tiles, it was in before I moved in. I assumed it would need a primer after stripping the poly off pre painting. Likely hiring this out. This is an inspiration picture of a painted ceiling my kitchen is a fraction of this kitchen’s size

Bad BM photoshop of white ceiling

If just looking at the tiles, I like the patina. But looking at it in your room, I think a white ceiling would elevate the look and my spirits (if it were mine).

I wouldn't hesitate to paint your tin tiles white. ♥ I'm holding onto tin tiles that are painted black, left over from a commercial remodel/free....for a back splash or ceiling some day. :0)

This would be a tough decision for me. I like it silver, but like how white looks, too. Another one:

In conclusion, I’m no help. 😬

An option is to finish the rest of the kitchen work and wait a year and if the oxidation is worse than strip, clean and paint if damage is too much worse ;)

I wonder if you'd really have to strip them - a good bonding primer would probably be enough since this is not a touched surface. I'm with olychick on the impact painting it white would have on the feel of the space and my feelings if I were walking in every morning for coffee.

If they are not original I would absolutely paint them. A white ceiling would lighten up the kitchen considersbly.

I like your ceiling. I think I'd do as you suggested, do the work, wait and see how they look. Natural lighting would be a consideration for me. I can't tell from your picture how much natural light you get in there. If your room needs to be lightened up, I would consider painting the ceiling tiles.

I love the white tin ceiling- might have to steal this idea!

Tin ceilings were almost always painted because they weren't supposed to look like tin they were supposed to look like ornamental plaster. Although they really didn't replicate that very accurately.

from far away these are gorgeous, but not close up. normally I like the look of an aged tin ceiling, but this just has the appearance of plain old rust. I'd paint them! your kitchen will be so much brighter too.

I always end up in dilemma's like this with wood that is dark stained such as my kitchen cabinets etc. I really like light and bright and always end up not painting things. However the few times that I do I always end up loving it. It always feel so much brighter and better that I've decided from now on I will just go for it so my vote would be to paint it. I've decided to always ask myself do I really love it as is and if not then just go for it. Life is too short (guess I'm getting to the point where this is becoming more of a reality than it used to be)

As I understand it, tin ceilings are only tin plated. Tin is resistant to rust, which is why cans used to be tin plated also, but tin is actually a rather expensive metal. If the tin plating wears off, then the base metal could corrode/rust.

Tin used to be more plentiful, but it is only found in certain areas of the world. Aluminum foil used to be tin foil, but tin foil has not been available for quite some time, at least from what I have seen. In fact, I never heard the term tin foil until I visited the East Coast - for me, it was always aluminum foil, but some people still call aluminum foil "tin foil," which is confusing.

I do have some cookware that is tin plated, but that is not common anymore either.

My father's store, built in 1901 had a tin ceiling, and that was painted.

I used to use a plating company that would tin plate items, and this was the only plating company I knew that did tin plating, and it was very beautiful. However, for furniture, people did not like the sound of "tin" as a finish, despite tin being somewhat rare and expensive. People just thought it sounded cheap. However, it is a good substitute for silver, since it is lighter than stainless steel, but then it is also lighter than silver.

If the plating is wearing off from you ceiling, then painting it is a good idea.