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Paint Building a Home Design Dilemma

Coffered ceiling paint color

last year

We are currently building a new house. I really wanted a coffered ceiling and had it added to the living room. My original vision was to accent the squares with a darker color, example picture in comments. But now seeing the room I’m afraid it’s going to make the room feel smaller and closed in. I’m planning the wall color anew gray and my husband thinks we should do the coffer squares the next color down, mega Greige. Should we go lighter on the ceiling to help brighten and open up the room and I’m thinking agreeable gray. Thoughts???

Featured Answer

PRO

Mark Bischak, Architect

last year

Go with the same color white for both the rib and the field. Make the field a mat finish and the ribs a gloss finish.

The "example picture" reminds me of what a fly would see as the fly swatter approaches.

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Comments (31)

kris9780
Original Author
last year
Original color vision
Rachel Lee
last year
What are the rest of the ceilings? I would keep them all the same in connected spaces.
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Shanghaimom and Willow - Here are the answers to your questions: Shanghaimom: Yes - we plan to have a darkish dining table. Haven't decided on the exact color yet - I guess it will somewhat depend on the color of the beams. Willow: The ceilings are 9' high. The light should be good - there will be french doors and 2 windows facing south; and light from the living room coming from the north. I will be buying a new dining room table and am not planning to have a rug in this room (not until my youngest (3 yrs) is a little older. There is no dark wood in any other part of the house. The feeling I am trying to achieve (I think) is old/classic, but new/fresh. I like your idea of keeping them dark and then if it doesn't work, we can always paint them to match the trim later. Couple of other notes/issues: * I am including a drawing of the kitchen. The cabinets will be white/cream inset. The island in the kitchen will be distressed black (Amaretto) with a butcheblock top. The island color was somewhat of a random choice; I didn't want it to be white and distressed black was the only color that my husband and I could agree on. The counter on the perimeter cabinets will be Quartz in Raven (I think). We haven't decided 100% on a wall color, but are leaning towards a warm color red/orange/ color (BM Fire Dance). I know that cool colors would probably work better in this space - but somehow we want to try a warm color. With the wainscoting and the cabinets there will be a lot of what/cream to water the color down. * The other weird thing about the coffered beams is that there are 4 light fixures sticking out of them where the beams cross. So, there is a chandelier (which we will replace) in the middle and then 4 light fixtures wih just bulbs sticking directly out of the beams. I went on the "Old House" forum and was told that these lights are architecturally correct and most people suggested that I leave them as is. While I would like to keep them for the sake of preserving the character of the house, I think they make the ceiling look way to busy - with the coffered ceiling and the chandelier, there is just way too much going on up there. Plus, I don't really want to look at plain lightbulbs and haven't found any type of mini shade/cover that could go on them. The problem is, of course, that if we take out the light fixtures, we will be left with big holes in the beams that will be hard to fix, as well as expensive. This is partly why we had originally planed to paint the beams the same color as the trim... So, as you can see, I have some issues to work out! Let me know what you think I should do. thank you!!
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Other colors I am considering using is Sherwin Williams Rain or Interesting Aqua to offset the agreeable gray, but need to remember the offset room is silver strand, so it needs to somewhat coordinate. The rain or interesting aqua will offer more blue colors rather than the magnetic gray or unusual gray that is pulling too much green, imo.
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IMO the whole point of coffered ceilings is to high light them they are expensive to do so whay not make them a focal point . I would do exactly what the previous owners did Use matte paint for the color and a semii glass for the white for all the trim
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Have you looked at pictures on Houzz of coffered ceilings? There are a lot of examples of different ways to paint them. I have one in my bedroom so I was researching them about six months ago. As Patricia says, it's hard to make a suggestion in a vacuum. Pictures would really help.
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kris9780
Original Author
last year
The rest of the ceilings are white. Only the living room has the coffered.
la_la Girl
last year
I would do white and let the texture make the statement but I dont’t love a lot of contrast/drama in rooms - maybe go with your original vision and then change it if you don’t like it - it’s just paint which is nice

will your lights have the white trim like in the photo?
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
Yes to a lighter color. Unless you have extremely tall ceilings I'm afraid a darker color would tend to visually lower the ceiling.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO the coffered ceiling makes the space feel closed in already so I would just paint it all the same as the rest then after move in and all the furniture is in place you might find the inside of the coffers need to be a different color.
kandrewspa
last year
For me even Anew Gray is too dark. One of my relatives painted her whole house Agreeable Gray and that is plenty dark enough. Unless you're used to this color from your current house, I suggest you do some large samples to make sure Anew Gray won't be too dark on all the walls. A little paint chip doesn't give the same effect as the color on every wall.
cpartist
last year
How tall is the ceiling?
kris9780
Original Author
last year
@mark bischak doing all white was another option I was considering. Wasn’t sure if I should use more then one finish. So thank you for the suggestion. Would the rib be the molding and beam?
kris9780
Original Author
last year
@cpartist 9ft
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
last year
I would go with warm white.
Amy Loves Pink Bathrooms
last year
last modified: last year
Everything should be your trim color. How does this transition to the rest of the living areas? Cased openings? Surely not just that abrupt stop shown.
tracefloyd
last year
last modified: last year
Gray? No.

IMO you can take a perceived negative and play it up and make it wow. Paper the ceiling field in gold leaf/foil wallpaper. White beams.

Not this particular pattern paper but good concept photo. Nicer papers follow.

Nicer papers:

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elcieg
last year
Paint the ceiling of the living room the same white as the ceiling in abutting room. If the beams weren't there would you paint the two ceilings a different color? Of course not.
nhb22
last year
last modified: last year
We used a very light blue in the squares of our coffered 10' ceilings. It changes color in different lighting. The color is SW Sky High 6504.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
How much attention do you want your ceiling to have? I feel a white on white beamed ceiling provides all the attention it needs.
Crepe Myrtle
last year
It all should be the same ceiling color if it's the same space. It's bad enough to not be separated into a separate room and just be hanging down with no rhyme or reason for starting and stopping.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
I'm going to disagree with @Mark Bischak, Architect I'd paint the trim white but paint the rest a saturated color, perhaps something in a gray-green or gray-blue. And no, it won't make the room feel closed in--just cozy.

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Connecticut Yankeeeee
last year
Hmmm… not a pro, but my last home had coffered 12 ft ceilings in LR. I liked the texture to take precedence so I painted same as other ceilings. I think it’s personal taste, really. 9” ceilings are a tad low to do a dramatic ceiling, IMO, but if you love it, go for it.
tracefloyd
last year
@Mark Bischak, Architect I can't get the flyswatter metaphor out of my head dammit!
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
That reminds me of a joke:

What is the last thing that goes through a bee's mind when it hits a car's windshield?
User
last year
I agree with @Mark Bischak, Architect: I feel a white on white beamed ceiling provides all the attention it needs.

There is enough interest there already, and flat white will make that room as bright as possible. Medium/dark colors kill reflected light and really darken a room. I know this from personal experience.
tracefloyd
last year
I don't know, what is the last thing that goes thru a bee's mind when it hits a car's windshield?
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
why not try a lighter color in the squares? I like the dark too, but if you think the room is dark, then why not a soft blue gray or soft green?

I love this look

this one they did the same as the wall color

plain white. yawn.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
last modified: last year
It's stinger.

(at the risk of being banned from Houzz forever)
rsc2a
last year
Our coffers are either the same color as the walls or the same color as the walls in the adjacent room. (In that room we have wallpaper. You can kind of see it in the butler pantry at the back of the second picture.
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
We were in a restaurant last weekend and remarked how nice the atmosphere was. There was dark gray wainscoting on the lower part of the walls with brick above, and a tray ceiling painted black. Contrary to what you might think, the ceiling resembled the dark night sky, and it felt expansive, not closed in. Not sure what it would look like during the day, but it's something to consider.

If you want to draw attention to the ceiling, a darker color in the squares would do that. Painting it all one color, especially white, won't be as dramatic.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
How tall was the ceiling, did you have your tape measure with you?
tracefloyd
last year
Not one like for my dramatic gold leaf? (Mark, sorry I asked lol)
tracefloyd
last year
Okay thank your for your like lol.

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