How to paint a ceiling: best way to add contrasting colour to a room and create a perfect border
Precious spare time in July and August is usually reserved for all things outdoors, so DIY chores aren't always top of the agenda.
Worthwhile interiors updates have got to be big impact projects that will leave plenty of time for soaking up the summer rays.
Paint is one of the quickest ways to transform a space, and painting a ceiling is a clever way to add style to your interiors without taking on the entire room.
"Adding colour to the ceiling is a really big thing at the moment," says Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux, "It completely transforms a room and makes it cosy and cocooning."
Paint it straight
- Apply masking tape a few millimetres below the edge where the ceiling meets the wall for a crisp line
- Press the tape down well, then seal the top edge with the wall colour all allow to dry (this will stop the ceiling colour from creeping under the tape)
- Paint over the top with your ceiling colour and allow to dry
- Remove the tape to reveal a perfect, straight line between colours
"It's a simple job that anyone can do but one thing that puts many people off is not being able to get a really clean, straight, professional line between colours because no ceiling is ever perfect," she adds.
Before you commit, it pays to put in some groundwork. You will need to move or cover the furniture in the room and cover your flooring.
Watch our video, above, for top tips on painting a coloured band - or ceiling - and getting a perfect, straight line.
The key tools you need to prep your room for a weekend of painting
Make an impact with colour
As well as adding warmth to a room, putting colour on the ceiling will accentuate your other fittings so it's worth investing in a statement chandelier or wall lights.
“Lighting really helps to create an impressive wow factor and bold design statement,” say interior designers Nicola Keenan and Nicola Lindsell, co-founders of Boxx Creative design studio. “Lighting fixtures, such as a clear glass chandelier or light-coloured fabric or metal pendant light, look far better against a coloured ceiling as they stand out more than on a white ceiling.”
If you go bold with your ceiling, use fun bursts of colour in your soft furnishings and furniture choices to tie the room together.
Key accessories to add a splash of colour to your living space
“Use pops of lighter or brighter accents colours [elsewhere in the room] to break up the scheme and provide visual interest,” adds Keenan, “It’s a good idea to play with patterns and textures.”
Ceilings can be a good starting point for a total room redesign: prep your space, choose your colour, get painting and tie in stylish accent pieces to match.
When styling a room, "Walls and furniture are the first layer," says award-winning design writer Barbara Chandler, "Then add colour splashes and texture contrasts – antique wood and white ceramic, say, or brass and basketware, or velvet and chrome."
Scroll through our gallery below for key accessories to dot throughout your space to tie in with bold painted ceiling projects...