Pros & Cons Of Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls

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Last updated on February 28th, 2024 at 11:25 am

Wondering if you need to should paint the ceiling the same color as the walls? Well, look no further because I have your answer!

Ceilings are commonly painted a flat, bright white to hide imperfections, make the room feel larger, and help the ceiling blend into the background of the room. If you want the walls to also be a flat, bright white then the ceiling and walls can be painted the same color. But if any other color or sheen will be used on the walls, then it is not recommended to paint them the same color.

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s break into the details a little further so you can choose a paint color for your ceiling and walls with ease.

Let’s dive in!

Quick Navigation: Pros & Cons Of Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls

1. Can Create A Seamless Effect / Can Make The Room Appear Bigger
2. Can Save Money
3. Can Make Painting Easier
4. The Room Can Feel Boring
5. Bright Or Dark Colors On The Ceiling Make The Room Feel Small
6. Final Verdict: Should You Paint Your Ceilings And Walls The Same Color
7. Other FAQs About Painting Ceilings
8. Final Thoughts

Pros Of Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls	Cons Of Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls
Creates a seamless effect / can make the room feel larger (if using white paint)	Can make the room feel boring
Can save money (if using the same sheen)	Can make the room feel small (if using dark/colorful paint)
Can make painting easier (if using the same sheen)

Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls Can Create A Seamless Effect / Can Make The Room Appear Bigger

The first potential benefit of painting your ceiling and walls the same color is that it can make the room have a seamless look.

As we go through the pros and the cons, you will notice that whether something is considered a pro or a con will be highly dependent on the height of your ceiling, the sheen you are planning on using, and the color of paint you are wanting to use.

For Those Using Bold/Dark Paint

The one fluid color between the walls and ceiling can help draw the eyes upward and create drama in a room (especially if the paint color is a bold color like navy blue or olive green or a darker gray).

However, for smaller houses with lower ceilings, this seamless effect can make the room feel much smaller and the ceiling much lower than it actually is.

So, for most homes with a color other than white being used, painting the ceiling the same color as the walls will detract from the dramatic, moody, and seamless effect you are trying to create.

For Those Using White Paint

If you are using white paint on your walls, then making the ceiling the same color has the opposite effect.

It will help the room appear much larger and the ceiling much taller regardless of the height of your ceilings.

Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls Can Save Money

The next potential benefit of painting your ceiling and walls the same color is that it can save you money.

If the paint you chose for your walls is flat and white, then painting the same paint on the ceiling can save money because you won’t need a different kind of paint.

There are some general rules of thumb when it comes to the paint sheen you need to consider before making that decision, though.

Can I Use The Same Paint On Ceilings & Walls?

Ceilings benefit greatly from flat sheen paint because it hides imperfections, minimizes glare, and helps them blend into the background of the room.

And the ceiling is never touched so you don’t have to worry about cleaning grimy fingerprints off them.

Walls, however, can be painted flat, eggshell, or satin depending on the use of the room.

For example, it is common to use satin in bathrooms and kitchens because that paint sheen is easier to clean.

In bedrooms and living rooms, the paint sheen is a personal preference depending on how often you think they will need to be cleaned.

(Kids and pets make this a much more frequent occurrence, but even I am not above occasionally touching the wall and leaving marks over time. Our satin walls make that much easier to manage and they don’t have that strong of a shine. Rentals would also benefit from satin or eggshell instead of flat to help with cleaning during turnover.)

All of that being said, it is generally recommended to use different sheens on the ceilings and the walls.

For Those Using Flat Sheen Paint

If you are planning on painting your walls a flat paint sheen, then choosing to paint your ceiling the same color as the walls can save you money because you will be using the exact same paint.

For Those Using Any Other Sheen Paint

If you plan on using a satin sheen on the walls, then you won’t get the benefit of saving money because you will have to buy a separate can of paint to get the different sheens regardless of the color you choose to paint the ceiling and the walls.

Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls Can Make Painting Easier

The final potential benefit of painting your ceiling and walls the same color is that it can make painting easier.

This benefit also goes back to the sheen of paint you are using.

For Those Using Flat Sheen Paint

If you use the same sheen of paint on both the ceiling and walls, then you don’t have to worry about making the perfect cut line along the line of the ceiling and the wall.

The paints will be the same, so you can just paint without taping or cutting in along the ceiling.

For Those Using Any Other Sheen Paint

If you use flat on the ceiling and satin on the walls, though, even if they are the same color, you will be able to see the differences in paint because one will reflect more than the other.

So, the paints being the same color will not be a benefit to painting faster because you will still have to tape off or cut a line between the ceiling and the walls.

Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls The Room Can Feel Boring

The first potential drawback to painting your ceiling and walls the same color is the room can feel boring.

Regardless of the color you choose, there will be nothing that breaks up your sightline.

For the most visual appeal, we naturally want our eyes to be drawn around the room. And if the ceiling is the same color as the walls, then it will just blend away into the background.

Of course, this is not always a bad thing. As we discussed above, most of the time, we want the ceiling to blend into the background.

But, if there is no other decor or color within the room to draw your eyes around it, then having a contrast between the ceiling and wall paint colors can help create that contrast that our eyes crave.

Painting The Ceiling The Same Color As The Walls Bright Or Dark Colors On The Ceiling Make The Room Feel Small

The final potential drawback to painting your ceiling and walls the same color is that the same colored ceiling as the walls can make the room feel small.

As discussed above, if you are using a color on your wall (pretty much anything other than some shade of white), the room will immediately feel small.

The exception to this rule is if you have grand 10+ foot ceilings. Then using a dark color on the ceiling would be more of a moody statement and less of a worry about the room feeling small.

Pro tip: If you love color, then make your walls and ceiling white and add tons of bright colors to your decor. Those smaller pieces can more easily be swapped out and let you make more of an impact without overwhelming a person’s eyes.

Your eyes are drawn to all of the color in the room only because the white walls give the color some contrast. If the walls also were a bright color then the beautiful furniture and decor would get lost in the background. Photo by Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels.

Final Verdict: Should You Paint Your Ceilings And Walls The Same Color

For 99% of homes, the ceiling should be painted a flat, bright white, the kitchen and bathroom should be a satin sheen in whatever color you want, and the rest of the walls can be a flat, eggshell, or satin sheen in whatever color you want.

Other FAQs About Painting Ceilings

Here are some other frequently asked questions about painting ceilings to help you get the best paint finish!

What Is The Most Popular Ceiling Color?

The most popular ceiling paint color is flat, bright white because it hides imperfections, minimizes glare, makes the room appear larger, and blends into the background.

I have an entire article on all of the best white ceiling paint colors by brand. Check out the ceiling paint recommendations here.

Should I Paint My Ceiling Flat Or Eggshell Or Satin?

Ceilings should be painted a flat sheen because it hides imperfections, minimizes glare, makes the room appear larger, and blends into the background.

Is White Ceiling Paint All The Same?

White ceiling paint is not all the same. Each manufacturer makes slightly different variations in pigment so the colors can be slightly different (but very noticeable if you are only doing a patch paint job).

Is Ceiling Paint More Expensive?

Ceiling paint is slightly cheaper than standard flat paint and significantly cheaper than satin and semi-gloss paint. In general, the more shine in the paint, the more expensive the paint will be.

Final Thoughts On Painting Ceilings The Same Color As The Walls

There you have it!

Ceilings are typically painted a different color from the walls because bright- or dark-colored painted ceilings make a room feel small and don’t create enough contrast to be visually appealing.

And ceilings are also typically painted a different sheen than the walls, so there is not a major benefit to choosing the same color because you will have to buy different paints anyway.

Hopefully, this helps make your paint selection easier!

Catch you in my next post!

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