Could I have your opinion on ceiling color for my dining room?

[happy2bamom]

My dining room has a chair rail, so we're doing the lower half in a dark color (SW Manor House) and the upper wall a light greenish (SW Wheat Grass). The crown molding is an off white. The ceiling is a tray ceiling (so the inner 1/3 portion is higher than the rest). Currently the inner portion of the ceiling is pink (previous owners, not by me). I like the idea of painting the ceiling, but I don't know if I should go with my dark color or light color? The outside (lower) portion of the ceiling is the same white color as the crown molding.

What are your thoughts? I really don't want to have to paint the ceiling twice so I"m trying to get the color right the first time :) TIA

[boolady]

I personally would just do it white. I think if you have two colors on the wall, that's enough. A tray ceiling is meant to add height to the room-- I'm afraid if you put a dark color up there it's going to make the ceiling seem lower/room seem smaller, but maybe I'm wrong.

[TwinFoxes]

I would go with the lighter color, or a plain white.

What ever you decide, I would paint the entire ceiling that color. I don't think the tray should be a different color. I think the room would look a little whacky.

[boolady]

What ever you decide, I would paint the entire ceiling that color. I don't think the tray should be a different color. I think the room would look a little whacky.

I agree.

[RunnerDuck]

Tray ceilings can look really nice when painted 2 colors.

However - painting ceilings is a pain in the ass. That's why they are so often left white, and not touched for years and years. Go with all white, and you can do the walls whatever else you want, on a whim, whenever you want, and not have to touch the ceiling again.

The only way I'd do two colors is if it were two shades of white/neutral so if you wanted to re-do the walls at some point, you'd have more options.

[crl]

In general I like ceilings a paler shade of the wall color. I've never painted a tray ceiling though. I think I might paint the outside part of the tray an even paler shade of your palest wall color and then paint the inside part of the tray white.

Catherine

[happy2bamom]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'm going to play around on the computer and see if I can actually "see" some of your suggestions.

[mumofboys]

We painted one of our tray ceilings and I'm quite happy with it. The room is very large and fairly empty ... I wanted to warm the room up a bit and reduce the overall feeling of the large void. We only painted the center ceiling. We did not paint the second or third tiers because I didn't want to have 'bands' of color striping the room. Does that make sense? We used a very light tan .. sand color that picks up a yellow undertone in the green walls.

[LexyLou]

I like the way it looks when the tray part is painted. I wouldn't paint the whole ceiling. I think that would look funky.

In our kitchen we have recessed lighting in what is kind of like a tray. Our kitchen overlooks our family room which has the back wall a deep brown. The rest of the walls are a light tan color. We painted the tray in the kitchen the deep brown so it blends with the wall. I like how it looks. Around here, I see that done a lot.

ETA:
i took some pics with my cell phone but have no idea how to get it on here!

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

We have each ceiling painted at 25% of the wall color. Looks pretty nice.

[indigo99]

My bedroom has a tray ceiling. All of the actual horizontal ceiling surface is white, but that tiny little vertical part between the outside and inside of the tray is painted the same color as the walls. I think it calls attention to the tray without looking weird.

[kcimato]

I am a big fan of painting ceilings. All of my rooms have ceilings that are either the same color as the walls or a lighter version. I would say that since you plan on two colors already leave it white and as the pp said paint the vertical part the same color as the walls.

[BeachBum]

I just wanted to say that I had a good part of my house painted wheat grass, and in my house it was WAY more yellow than it looked on the chip. I would describe it as the color of breastfed baby poo. I too had expected it to be greenish, and that is not at all how I would describe it. I did like it, but it didn't look like the chip.

[smilequeen]

My bedroom has a tray ceiling. All of the actual horizontal ceiling surface is white, but that tiny little vertical part between the outside and inside of the tray is painted the same color as the walls. I think it calls attention to the tray without looking weird.

Our bedroom is the same way. Our dining room we did paint the tray ceiling and I like it, but there is no chair rail. 3 colors might get to be a bit much maybe? It's hard for me to picture.

This is our dining room. It's actually a shade darker on the ceiling

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs019.snc1/4527_1160935108544_1382815785_30430505_2530411_n.j pg

[mezzona]

The entire ceiling should be the same color, either white or the light color, IMO. The shadows cast by the tray will add the depth and variations in the color.

[kristac]

This is our dining room. It's actually a shade darker on the ceiling

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs019.snc1/4527_1160935108544_1382815785_30430505_2530411_n.j pg

:love5: this. I really like the tray painted in this manner. Go for it OP!

[happy2bamom]

Our bedroom is the same way. Our dining room we did paint the tray ceiling and I like it, but there is no chair rail. 3 colors might get to be a bit much maybe? It's hard for me to picture.

This is our dining room. It's actually a shade darker on the ceiling

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs019.snc1/4527_1160935108544_1382815785_30430505_2530411_n.j pg

That is a stunning look!!!

[happy2bamom]

I just wanted to say that I had a good part of my house painted wheat grass, and in my house it was WAY more yellow than it looked on the chip. I would describe it as the color of breastfed baby poo. I too had expected it to be greenish, and that is not at all how I would describe it. I did like it, but it didn't look like the chip.

Oh No !!! I don't want to look at breastfed baby poo while we eat. I may need another plan on the color.

[sariana]

FWIW, NASA (and others?) learned when designing space modules that it was best to have a dark "floor" and light "ceiling" because otherwise the astronauts would get disoriented and feel sick. We naturally expect the "ground" to be darker than the "sky." (In a space module, of course, there is no real up or down, as there is no gravity. This was just a visual thing, and equipment was placed so that there was a sense of top and bottom.)

So I would go with a lighter color on the ceiling.