Painting a Tray Ceiling: Where to Begin

Tray ceilings add a sophisticated and stylish architectural element to a room. However, when they're painted, their style and appeal stand out even more. Yet, these benefits are only made possible when the ceiling is painted the correct way. Learn about some of the dos and don'ts of painting a tray ceiling.  

Neutral Tones

Primarily, tray ceilings should be painted in neutral tones like beige and taupe. Non-neutral tones, like red or purple, should be avoided because they limit your room for change. If you have a room with a red-painted ceiling and red accents, should you decide to outfit the space with green accents, you would need to repaint the ceiling to prevent it from clashing. Keep the paint neutral for greater flexibility. However, if you must choose a bold color, a least choose a lighter shade of the color. 

High Contrast

Try not to create too harsh of a contrast between the walls and the tray ceiling. When the contrast is too great, it can make the ceiling feel lower than it is, which will ultimately cause the room to feel closed in. If you have white walls, painting the ceiling black would create too much of a contrast and would have a negative impact on the look and feel of the room. Keep in mind, it is okay to create a high contrast between the ceiling and the tray. For example, you could paint the ceiling white, and paint the trays black.

Focal Points

While you should keep the color neutral and the contrast minimal, you can still use paint to make the tray ceiling a focal point in the room. For example, you could paint the ceiling with a mural design in a neutral color. Alternatively. you could use another color in the room, such as a color of the floor. Just make sure you choose a small design, so that it can fit within each section of the trays. You do not want the design to pass over multiple sections, as it will look distorted and cluttered.

Get Professional Help

Painting a tray ceiling takes skill not just in terms of color assignment, but also when it comes to paint selection and application. To make sure you make the right selections, consider hiring an interior painting professional to assist you with this process.

You want to walk away with a painted tray ceiling you love to look at and that you're even happier to show off. Make sure you keep these tips in mind as you begin the process to achieve these benefits. 

If you're interested in painting a tray ceiling in your home, consider contacting residential interior painting services in your area.

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