Breaking Through the White Ceiling
By Lisa Davenport
Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery
www.lisadavenport.com

"Plain ceilings are so boring."
Gary Shapiro - Americana Tin Ceiling Co.

Mr. Shapiro is so right! Far too often ceilings are simply ignored. We take such pride in addressing all the other planes of our spaces, floors & walls...................why aren't we paying more attention to the ceiling?

White ceilings are a major faux pas! Yep you heard me right-a major mistake. I know, you can walk into any paint store and find paint specifically for ceilings. Benjamin Moore for example has Muresco Ceiling White . Why would paint stores carry 'ceiling white' if it is a major mistake? I guess it's like your perfect wardrobe until Stacey London from What Not to Wear shows you you're all wrong! Frankly people don't know any better! You see, painting ceilings white creates a harsh line between the wall and the ceiling, this harsh line draws the eye right to it..........the trick is to soften the line, or do something just SO different.

'Staple' ceiling colors are White Dove or Linen White by Ben Moore. Use these colors if you are looking for safe choices. For those who want to branch out and be more 'daring'… keep this in mind…colors look much darker on the ceiling! Test out the color on a piece of poster board and tack it to the ceiling the light doesn't reflect off the ceiling surface as it does a wall, therefore the color is darker.

In the good 'ole days ceilings were adorned in many fashions. Today we are bringing them back!

• Tin & Copper ceilings added texture and reflective qualities ........... today these ceilings can be purchased in their original form, but also as wallpaper or acoustic ceiling tiles.
• A simple accent moulding can be added to the ceiling. Step the moulding off the wall 18" to 24" (depending on the scale of the room). Paint the center your 'white' and the remaining area outlined by the moulding an accent color.
• Beams or coffered ceilings are another way to add interest. With some applications, I have used the coffered ceiling to do more than create interest on the ceiling ..... it also added weight to the ceiling. With a ceiling well over 20' off the floor it can be unattainable before the wood is applied. The visual and physical weight of the ceiling brings the scale within reach.

Go, scrutinize those ceilings...........just as you would your closet before Stacy London arrives to riffle through it................see you know better now. Careful you never know when I might be in the neighborhood!


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