Many of us dream of having lofty, 10-foot ceilings throughout our homes. But if you’re stuck with shorter ceilings, you don’t have to settle for squat-looking rooms. The difference between a cramped-feeling space and an expansive one may come down to a simple, designer-approved trick.
For an instant lift, paint your ceiling a lighter shade than the walls. This creates an optical illusion, drawing the eye upward and giving the impression of a higher ceiling. Choose a shade 20% lighter than the wall color, or — when in doubt — simply paint it white.
It all comes down to science. “Lighter colors have a higher light reflective value (LRV), which measures the percentage of light a color reflects,” says Austin, Texas-based interior designer Alicia Hassen Roche of Brooklinteriors. “Whites, with the highest LRV, help keep a room feeling open and bright by reflecting more light rather than absorbing it. When applied to a ceiling, these high-LRV colors naturally draw the eye upward, enhancing the sense of space and airiness.”
Whether you opt for a white ceiling or a different paint hue, keep this in mind: Darker colors tend to absorb light, which makes surfaces feel closer. Lighter colors reflect light, creating an airy feeling.
Other Optical Illusions To Make a Room Feel Taller
Beyond using paint to fake higher ceilings, Hassen Roche also suggests applying these tricks:
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• Install wall sconces to direct light upward. “Their low-profile design not only helps draw the eye upward but also keeps the space feeling open without bulky fixtures,” Hassen Roche says.
• Don’t hang too many things on the walls. Keep walls clean of clutter to prevent a room from feeling crowded.
• Avoid heavy crown molding. It adds the perception of weight to the top of the room, making it feel shorter.
• Place curtain rods close to the ceiling. This elongates the walls, offering the illusion of height.
• Paint the ceiling color 12 to 18 inches down the walls. Finish with picture rail molding.
• Add trim or paneling details to the bottom half of the room in a darker color. This creates more contrast between the high LRV color on your walls and ceiling.
Choosing any paint color can be a daunting task, but perhaps the hardest of all is finding the perfect shade of white. Here are Hassen Roche’s recommendations:
