Ceiling paint: which colour, how much sheen, and how to paint a ceiling without a stiff neck

What colour should a ceiling be?

The ceiling is the fifth wall we tend to forget, even though it is as big as the whole floor. A dull or yellowed old ceiling makes a room look low and tired, even if the walls have just been repainted.

The simplest rule: the ceiling should be as bright as the walls or brighter, and the room will look tall and airy. A clean white such as Snowflake goes with almost any wall colour. If your walls are cream or beige, try a slightly warmer Ivory on the ceiling. The line where wall meets ceiling will look soft, rather than a hard edge like the inside of a cardboard box.

Matt or gloss ceiling paint?

A ceiling is always lit at a slant, by the windows and by lamps. The more sheen it has, the more clearly it shows board joints, filler marks and small ripples, like shining a torch at the side of your face for a selfie.

Voqe Wall Paint comes in Eggshell and Semi gloss. For ceilings in bedrooms, living rooms and studies, choose Eggshell: it looks soft and hides flaws better. Save Semi gloss for spots where you really want a shine.

How to paint a ceiling, step by step

Move the furniture out, or gather it in the middle of the room and cover it completely. Cover the whole floor, because paint will drip from a ceiling. Wear glasses and a hat. Tape the cornices and light fittings, and switch off the breaker before removing light covers.

Mix the paint with 10–15% clean water. Cut in around the edges of the ceiling first with a brush or a 4-inch roller at ฿89, then use a 9-inch roller at ฿189 on an extension pole for the large areas. Roll in lines parallel to the light from the window and finish one section at a time, and no joins will show.

Voqe Wall Paint is touch dry in 20–30 minutes and can be recoated after 1–2 hours. Always paint the ceiling before the walls, so any drips on the walls get painted over afterwards.

• Cover the floor and furniture, and switch off the breaker before removing light fittings
• Cut in the edges with a 4-inch roller
• Paint the large areas with a 9-inch roller on an extension pole
• Paint the ceiling first, then the walls

How much paint does a ceiling take?

A 3 x 4 metre ceiling has an area of 12 sq m. Two coats make 24 sq m. Voqe Wall Paint covers 35–40 sq m per gallon per coat: 24 ÷ 40 = 0.6 gallons and 24 ÷ 35 = 0.69 gallons, so you need about 0.6–0.7 gallons.

The 0.946L size at ฿399 is a quarter of a gallon (0.946 ÷ 3.785 = 0.25) and covers 8.75–10 sq m per coat, which is not enough for 24 sq m of ceiling. The 3.785L gallon at ฿1,299 covers 35–40 sq m per coat, enough for this ceiling with some left for touch-ups. If you are painting the walls and ceiling of a whole room in the same colour, see how to work it out in our article on house paint costs.

Coloured ceilings: ideas that give a room a story

A ceiling doesn't always have to be white. A pale blue-tinted ceiling such as Mist makes a bedroom feel like sleeping under a morning sky. A faint pink ceiling such as Pink Milk warms the light in the room a little, like a filter.

If you're feeling bold, paint the walls and ceiling of a whole room the same colour, such as Tea Leaf in a study or Midnight in a home cinema. The room feels enveloping and the corners disappear. A dark ceiling really does make a room look lower, so it suits rooms you want to feel warm and private, not rooms you want to look airy.