Alright, I have a bad habit that I need to confess- I hate painting ceilings. You have to empty out the whole room and then paint above your head- no thanks! But my living room and kitchen ceilings were so bad.The ceilings were the original peach color, super dirty, and the edges had white paint from painting the trim. 

I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet (especially since we have a magazine coming to photograph my house in a few days!) and just do it! Thankfully, along the way I picked up some tips and tricks. Here’s how to paint a ceiling.

how to paint a ceiling- before

Here’s some closeups where you can see just how bad the ceiling was! Most of the time it didn’t bother me, but it was on my long imaginary to do list that just nagged at me. No longer!

SUPPLIES

• white paint– plan on a gallon per ceiling
• painter’s tape
• roller
• roller cover
• rag
• angled paint brush
• extension pole
• handy paint tray

step 1

Start by prepping the room for paint. Pull out any furniture you can. Cover any thing you don’t want a random paint splatter with a drop cloth or old towel. Take down draperies. Have a wet rag in case paint gets on anything besides the ceiling.

step 2

Next, clean that ceiling! I hope yours isn’t as disgusting as mine! Either way, you’ll want to clean it. The easiest way is to take a steam mop or Swifter to the ceiling and clean the whole thing. That way you don’t have to hop on and off a stool while cleaning the whole ceiling. #timesaver

step 3

And now, take your painter’s tape and tape off light fixtures so they stay paint free. Note, for painting around a ceiling fan, use a small angled paint brush and cut out around the fan. Then, use a roller and paint between the blades. It’s a pain because the blades move, but it’s doable.

step 4

Finally, it’s time to start painting! The best method I’ve found is to paint the perimeter of the room and then work in until you’re done. Make sure your brush has an extension rod so you can easily roll on the paint without being on a stool. Use the small angled brush to cut in at the corners after the ceiling is painted.

Here’s a helpful hint- I’ve picked a white paint color I love for the walls of my house. Its Ultra Pure White by Behr in eggshell. I have now painted most of my walls, trim, and now ceiling in the same color and sheen. I love that I can overlap the paint on the wall while I’m painting the ceiling and the color and sheen match.

I used to use a satin finish for my trim, but if I wasn’t perfect with my painting it was obvious. I’d sometimes accidentally paint the satin on the walls and it looked awful. I love the simplicity of having one product for everything. 

It’s also nice in case I find trim touch-ups while I’m painting! I just grab a brush and cover those. I always keep a gallon of the paint on hand so I can just dive into a project without driving to the store.

Another method for painting ceilings is to use a paint pole that holds paint in the pole. That way you don’t have to dip the roller into the paint. This saves a step and I’ve heard that it is a great way to quickly paint a ceiling!

after

It felt SO good to cross this big task off my to do list! My kitchen is really dark, so adding more white paint to the ceiling just gives one more surface to reflect paint and lighten things up!

The white paint on the ceiling actually makes the room feel bigger because it just feels like the walls just keep going up.

The biggest pain with painting ceilings is the prep and clean up. We took everything out of the living room and were up late cleaning up. Honestly, just don’t think about it and dive in. It feels SO good to be done! And yes, it’s worth it.

My ceilings needed two coats of paint. My shoulders are a little sore after painting both rooms in a day. But dang, I think it looks so much prettier! And fresh! If this is a task you’re putting off, just know if a few house you could have a massive transformation!

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