Visually raise or lower a ceiling, or just add an eyeful of interest, with paint from splashy to soothing

It’s standard operating procedure to paint your walls a color while keeping the ceiling white. We’ve been told this makes the room feel larger and brighter. While there’s no doubt a white ceiling will brighten a room, certain ceiling colors can actually make a room appear more expansive. The key to using a bold or dark color on the ceiling without the space becoming cave-like is to make sure you have adequate lighting or limit the adjacent wall colors to white or another light hue.

Warm colors tend to advance, and cool colors recede, so if you are looking to visually raise your ceiling height, stick to cooler hues. On the other hand, if you have high ceilings and wish to make them feel lower — for a more intimate vibe — use a warm hue, such as red, orange or yellow.

Check out these 10 rooms that feature a bright or bold ceiling color, along with suggestions for how to use an unusual color on a ceiling of your own.