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dark ceiling color that is not black?

post #1 of 40
2/10/11 at 12:57pm
Thread Starter 
ok, last step is to paint the ceiling (which is currently white).

i guess the obvious anwer here is 'flat black', however, wife says "NO". she wants this to be a family/media room, not a dedicated ht.

carpet is dark beige, wall is behr "aztec gold" (brownish), and trim is white.

i am having a hard time choosing a dark paint for the ceiling that would go well with the wall/carpet.

suggestions?

thanks

PS: pics are attached, my poor photo skills are making things look brighter than they shoud.
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post #2 of 40
2/10/11 at 1:04pm
I used the darkest color brown I could find at Home Depot - Behr "Espresso Bean" - lights off, it might as well be black - lights on, you can barely tell its brown. My wife actually commented "ooh, I like that color" when she saw it up on the ceiling - rare that she actually notices anything going on in my build.

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post #3 of 40
2/10/11 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for sharing brad, i will take to take a look at that brown.
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post #4 of 40
2/10/11 at 1:37pm
Also be aware that if the Mrs. doesn't allow a full dark ceiling, the next best option is to go dark on the ceiling just around the screen.

Depending on the layout/aesthetics of your room, it might actually look good (my wife wouldn't have allowed for a two tone ceiling, but luckily she OKed the black ceiling to begin with.)

-Suntan
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post #5 of 40
2/10/11 at 2:56pm
Thread Starter 
mrs is OK with dark ceiling, as long as it's not BLACK.

i was thinking dark grey, brown, burgundy, green....just couldn't decide on one.
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post #6 of 40
2/10/11 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokarz View Post

mrs is OK with dark ceiling, as long as it's not BLACK.

i was thinking dark grey, brown, burgundy, green....just couldn't decide on one.

I don't blame her for saying no.

I had a flat black room (all walls and ceiling) from 2000 ~ 2005 and it was a nightmare to maintain. If dust settled on the walls, it was visible and when I wiped it off, it left a marks. If I used a touch up paint, it dried slightly different shade and looked worse. In the end, it was either repaint the entire wall each time or change the colour. I elected to move rooms and use a different colour.

I've used Pompeii Ash for the last two rooms and it can have a high WAF.
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post #7 of 40
2/10/11 at 3:32pm
A little from my color theory classes.

I would try mixing some of the wall color with black. If you get a color you like, have it scanned at a paint store that does paint matching.

Whenever you mix a color into another the result will usually look complementary to the original.

But you are going to need to do something with that molding. Too white.
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post #8 of 40
2/10/11 at 4:29pm
Ralph Lauren Suede "Arrow Wood"

Great color.............compromise from a black hole. I'll be using this color on ceiling and accents.

I'm an outdoorsman...........hunter greens and browns are the way I roll.

On another note, can't wait to locate my five and one-half feet spread elk antlers in my dedicated room ...........a great acoustic treatment!
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post #9 of 40
2/10/11 at 5:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

A little from my color theory classes.

I would try mixing some of the wall color with black. If you get a color you like, have it scanned at a paint store that does paint matching.

Whenever you mix a color into another the result will usually look complementary to the original.

But you are going to need to do something with that molding. Too white.

i used behr premium ultra white on the trim. it is quite WHITE.

however, when the lights are off and room is dark, it is not very noticeable.

the photos were taken with all available lights on the room on max, and cam was a bit bright also.
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post #10 of 40
2/10/11 at 5:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by doublewing11 View Post

Ralph Lauren Suede "Arrow Wood"

Great color.............compromise from a black hole. I'll be using this color on ceiling and accents.

I'm an outdoorsman...........hunter greens and browns are the way I roll.

On another note, can't wait to locate my five and one-half feet spread elk antlers in my dedicated room ...........a great acoustic treatment!

so this is a dark brown color?
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post #11 of 40
2/10/11 at 6:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokarz View Post

i used behr premium ultra white on the trim. it is quite WHITE. however, when the lights are off and room is dark, it is not very noticeable.

Guess what is going to happen when you shine your light cannon at the screen.
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post #12 of 40
2/10/11 at 6:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

Guess what is going to happen when you shine your light cannon at the screen.

ahhhhh...i see you have a point. i'll have to take a closer look.
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post #13 of 40
2/10/11 at 6:40pm
I mixed a some black with your wall color and sprayed it on the ceiling (in photoshop)

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post #14 of 40
2/10/11 at 6:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokarz View Post

so this is a dark brown color?

That could be a subjective question............

The key is light reflectiveness........Ralph Lauren Suede paint is very unusual--textured, hardly any sheen at all........besides its looks GREAT! The look of suede really gives that "high end" look..........soft with very low light reflection

Google the paint color..............and yes, the color sample on line looks nothing like what it looks like on the wall. Very deep, chocolate brown.............a much better alternative to flat black IMHO.

The paint is expensive, and you need to roll and then use an X pattern to bring out subtle patterns of the suede look. Don't discount colors from online source..........see for your self. I believe Home Depot distributes the paint...............

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/ralp...e-image-search
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post #15 of 40
2/10/11 at 8:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

I mixed a some black with your wall color and sprayed it on the ceiling (in photoshop)


that doesn't look too shabby at all...thanks
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post #16 of 40
2/10/11 at 8:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

A little from my color theory classes.

Hold it...you took a class on color theory? Is there anything that you do not know? I'm just going to start calling you MichaelBigelo

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post #17 of 40
2/10/11 at 9:12pm
smokarz - I suggest you read this thread, Best way to wipe dust marks off Behr Paint... . I did not start that thread but....now I've lived with the burnishing issue...

btw, my HT has very dark brown ceiling fwiw;
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post #18 of 40
2/10/11 at 10:23pm
two things - First, I'm not sure I like that muted color. Sorry, just my opinion of course (and it's your room so only you and the wife needed to like it anyway). A lot will depend on if you're using crown molding and what color that will be though. I find that white strip there now very distracting. See my thoughts about color in the next paragraph.

The other thing, I like the accent lights you have in the soffit. Very nice effect. Would you be willing to share what type, size, and wattage they are? Where did you pick them up? I am embarking on (planning) my own project and I would like to do something similar. Okay, back to the color. As great as PS it leaves a lot to be desired for choosing color in the real world. I once painted a ceiling a color that looked great in PS but what happened in the real world was very different. That color reflected downwards and shifted the color of the rest of room including the wall color that I liked previously. I was not a nice effect. Anyway, notice how much the color changes on your walls where it is lit by those cans vs in the shadowed area and non direct light area. It can make the same color coming out of the can look like a different color. Have you thought about going monochromatic and using the wall color on the ceiling? With those accent lights on the walls they will look lighter than the ceiling does simply because of the lighting. Obviously it will match well too because it will all just be varied shades and brigtnesses of the same color. Depending on how often those lights will be on and what other ones will be used it can change quite a bit. Anyway, just a thought.
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post #19 of 40
2/11/11 at 4:44am
To go along with this thread (sort of), I used flat black on my ceiling, but my projector (which is ceiling mounted and picture angled to the floor) still reflects a decent amount of light on the ceiling and lights up the first half of it.

is velvet better than paint to not reflect any light?
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post #20 of 40
2/11/11 at 6:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IPT View Post

two things - First, I'm not sure I like that muted color. Sorry, just my opinion of course (and it's your room so only you and the wife needed to like it anyway). A lot will depend on if you're using crown molding and what color that will be though. I find that white strip there now very distracting. See my thoughts about color in the next paragraph.

The other thing, I like the accent lights you have in the soffit. Very nice effect. Would you be willing to share what type, size, and wattage they are? Where did you pick them up? I am embarking on (planning) my own project and I would like to do something similar. Okay, back to the color. As great as PS it leaves a lot to be desired for choosing color in the real world. I once painted a ceiling a color that looked great in PS but what happened in the real world was very different. That color reflected downwards and shifted the color of the rest of room including the wall color that I liked previously. I was not a nice effect. Anyway, notice how much the color changes on your walls where it is lit by those cans vs in the shadowed area and non direct light area. It can make the same color coming out of the can look like a different color. Have you thought about going monochromatic and using the wall color on the ceiling? With those accent lights on the walls they will look lighter than the ceiling does simply because of the lighting. Obviously it will match well too because it will all just be varied shades and brigtnesses of the same color. Depending on how often those lights will be on and what other ones will be used it can change quite a bit. Anyway, just a thought.

the recessed lights i picked up at home depot for about $10 each. they are cheap and serve the purpose. however, they are very HOT and have high defect ratios. i must have returned at least 4 defected units.


http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fa...atalogId=10053


we wanted the room to also be a family area, and a place where we can entertain guess as well, so we opted for a more neutral look, rather than an all out dark room.

currently, i leaned toward a darker brown/gold on the ceiling so it would complement the wall. but obviously, i am open to ideas/suggestions.
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post #21 of 40
2/11/11 at 7:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by elmalloc View Post

To go along with this thread (sort of), I used flat black on my ceiling, but my projector (which is ceiling mounted and picture angled to the floor) still reflects a decent amount of light on the ceiling and lights up the first half of it.

is velvet better than paint to not reflect any light?

Velvet is a good choice, but installation will be tough and it's rather expensive. I used the Ralph Lauren Suede paint and it has worked out very, very well for us. Info on my build thread.
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post #22 of 40
2/11/11 at 7:48am
Thanks. I used RL Suede Paint upstairs, but home depot will not sell it anymore (and it's like 40 a gallon).

My questin to you will be is it really possible a brown (or dark) suede paint will work better than flat black? Flat black works fairly well but you can still see it light up the first few feet of the ceiling above the screen.

I hope I'm not infringing on this thread, just enlightening all that even flat black isn't good enough.

-ELmO
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post #23 of 40
2/11/11 at 8:25am
smokarz, very nice room. Take a look at the walls and ceiling in my theater and see what you think.




As you can see, next to the black trim, the color is very dark gray. If you like, the color is called "lincoln kettle black" and it is a Valspar brand (lowes)
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post #24 of 40
2/11/11 at 8:30am
@elmalloc - I found the hard way that some "flat" paints are more flat than others - in my case, Valspar (Lowes) had quite a bit more sheen than Behr (Home Depot). You might try a couple flat paint samples on a board or scrap drywall to test, before investing in fabric for the ceiling.
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post #25 of 40
2/11/11 at 8:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad Horstkotte View Post

@elmalloc - I found the hard way that some "flat" paints are more flat than others - in my case, Valspar (Lowes) had quite a bit more sheen than Behr (Home Depot). You might try a couple flat paint samples on a board or scrap drywall to test, before investing in fabric for the ceiling.

+1 for dark/flat ceiling, while others have done it IMO putting fabric on the ceiling is a royal PIA!
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post #26 of 40
2/11/11 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by luelf21 View Post

Take a look at the walls and ceiling in my theater and see what you think.


I really like those color combinations (dark purple carpet).
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post #27 of 40
2/11/11 at 10:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by luelf21 View Post

smokarz, very nice room. Take a look at the walls and ceiling in my theater and see what you think.

As you can see, next to the black trim, the color is very dark gray. If you like, the color is called "lincoln kettle black" and it is a Valspar brand (lowes)

great room luelf21, thanks for sharing. that gray is quite dark.
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post #28 of 40
2/11/11 at 12:48pm
Just putting this out there for anyone.

If you’re looking to paint with really dark, flat paint. Educate yourself about the issue of burnishing.

Personally, when we painted our room in dark, flat brown; the burnishing was too big of an issue. So I re-painted and then put a coat of Modern Masters Dead Flat Varnish on the walls. It isn’t as flat as the pure flat paint, but it is still much flatter than “eggshell.”

It’s not cheap ($80 for a gallon locally here) and it’s a PITA to work with (very runny and you need to put a uniform coat on) but the walls wipe off and hold up as well as a semi-gloss now.



-Suntan
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post #29 of 40
2/11/11 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suntan View Post

Just putting this out there for anyone.

If you're looking to paint with really dark, flat paint. Educate yourself about the issue of burnishing.
.......
-Suntan

Agree, that is same lesson that is in this thread , http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1081573&page=2, which has a HT color scheme that might be similair to what smokarz desires
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...6&postcount=47
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post #30 of 40
2/11/11 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elmalloc View Post

Thanks. I used RL Suede Paint upstairs, but home depot will not sell it anymore (and it's like 40 a gallon).

My questin to you will be is it really possible a brown (or dark) suede paint will work better than flat black? Flat black works fairly well but you can still see it light up the first few feet of the ceiling above the screen.

I hope I'm not infringing on this thread, just enlightening all that even flat black isn't good enough.

-ELmO

*I* think so, but YMMV. My projector is mounted right behind a large soffit. The light beam is as close to the soffit as I could get without having it spill onto it and honestly, I don't see any issue.

I did use flat black paint (from HD I think) on the trim and it has quite a bit of sheen to it. The ceiling disappears when the lights go down and the movie starts up. It's sort of erie too...I mean, it just fades away all together.

CJ
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