Black ceiling

[rightstick]

I just finished priming the walls and I'm having a terrible time trying to decide on a color for the shop. I keep coming back to black for the ceiling. I've only seen a couple here with that color and they look great, but I suspect that it either looks great or could be really bad. I hope to use the space for everything from projects to a social gathering place.

 

[HTGTS350]

Black ceilings make a room seem smaller, like the roof is low, paint the ceilings a light colour.

 

[trainer]

black absorbs light... white reflects it. for a work space you'll need quite a bit more lighting than with a light or white ceiling.

 

[O RLY]

My bed room ceiling is flat black and my walls are grey. I love it and get many complements on it. Very cold colors. The wall paint is textured like sand paper to mask imperfections in the plaster walls.

 

[kbs2244]

Black is good for nightclubs.
White is good for work places.

 

[Jay Sco]

I agree with all of you about black absorbing light and seeming smaller/lower. But I've seen, mostly in stores and resturants, where the ceiling is left open showing all the ducting/piping (industrial look) all painted black and the walls were a much lighter color and it looked great.

 

[neophyte]

Use blackboard paint. If you don't like it you can always draw pictures on it.

 

[Joe Reed]

I agree with all of you about black absorbing light and seeming smaller/lower. But I've seen, mostly in stores and resturants, where the ceiling is left open showing all the ducting/piping (industrial look) all painted black and the walls were a much lighter color and it looked great.

That works great for a high ceiling where you want to camouflage the pipes, etc....and the light fixtures are hung even with the bottom level of the black paint. On a normal 8-10 foot garage ceiling...not so much...

 

[BFBOB]

If you do decide to go with black, be sure your light fixtures have reflectors to direct the light downward. Otherwise, you lose half of it into that black ceiling and will need brighter lights or more of them (and more $ to the power co.) to get enough light to see what you're doing. ...you are going to do things in your garage, aren't you?

 

[Jay Sco]

That works great for a high ceiling where you want to camouflage the pipes, etc....and the light fixtures are hung even with the bottom level of the black paint. On a normal 8-10 foot garage ceiling...not so much...

This is true, those were some pretty high ceilings. To the OP, is your garage ceiling drywalled or open rafters? I don't think you specified. If open I say go for it, if it's a finished garage I'd either do white or another light color.

 

[rightstick]

Thanks for all the comments. After reading here and mulling it over I agree that for a workspace lighter would be a better choice. (the ceiling is drywalled). It's been such a long build I'm looking forward to getting color in there, then I'll feel like I'm nearly done.

Scott

 

[NUTTSGT]

While the black can look great, I think you will be happier with the white.

Got any pics of the build ?

 

[Jay Sco]

It's been such a long build I'm looking forward to getting color in there, then I'll feel like I'm nearly done.

Scott

Got any pics of the build ?

Yeah, I don't see any pics either. After pics are nice, but aren't as meaningful without before pics.