This comes up at every consult. What the heck to do on the ceiling? Common practice says paint it in Ceiling White in a Flat finish. This technique guarantees the ceiling to be pretty much a non-entity.
In some rooms, where there is a lot going on and one wants absolutely no distraction happening on the giant wall above the room, it is correct to use Ceiling White in a Flat Finish.
A moment ABOUT WHITES: There are more than 100 whites and off-whites in the Ben Moore paint palettes, not to mention the Williamsburg colors and the Affinity palette!!!
A white I love for that 5th wall above your head is Simply White OC-117, which works well with everything. It has a warm brightness happening. It’s not gray.
A gray undertone could lead you to White Dove OC-17 or Decorator’s White PM-3.
For warm, creamy ceiling and/or trim color, I like Mascarpone AF-20 or Capitol White CW-10.
For a cool white, check out Frostine AF-5.
The purest, most white white is Chantilly Lace OC-65. It’s very bright!!
ABOUT COLOR on ceilings: I’m a color girl and any chance I get to include the so-called 5th wall of a room in the design and beauty of the color scheme, I take it. The Navajo prayer about walking in Beauty includes a phrase about the beauty happening above you.
There are examples of color on ceilings on my Pinterest board specifically about this crucial topic. Every room has its magic. Sometimes a subtle color is best. Sometimes deep and rich is the way to go. You get to choose. Be brave.
Lots of creative people have things to say about color on ceilings. Check out these sites:
Paint and Color 