Trying to decide what color to paint your exposed basement ceiling? I went back and forth trying to decide on black or white paint for the ceiling.
My concern with the black paint was that it would make the basement feel smaller.
Since there isn’t a ton of lighting in this area, I was worried that the ceiling would feel lower and darker.
After a few disagreements with my husband we decided black was the right choice for this project.
Benefits to a Black Ceiling
An exposed basement ceiling typically has a ton of pipes and wires running through it.
So, it can be a bit of an eye sore with various colored pipes, gas lines, pex tubes, and electrical wires.
Painting a basement ceiling all black makes everything disappear and gives your basement an industrial feel.
Surprisingly after you paint your basement ceiling black and add recessed lighting throughout, it feels much larger.
The ceiling doesn’t feel lower and the space doesn’t feel darker, instead the basement will take on a cozy feel.
The thought of a white ceiling felt too stark and boring. If you do it right, a white basement ceiling can look amazing like Sengerson.
Save Money on Sheetrock
We received several quotes from contractors to finish drywall and add sheetrock over out exposed basement ceiling.
Almost every quote was around $8,000 to add sheetrock to the ceiling and a drop ceiling wasn’t much cheaper either.
We thought 8K was a lot to spend on the ceiling and we would be loosing height from the ceiling if we finished it.
We also, received multiple quotes ranging from $1500-2000 to spray the exposed basement ceiling.
Painting a Basement Ceiling is DIY Friendly
After a lot of back and forth discussions with my husband about what color to go with, we decided to go with an exposed black ceiling, light walls, and a light warm flooring.
We also, decided to try this project ourselves to save a couple thousand and only pay a contractor to frame a few walls and add drywall.
Spraying the basement ceiling black ourselves was the easiest and quickest way to update the space. The project isn’t hard, but it is tedious and a bit messy.
It is worth the end result and the money that you can save even after purchasing your own paint sprayer.
A Black Ceiling Unexpected and Welcoming
I find myself wanting to spend more time in my basement because of the comfortable feel and soft lighting.
The black is fun and unexpected from the upstairs of our home filled with creams and neutral color tones throughout.
After we finished the drywall and add laminate flooring, we plan to decorate the basement with mid century modern style furniture and colorful art work. Our goal was to make this a fun space and go out of our element with the design.
The rest of our house feels safe and builder grade, so the basement is a great space to do something out of the ordinary.
Cons to a Black Ceiling
In my opinion there aren’t any cons to a black basement ceiling. The only possible cons could be that a cobweb would show more easily against a black ceiling and you are a bit limited to your wall color options.
Cobwebs More Visible
I don’t think its a con to have cobwebs showing on your black ceiling because I’d rather be able to see them and quickly clean them.
After cleaning the natural wood tone basement ceiling before painting it black, I found it gross how much dust was hiding in my ceiling.
You are breathing all of that in, so it is important to be able to see the dust and cobwebs to keep up on the cleaning.
Limited Wall Color Options
A black ceiling looks best against lighter shades of greige, white, and various shades of blue and green. So, if you prefer a different wall color you might struggle to make a black ceiling work. Colors like brown, red, and orange would be a a bit too bold or dark against a black ceiling.
Best Wall Colors for a Black Ceiling
Colors as dark as navy might not be a great choice for the walls because it will absorb light and leave very little contrast between the black ceiling. I recommend going with Agreeable Gray for the walls and adding a pop of color with Bunglehouse blue.
Bunglehouse Blue is a medium blue with warmer tones that compliment Agreeable Gray and black ceilings. This shade of blue still offers plenty of contrast against the black ceiling while bringing in a unique color to break up the neutral color palate.
Flooring Colors for a Black Ceiling
It is best to avoid going too dark with the flooring as you might loose some light and confuse the eye. A dark floor and a dark ceiling can be a bit confusing for the eye.
An exposed black ceiling typically draws your eye upward which acts as the focal point, so a dark floor could cause the room to feel closed off.
I would also advise against a gray tone floor as those are a bit trendy and will make the space feel too cold. This is especially true if you opted for a gray or white wall color.
The room might end up feeling stark with a black ceiling, white walls, and a gray floor.
I recommend going with a light warm flooring or medium warm flooring color to compliment a black ceiling.
Then opt for a creamy white or warmer shade of greige to make the basement feel cozy and inviting.
Conclusion
I had some doubt before this project, but this is the perfect space to have fun with the design and go out of your element. Black paint is an affordable way to update your exposed basement ceiling and easily hide the wires and pipe. You won’t regret painting your basement ceiling black!