I'm planing to paint a small br 8x10 with Earth Elements Surf's Up (blue) white baseboards, door and perhaps crown molding. Not sure if I should paint the ceiling blue or leave it white.

When should one paint the ceiling to match the wall color and when should it remain white?

 

I would either paint it whit or maybe a VERY light version of the color you have....although I would not do that either. One thing that does look good if you do not want to go with whit is to look at other versions of white the manufactor has. I am sure they have a ton of different whites. Math the whites with the blue you are looking at. The reason why people go white with ceilings is because it helps add the illusion of height to a room. As soon as you paint the ceiling a darker color it can "shrink" the room. Beleive it or not...."ceiling" paints actually have a TOUCH of blue in it to actually make it appear brighter and cool...this adds to the height effect. Different whites have touches of yellows, creams and even reds and oranges to add a bit of warmth to the color......some people prefer that effect. In a room as small as yours I would certainkly not want to make it look even smaller so I would certainly go with ceiling paint or a different white. Good luck

 

It is a misconception that dark paint colours make a room look smaller. The way I see it, is it's only paint...if you don't like it, then paint it again. Paint is the cheapest way to make a room look totally different. Don't be shy with colours.

 

No rule on this one
Do what you want

 

95% of the ceilings we paint are flat white.

 

"It is a misconception that dark paint colours make a room look smaller."

It really is not a misconception, it is an illusion. Does the room REALLY look smaller?? Of course not......does it feel smaller...yes. This is simply what the brain does. We tend to not notice white. This is why ceilings are painted white.....it pushes them out of our mind and thus we don't notice them. As soon as you paint it a color...you notice it and the illusion and the feeling of a room getting smaller is usually what takes place. And that is why "95 %" of the ceiling wind up getting painted white or some form of white.
I do agree with you wholehatedly though, give it a shot. A painted ceiling can add an interesting effect to a room for some people and like you said...it is a cheap and easily fixed.

 

I agree.

 

Although I am from the old school [all ceilings go white] I have painted a number of houses where the wall color at 1/2 tint was applied to the ceiling. Can look quite nice especially when the trim [including crown] is painted white.

 

your eye is drawn to lines of contrast, so if you're painting the wall a medium to dark color, and you paint the ceiling white or a very light color, your eye will immediately go up to the line where you've changed colors and you WILL notice the ceiling. if you paint the ceiling the same as the wall, the room will appear larger because the walls & ceiling will blend together. however, if you're using white crown molding, that all goes out the window. if you want people to notice the pretty crown moulding, then paint the ceiling a very light blue, lighter than the walls, but darker than the white so that you showcase the moulding. if that's too much blue for you, pick a different pastel color for the ceiling, like a sunny yellow or mint green or light peach, etc (whatever works with the room's color scheme).