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joannpb I like your room. It's warm and welcoming. I think the real problem with the ceiling is the sharp contrast with the walls. How about paint the ceiling the same color as the walls or just slightly lighter? In a lot of rooms that would close everything in, but I think, here it would just remove a wrong focal point.

I you went with a lighter tone of the same color, you might do the wainscoting to match.

AMN I agree with Joannpb. Go with a slightly lighter shade of the wall color. It will bring the attention in the room down to the human-level--where it should be. And, that way, if you want to work on beefing up the wainscoting, your hard work will be rewarded because the wainscoting won't be competing with all the stuff you've added to the ceiling.

CMR Interiors & Design Consultations Inc. Paint that ceiling the same color and do a color less contrasting to the white. Beams would look nice but would be expensive and you probably don't have the infrastructure to hold the weight? You have to find out first before going down that road. Or else you could end up with structure that suffers. Here is a baby's room similiar except for the window and as you can see I painted what you have white:

Susan Wiliams I love all the thoughts here:) If I do a lighter shade of the color on the ceiling, what part of the wainscoting do I paint in that color. Would I put the ceiling color inside of the squares/reactangles or do I paint other areas of the wainscoting that color? This is the 1st time we have had it in our home. And you caught on quick because I do want to "beef" it up for sure. I wish I could take a closer shot of it but the room is full of furniture due to floors being put down. Appreciate all the help :)

joannpb Weight wouldn't be a consideration, with all the materials available in add-on beams (there are some beauties out there that an average woman can lift with one hand), but I don't think adding detail to the ceiling would solve your problem; you want to bring interest down.

AMN I think wainscoting looks best when it is one color. Let the molding/trim architectural elements do the talking. You'll notice most of these wainscoting pics feature one color on the panels.
http://www.houzz.com/photos/dining/painted-wainscoting-

Susan Wiliams those are fabulous pics you have sent...I had been considering re-doing what the builder did by taking the bead moulding off the wall (this is how he did the faux wainscoting-by painting the wall white and putting trim on it only he used smaller trim). I want to move it up my walls about a foot or so and let it "talk" like you say. The stark of the ceiling really is the problem child here.

Susan Wiliams Any ideas of what I could do above the window there? A friend saw online where they cut into the wall with an inset (could be whatever shape that would fit) and put a spotlight on some pieces of taller pottery. It got me thinking of "going into' the wall and doing something there because it looks a little bland? Again, never have had a vaulted ceiling or wainscoting-all new to me:)

joannpb I found a couple pics of the general idea.

Susan Wiliams Yes, I do need to have crown up there and down the center with molding. My thought at first was to put a medallion up there when I change out chandeliers but I do like the look of the molding. Both may be a bit much?

Barbara Griffith Designs I would leave the wainscoting white as the trim, add crown molding, also white. Paint the ceiling a significantly lighter shade, but not pale, than the walls. Decorate your walls with large objects that go high on the walls, combinations of large groupings, large object with smaller grouping, etc. Cannot see floor, but add a large, patterned rug. Shutters look fine just as they are.

joannpb You might be careful about adding things creeping up the walls. It's always a temptation to want to use that blank canvas for something, but with a narrow room, like this, too much that takes the eye upward is going to defeat the purpose of toning down the ceiling.

Susan Wiliams Would you suggest sticking with in the same paint ceiling color only going lighter within that same color or perhaps a light creamy taupe or warm light honey color?

Barbara Griffith Designs I would stay in the same family. Painting a ceiling only expands a room, makes it more cohesive. I always paint ceilings a color, and yes sometimes it is a completely different color. Always buy a sample and paint on poster boards then tape to ceiling..it is really worth the effort. I love your wall color, what is it..I will look for an appropriate ceiling color for you if you would like.

karen paul interiors My thoughts on this room have more to do with the architectural details. The arched window, in my opinion, needs to be the focal point of the room. I would paint ceiling and walls same color. They both should be done in a flat finish rather than with a sheen. If you are keeping the sheen, then the finish should be the same for both. The ceiling will disappear and your window will become prominent. As for the wainscoting, I would not paint it out in another color(s). By leaving it as is, you will be tying the two elements together at two different levels. That's a good thing. I would not fill up the room visually with beams, etc. Cleaner is better with this room, as it is only 12 X 10. Size does make a difference in this instance.

joannpb I love your wall color, it's very rich and complements your wood furniture. It does have a red tone, so don't go with taupe or beige, they have gray and yellow tones.

Do you have any of the paint? if you have, take it to a paint store and get a computer analysis of the color. Use their paint chips to find a couple of complemtary lighter colors and have the smallest quantity mixed. Then paint your poster boards (as Barbara Griffith suggested) and put them up to see how they look. If you're lucky, you might find premixed samples that work well, too. I wonder if a deep peach would do it.

Susan Wiliams Everyone has such incredible, creative ideas here...would I be pushing you if I asked you all to also go to my design dilemma discussion about my backsplash for one wall in kitchen and I also posted on for my living room trey. Ironic because the living room that was painted the same as my dining room just went to a different color but I had not yet decided it I could leave up the trey color the same....will make more sense if you can find both of these discussions....the floorplan is such that the kitchen is between the living and dining room, all open. Thanks!

Susan Wiliams CMR, I think you may have intended your last post for another design dilemma :) because MMilos has not posted anything here...yet.

Susan Wiliams Barbara, My color on the walls is Cininnatian Hotel Vander Rd by Valspar Ultra Premium. It has been in my kitchen, living room and dining room for 5 years. After we have gone thru our flood here and finally painting, I just had them paint the living room in Bread Basket by Olympic. I love it too-was ready for a change but just have to leave some of the Cinn up. I receive tons of compliments over the years...makes me wonder if I should have changed:)

Barbara Griffith Designs I cannot find CH Vander RD. There are other Cininnatian Hotel, colors (blues & beiges), but none is yours. Is there a number for it?

Barbara Griffith Designs I found this color and may be a lighter shade of your color. It is Cincinnatian Hotel Dominica (Item #: 93679 | Model #: 30036CCINCINNATIANHO). It does not appear on any of Valspar's online colors. I found it in a Lowes space, and it does say the color is not available online..but maybe in a store?? Here is a link to where I can see it http://www.lowes.com/pd_93679-4-30036CCINCINNATIANHO_0__?productId=3323820 If they had it once, they would have the formula in their system.

joannpb I found it! Cincinnatian Hotel Vandersall Red

http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/explore-colors/color-selector.html

Susan Wiliams Barbara, I am so sorry. I was reading off the can and words were shortened on there. It is Cincinnatian Hotel Vandersall Red 2002-7B. I was determined to find that swatch!

joannpb Florentine Clay and LaFonda Terracotta both look interesting.

Susan Wiliams Joann, you were as determined as I was:) great job gals!

Barbara Griffith Designs I would not use such dark colors on the ceiling and ones so close to the wall color. I really like the Cininnatian Hotel Hannaford 3007-10C for the ceiling. It would be my choice. Don't forget to buy samples and paint poster boards.

Susan Wiliams so now the big question: same color which I understand can expand a room or a shade or two lighter....I am pretty excited about that white going away! And putting a nice piece of molding down the middle is something I had not thought of. Just can't thank everyone enough today....

Barbara Griffith Designs As I virtually always have ceilings painted, my semi rule of thumb is if the wall color is quite dark, such as yours, I paint the ceiling a significantly lighter shade. If the wall color is light to mid tone, I paint it the same color. And, on some specific occasions I paint it a different color altogether.

Susan Wiliams i am getting poster board this afternoon and getting some samples. I too love the look of the Hannaford if I am going outside of the hues of the same color. With the ceiling being one color, the walls another color and then the white wainscoting, would this run the risk of too busy in a 10x12? I am all about contrast and also am really wanting to "stretch" myself with color ideas, well all decorating ideas really.

Susan Wiliams like the rule of thumb thinking....

Barbara Griffith Designs Too busy is when a room is cluttered.

Barbara Griffith Designs I would add white crown molding if you choose the Hannaford, maybe not if it is dark.

Susan Wiliams like it looks right now:) I have had to store things in there and move stuff around since Sept flood and we are almost done...i can see the finish line. And yes, busy is a cluttered room...

Susan Wiliams Could I ask you to take a peek at the pics here of my living room trey? This room had been Cinn too. Want to paint the ceiling trey-I think. Tossing around leaving it alone with the Cinn trim there in trey OR painting the Cinn in the semi gloss trim so it looks like big crown and painting the ceiling inside of the trey...I really love the 2 colors and wondered if they could work at all together or should I be happy that my DR is still Cinn? If I am leaving inside ceiling white, could I use a large medallion and paint that? I am replacing the 48" ceiling fan with a 60" one. I did pick up a 38" medallion the other day just in case. THe room is 20x22

Barbara Griffith Designs Both of the colors do go well together..if you paint the two flat portions (inside and outside) of the tray a great light beige..it will tie it together. I will look for a color.

Barbara Griffith Designs OK..I think the Hannaford would look good on those flat areas. If you buy samples..try the poster boards in there as well.

Susan Wiliams So if I am hearing you right, you are recommending that I paint over the Cincinnatian Hotel Vandersall Red strip that is currently inside of the trey? And go with Hannaford. I was just thinking there may be a way for me to keep some of the Cincinnatian Hotel Vandersall Red with the Bread Basket by Olympic One C17-5?

Barbara Griffith Designs NO! NO! Paint the Hannaford on the now white portion of the trays..the flat part where the can lights and ceiling fan are located. Or saying it another way, on both sides of the Red.

Susan Wiliams OK! I have it now! Now when I do my ceiling in there, it is a contiunoius ceiling throughout the kitchen, foyer and hallway. Because of the layout, there is nowhere for it to break being so open. So I am hoping that this will also go with my color that just got put on in the foyer and hall which is Beeswax by Valspar W32013A. I will def need poster boards of this. I have only recently begun to paint my ceilings and love, love, love it. I have done the bedrooms and bathrooms ceilings and can't figure out why I have never thought of it before.

Barbara Griffith Designs I will check out your foyer color. I have painted ceilings forever, and it is always hard to convince people to try it, but once they do the "get it".

Barbara Griffith Designs After looking at the Beeswax, I think it will look just fine..Do you have crown molding everywhere?

Susan Wiliams Barbara, what are your thoughts on painting interior doors then? I have the 6 panel white doors everywhere but recently a friend of mine told me she painted hers black. At first I was like what? But she emailed me a pic and they look darn good. It seems like this is another "area" I have never thought about painting but am ready to get "unstuck" and venture out...your thoughts?

Susan Wiliams yes, everywhere but the dining room..which is about to change.

Barbara Griffith Designs Personally, I like doors to be the color of the trim around them because if they are not that trim looks out of place...That is not to say that I don't like black trim as well. But trim should be the same throughout the house, so there is really a lot to think about. Again, personally, I like a fair amount of black accents in a room. Large picture frames, background in fabrics, etc.

Susan Wiliams with the beeswax in foyer and hallway which leads to the 3 bedrooms, this is where I am thinking of painting the doors black as well as the backside of my front door where you enter my house. I think the black with that beeswax just pops...but would love your opinion

Barbara Griffith Designs I just don't think the black doors will look right. Did you think of using black as a major color in rugs or fabrics in those areas? Drapery panels with black, bedding using black. Those are all the things I do with black. It makes a powerful statement.

Susan Wiliams I love some black in each room. My LR has (or will have back in there) a very large black with some accent colors and medallion looking design in the middle. I have the same rug only in round in my foyer. I have some pieces of furniture that has black accents, never thought about black bedding-now that would make a powerful statement. Even starting with accent pillows, throws,...

Barbara Griffith Designs No knowing your colors for the bedroom, black on bedding is smashing, but make sure you have another strong color with it,

slewisoh I personally hate vaulted ceilings and am in the process of tearing one down in my master bedroom and bath. But assuming that is not an option here :) you could change the vertical proportions by having a taller wainscot. 30-36 inches is nice for a room with 8 ft ceilings, but something higher would look more balanced with your vaulted ceiling. Painting the remaining wall/ceiling area the same color would blur the line between wall and ceiling. Lastly, removing the decorative items from the corners and taking down the shutters (or at least opening them) would allow the eye to rest on the beautiful window.

Susan Wiliams You are right-taking it out is not an option as it in in the front wall of our house. I think I am going to do my wainscot higher. It is at 40" right now but my ceilings are way over that with being in the vaulted area. I am considering adding at least another 18" or so on to it. The room right now is packed full with furniture which means I cant even open my shutters. We will hopefully be done with reconstruct this week and I can have my DR "back". The plantations really do set that window off when opened and are very high quality ones. I call them "eye candy". The DR has been our "catch all" room during this whole ordeal.

Barbara Griffith Designs If you add to your wainscot, I certainly don't think I would go 18". It would then be almost half the wall height to the 9" area. It would then look like a stripe. And any less is hardly worth the effort. While the ceiling is high in parts, your window is not. As your wainscot gets higher your beautiful window is diminished proportionally. I would, however, consider adding a 4-1/2 - 5' long, no more than 12/14" high, piece of black wrought iron above the window centered about at the 9' level. If the top of the window was a whole half round, it would be taller, and the taller wainscoting would not be an issue.

Susan Wiliams There you are again with something that never hit me....you are so right on about diminishing the window. And guess what? When I read your suggestion about a wrought iron piece, I just remembered I took down a piece that I did not know what I was going to do with it from another room. And it is 48" long and 18" wide....here it is...forget the piece of blue tape. A little piece broke off and needs to be put back on....is this what you have in mind?

Barbara Griffith Designs Exactly!

Barbara Griffith Designs Build from it by adding other black touches in the room. Can't see chair fabric or rug..maybe there is a place for a little more black.

Susan Wiliams table furniture is darker with ivory fabric, glass in lay on top, black rug with golds, greens, tans and the same cincinnation red like the walls. Dark wrought iron stand by bar between kitchen and dining room. I am so glad about that piece working somewhere :) And just a perfect suggestion. I had it above our back door in our LR. Now it has a new home :)

Barbara Griffith Designs I think you are on a roll. It all sounds wonderful..I would love to see the finished product. Let me know if I can help in any way. You can send me an email if you like.

Susan Wiliams I can't thank you enough Barbara for all your time and suggestions. I most certainly will send photos of the finished product or if I have questions along the way to the finished product:) THANK YOU!

Barbara Griffith Designs My very best to you.

blindsdirectcanada Love the shutters . You can always add decorative drapery panels to frame the window to add a bit of color.

Susan Wiliams Barbara, in painting my ceiling in the living room that has the trey, would I paint in the same finish that is on the walls? I like the Hannaford and my walls are painted in Satin so should i do the ceilings in satin too?

Barbara Griffith Designs I really like all surfaces, walls & ceilings in a matte..flat finish..it is all I ever use.

Barbara Griffith Designs In your case, since you already have satin on the walls, I would still paint the ceiling flat..I don't think you need more light bouncing around.