Dining Room Painting

Painting the Dining Room Ceiling

I finished painting the trim in the room a year and a half ago. We put up the wallpaper ages ago, back when I was pregnant with Eleanor. (By the way, wallpaper hanging is not a fun job for pregnant ladies.) That ceiling though? Never touched it. It was white when we moved in and I had always meant to paint it, but it was good enough for a long time. Over the weekend, I finally decided to go ahead and paint it.

I wanted to match the wallpaper background, but go a shade darker. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what color the background is though. It’s gray, yes, but it’s kind of a pinkish purpley warm taupey gray. I chose as best I could, and as it was going on, it looked decidedly purple. Not good. It turned gray as it dried though, so I think I’m committing to it, at least for a little while. I have to roll the ceiling, and then do an entire second coat (at least), but I think it’s going to be worth the effort.

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  • Sandra
    March 26, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Good for you for hanging wallpaper, pregnant at the time or not! I have done it in the past. Although I love love love interior painting, I leave the wallpaper hanging to the experts. Takes them soooo much less time and they do it better than I ever could.

  • Jamie Kalvestran
    March 26, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    Love the wallpaper! Good luck with the painting of the ceiling. I have a couple I should do too. Not so much fun.

  • Jeran
    March 26, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    Nice, I love grey!

  • Amy
    March 26, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    That color is perfect with the wallpaper. I love it.

  • Joy
    March 26, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    My ceilings AND walls are buttercream (ie: yellow), and I want to paint them, but the whole thought of it is kind of intimidating. Seeing you do it is inspiring me to just get in there and do it. Love that wallpaper, by the way — so full of personality!

  • Eleni
    March 26, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Great wallpaper and, as far as I can tell from my lousy laptop screen, the grey you’ve picked look really nice with it!

  • Jessica at Lavender and Lilies
    March 26, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    I love painting the ceiling. I did it my daughter’s room and now I want to paint every single ceiling in our house.

  • Jessica @ Decor Adventures
    March 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    It will look great. I’m dying to paint a ceiling, particularly the dining room ceiling.

    Love the color :-)

  • Marissa
    March 26, 2012 at 3:21 pm

    Looks great with the wall color! Is that a popcorn ceiling?

  • Jules
    March 26, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    I learned the hard way that if you have any eastern exposure, gray paint will turn purple on you fast. I finally found my perfect gray (13 samples later) by picking a green color. Garden Wall, by Behr.

  • Cheltz
    March 26, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    I’ve always loved that wallpaper (long time lurker here … )! I didn’t think this room could get any better, but painting the trim and the ceiling is going to do it. Congrats!

  • emily
    March 26, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Oh dear. I don’t envy you. I painted my kitchen ceiling a year ago, it’s backbreaking work! But oh so worth it when you’re finished. Good for you, looking forward to seeing it!!

  • Jenna
    March 26, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Is your ceiling popcorn? I kind of looks like it in the picture. How is that to paint? We have popcorn in almost every room of our house {yuck, yuck, yuck!}, and though I’ve been tempted to paint it, I always thought it was really hard to do. I think your ceiling is going to look fab!

  • Melissa @ HOUSEography
    March 26, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    I like it!! Can’t wait to see the finished room!

  • Jennifer
    March 27, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    It looks very pretty. What’s the name of the paint color?

    • Making it Lovely
      March 27, 2012 at 10:39 pm

      It’s “Fusion” from Benjamin Moore’s Advance line.

  • Nicole
    March 27, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    Looks great, love the print! Your work cntinues to inspire my own needed transformations in my home!!!! Thanks:)

  • rc
    March 31, 2012 at 2:05 am

    how do you manage to not get paint on the wallpaper?

    • Making it Lovely
      March 31, 2012 at 7:44 am

      I’m a good painter, but if it was a concern one could tape up plastic sheeting to cover it up.

  • Beth
    March 31, 2012 at 10:13 am

    Grey is really hard to figure out: I changed colors mid-project twice when we painted our living and dining room a light grey and medium grey, respectively, and I am still not happy with it.

    For what it’s worth, I think the grey you chose looks great with the wall paper!

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  • Frank
    June 11, 2012 at 9:46 pm

    Over time I have realized as much as i like wallpapers, they can be a pain in the butt. picking a wallpaper is a skill, if you pick a wrong one they can look clustered and not nice. you have done a great job in the dinning room. the wallpaper really brings out the tableware (pink) nice! I know you said the wallpaper was put up when you were pregnant. do you remember where you bought it and what it was called?