Should I paint my kitchen bulkheads?

Jean Myles
by Jean Myles
I have 2 bulkheads in my kitchen one on each side. Should I paint them the wall colour or treat them as part of the ceiling?
  18 answers
  • William William on Apr 05, 2016
    I would paint them the wall color so they "disappear". I also noticed you have some porcelain on the wall. Maybe a gallery shelf the full length of the bulkheads for displaying china, family pictures, collectibles which can be easily changed. A gallery shelf extends only a couple inches with a lip so nothing slips off.
  • Renee' R Renee' R on Apr 05, 2016
    Paint them the wall color. You don't want them accented and by not painting them, they kind of stick out. (no pun intended) Painting them make them less visible.
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 05, 2016
    I personally would paint them as ell.
  • MN Mom MN Mom on Apr 05, 2016
    They're technically part of the wall. Unless the ceiling is extremely high and you want to make it appear lower, you should paint it the same as the wall. If you want to bring attention to it, you can add some art, stencil or apply walls words
  • Sandra Sandra on Apr 05, 2016
    Of course, if the ceiling is very high and you want it to seem lower paint the color of the ceiling. It fools the eye.
  • KatAych KatAych on Apr 05, 2016
    I'd actually highlight them and call them out by displaying collectible plates up there or stenciling kitchen-related words.
    • Jean Myles Jean Myles on Apr 05, 2016
      @KatAych I am getting ready to down size and just removed the script I had on them. I like the words in the pic on the left. must save for my next place. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
  • HMoegerle HMoegerle on Apr 05, 2016
    Paint the beams a lighter shade of the color than the walls (which appear to be blue or gray)...a pastel against your white ceiling. (Put white paint into your wall paint until you get the shade you like.) This will minimize the contrast with the ceiling paint and, relative to the wall color, minimize the beams and help the wall color stand out.
    • Jean Myles Jean Myles on Apr 05, 2016
      @Thank You HMoegerle The walls are the palest blue. You have to look in the right light to tell there not white. So I think were on the same page Ty
  • Melissa Leach Melissa Leach on Apr 06, 2016
    I agree with HMoegerle, highlight the bulkhead with a lighter shade of the wall color and paint the ceiling white. It will draw your eyes up to create more space.
  • Andrea R Andrea R on Apr 06, 2016
    our kitchen was recently re-done and the carpenter painted them the color of the wall,which is a very pale icy blue,but,the underneath was painted white and the look is very sharp and neat,but very subtle.
  • Sharon Patnaude Sharon Patnaude on Apr 06, 2016
    If possible, consider adding trim to it and do same style on other ends of ceiling also and convert it to a Trey Ceiling and paint bulk head and trim white and the remaining ceiling, color of the wall, could make a great statement. Check out images of Trey Kitchen Ceilings in Google to see some options.. it actually isn't all that difficult to do..
  • Sharon Patnaude Sharon Patnaude on Apr 06, 2016
    Also could do something similar to this paint technique. This style would also bring drama to your ceiling while giving your bulkheads a more defined decorative purpose.
  • Pau5394553 Pau5394553 on Apr 06, 2016
    I paint mine the color of the wall?
  • Jax Jax on Apr 06, 2016
    sides painted the wall colour, underneath painted the ceiling colour will blend in best
  • Moxie Moxie on Apr 07, 2016
    I would paint them to match ceiling..if you define tbem with a different color it will visually sepetate the areas and make them not flow
  • Mimi Dean Mimi Dean on Apr 07, 2016
    I had these in the past and wallpapered them. It was easy and looked great. Or use stencils, decals, or other techniques. It's also a great place to hang small framed photos or other decorative items.
  • Stacia Elliott Stacia Elliott on Apr 07, 2016
    I have them all over the place. I paint the ones against the wall the wall colour to help them blend in and the ones mid ceiling I do the ceiling colour. I also find that way the colour isn't so blocky.
  • O.shag O.shag on Apr 08, 2016
    They are vertical so treat them as wall area. The underside is horizontal so treat as ceiling. Unless the point is to draw attention to them then paint, paper or stencil to contrast.
  • Linda Freiberg Linda Freiberg on Apr 11, 2016
    If you paint them the same color as the wall it will visually shrink your ceiling. It will visually expand the room if painted the ceiling color