To paint or not to paint a T&G pine vaulted ceiling.

Joan
by Joan
T&G pine ceiling ‘70s style. Installed because original white ceiling made room look cold and stark. Now thinking I should cover it up, but, what colour?
  14 answers
  • 17335038 17335038 on Feb 22, 2018

    Wow, that would be a huge job requiring a certain amount of agility. Is there a finish coating on the wood that would have to be sanded off before painting (in the picture it looks shiny......) It would also not be easy or cheap.


    Since the floor is also wood, I would keep the ceiling the way it is for now. If you are finding that the room is too dark as it is now, my suggestion is to install more light fixtures, hanging, or a large hanging ceiling fan/light. This would update the look of the room in a practical way.

  • Julanne Sharrow Julanne Sharrow on Feb 22, 2018

    It doesn't matter what product you use to cover the knots, they don't work! Eventually, the knots will bleed thru...just enjoy the way it is....at least it doesn't have to be painted!

  • Debbie West Debbie West on Feb 22, 2018

    IMO.....Paint! It will lighten up the whole space. I don't know if you are doing the work yourself or not, but it will be a vast improvement and worth the $$$ even if you have to hire a pro. Good luck!

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 22, 2018

    white wash it for a newer update

  • Robyn Garner Robyn Garner on Feb 22, 2018

    I agree that no matter the lighting, this room will continue to look dark and dated keeping the ceiling wood. I would paint or whitewash it if at all reasonably possible.


    If that is not possible, I would invest in a huge (or wall to wall) very high-quality carpet in white or cream to lighten the room.

  • Grace Gleason Grace Gleason on Feb 22, 2018

    Right: Whitewash it. Paint would cover everything (except the knots) . With whitewash, you will still see the woodgrain.

  • Mogie Mogie on Feb 22, 2018

    Whitewash the ceiling. That would still give you the wood look but not be so dark.

  • BJ Gayler BJ Gayler on Feb 22, 2018

    I think you would love the white wash look

  • Barbara Johnson Jernee Barbara Johnson Jernee on Feb 22, 2018

    No! It's beautiful!


  • Zac Builds Zac Builds on Feb 22, 2018

    Hey Joan, if you're going to paint the ceiling a light color make sure you use a stain blocking primer. You'll probably even want to do multiple coats of it!


    The knots in pine can easily stain through the thickest paint applications. It's honestly shocking what they can bleed through.

  • O.shag O.shag on Feb 22, 2018

    I personally like it, it's not cookie cutter. Have you tried cleaning it well? That alone might make a difference. If the room seems too dark maybe try adding more lighting first. Then if you're still not satisfied, whitewashing or pickling the wood would still allow that unique wood look to show while lightening it up. Painting will require a lot of prep work and might not be worth it if you can achieve satisfactory results by easier methods.

  • Jjsunflower😎 Jjsunflower😎 on Feb 22, 2018

    The wood is great like it os😎

    • Joan Joan on Feb 23, 2018

      Thank you everyone for your suggestions. The room looks darker in that photo than it really is as I had the curtains pulled over the window on the left (you can't see in the picture) to get a clearer picture. Also the ceiling does look a bit overwhelming in the picture - you don't notice it as much in reality. I hadn't thought about the knots problem and on balance quite a few respondents said 'leave it' , and considering all the 'hard work' comments - I think I will



  • Sassy Sassy on Feb 23, 2018

    If you really NEED to paint it, I would agree with whitewashing it, but since you want to add a little color, I would add just a hint of blue to the whitewash to mimic the sky. It is gorgeous.

  • Deb K Deb K on Mar 02, 2023

    Hi Joan, it all comes down to personal taste, I would look for a way to lighten the wood without losing the character, knots and grain. Maybe you could try to bleach it.

    https://www.hunker.com/12001645/how-to-bleach-knotty-pine