The Overlooked Step That'll Make Your Accent Ceiling Pop

When you've got a room that could use a little invigorating, you could try out one of the accent wall ideas trending in 2025 — or you could see what an accent ceiling could bring to your room. To do so, you use paint (or another material like wallpaper or wood) to make the ceiling a different color than the room's walls. It's an unexpected way to add color to a room with white walls, and creates visual interest and depth in a room to give the entire space more character.

But there's one step many people overlook when they're creating an accent ceiling. They add color only to the ceiling, instead of adding molding or trim to the upper wall and extending the color to the trim. If you add this step, the effect is a more seamless transition, drawing the eye up to the accent — adding even more depth and intrigue to your space.

It's easier than you may think to create an accent ceiling where the color or pattern extends to an added trim. First, choose a molding you want and add it around your room. If you want an easy DIY project, some retailers offer peel and stick trim so you can easily install your own no-tools-needed crown molding. One decorator recently shared that she installed the molding about 8 inches below the ceiling, though you can try different spacing options to see which works best in your room. In general, rich colors and more extension work best in high ceilings, whereas a smaller extension and more subtle colors would work best on low ceilings. This way, you're not making a wall seem unnecessarily shorter, and the room will still feel airy and open. 

Once you've settled on molding placement, get to work painting your ceiling and allow the color to extend down to the trim (be sure and tape off below the molding to protect the wall color). If your room already has trim between the ceiling and wall, you can play around with different ways to best incorporate it. You could extend the paint color you've chosen for your accent ceiling to the trim or leave it white to separate ceiling and wall colors. Or, you could find a third color that complements the other two. Together, the trio can add extra dimension and pops of color, elevating the overall feel of the room without making a drastic change.