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Interior Painting · Feb 2020
Vaulted great room: brick chimney painted, then stained wood ceiling to white planks and black beams
Vaulted great room: brick chimney painted, then stained wood ceiling to white planks and black beams. These are before, in-progress and after photos from the job, taken Feb 2020. This interior painting project was done by Larry Gaytos and the My Personal Painter crew. We are based in Florence, Kentucky, and our work is covered by a 2-year touch-up warranty.
Before and After Photos
Vaulted Great Room With a Whitewashed Brick Chimney, White Plank Ceiling and Black Beams
This great room has a cathedral ceiling, a brick chimney that rises to the peak and tall windows on both sides. The work happened in two stages. First, the tan brick was covered from hearth to ridge. The before photos show brown paper and blue tape over every window, a painter high on a telescoping ladder and drop cloths over the floor. Afterward the brick reads a soft, mottled white-gray, and the texture of each brick and the long raised hearth still show. In the second stage the room changed even more. The ceiling was a patchwork of brown stained planks with honey cedar beams and rafters. Now the planks are a clean white, and every beam, rafter and collar tie is a deep black-brown with wood texture showing through. The window trim and mantel were darkened to match. The walls are now a slate blue-gray, so the white ceiling and black beams stand out sharply.
Two Stages, Step by Step: Brick First, Then the Ceiling
- For the chimney, we covered the floor with drop cloths and hung paper over the tall windows and cedar trim on both sides, taped tight at every edge.
- A painter worked from a telescoping ladder to reach the peak, coating the brick in sections from the top down so drips never landed on finished work.
- The brick finish was brushed and worked into the mortar joints, leaving a soft, varied look rather than a flat, solid coat.
- For the ceiling stage, we protected the floors and furniture, then cleaned the stained planks so the primer could bond to the old finish.
- We primed the planks with a stain-blocking primer, since wood tannins and old stain can bleed through white paint, then cut in carefully along each beam.
- Two coats of white went on the plank ceiling, with the paint brushed into the grooves between boards so no wood color peeks through.
- The beams, rafters, window trim and mantel were finished in a dark black-brown, followed by the blue-gray walls and a final walk-through for touch-ups.
Paint Colors Similar to This White, Black and Slate Great Room
These are similar colors to consider for a white plank ceiling, dark beams and blue-gray walls, but they are not the exact colors used in this room.
Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005
A clean white close to the plank ceiling here, bright enough to lift a tall vaulted space without feeling icy.
Sherwin-Williams Black Fox SW 7020
A warm, very dark brown-black near these beams and window trim, softer than a jet black against white planks.
Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace SW 7076
A deep blue-charcoal in the same family as the slate walls, a good pick for a moody great room with dark trim.
Questions About Painting Wood Ceilings and Brick Chimneys
Can a stained wood plank ceiling be painted white?
Yes. The planks need cleaning and a stain-blocking primer so tannins and old stain do not bleed through. Paint must be worked into the gaps between boards. High ceilings need ladders or scaffolding and careful protection of the room below, so it is a bigger job than a flat drywall ceiling.
Should beams be painted or stained dark?
Either can work. A dark stain lets wood texture show, which suits rough-sawn beams like these. Paint gives a flatter, more even color. If beams are already finished, a test spot shows how well a dark stain or paint will take before you commit to the whole room.
How is brick painted near tall windows?
The key is masking. Windows and trim are covered with paper and tape so the brick can be brushed or rolled freely. Very tall chimneys need a safe ladder or scaffold setup. Working from the top down keeps drips off finished areas below.
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