Besides being a best-selling author and interior designer, Clare Collective ambassador Orlando Soria knows paint. “I studied painting in grad school and it taught me very early on about all of the possibilities that paint provides,” he says. “As a designer you’re always striving for a balance between being aspirational and accessible. I like paint because everyone can relate to it. It’s a universal way to make your home feel good.” 

Before

So it felt natural to partner with us to re-do his Los Angeles guest room—painting the ceiling a color. It was an interesting challenge; he’s been slowly updating his place with paint over the last two years. “Normally I recommend people paint a house when they move in to get that fresh start that paint provides,” says Orlando. “But here, I was intrigued with using a color on the ceiling.”

After

When Painting the Ceiling a Color, Try an Unexpected Hue 

In a twist on the traditional, instead of going with a white ceiling, Orlando used Timeless on the walls, Wing It on the ceiling and finished the room with trim in Whipped. The creamy white of the walls complements the barely-there pink and puts a twist on the classic colored walls and white ceiling combo. Also, adding paint to a ceiling is less work than repainting the walls while still being a bold way to reimagine a space.

Create a Cohesive Palette Throughout the Room

“Painting the ceiling provides an unexpected moment when you enter the room. In order to tie the pink ceiling into the rest of the space, I repeated different shades of pink throughout,” says Orlando. He started with the drapery wall in the deepest shade of pink. Beyond tying in the ceiling, it creates an intentional base behind the bed–a great solve if you need to put a bed frame against a wall with windows. Paired with the spindle bed frame, it still allows light in, but creates a focal point in the room. 

“When you want to add an accent color, repetition makes it feel intentional and not just like a random one-off. I originally had white and beige bedding but I dyed it pink to continue to move the color through the room,” he says. The shiplap texture on the ceiling adds texture, while the graphic black and white rug helps ground the space and keeps the pink from feeling too sweet. 

Let Color Help Set the Tone

“Pink is versatile, it feels like a neutral and it’s one of my favorites to decorate with,” says Orlando. “It pairs with everything: gold, ochre, warm wood and so many other finishes. It makes the room feel warm and inviting—exactly how a guest room should feel.” 

Looking for more colorful ceilings? Don’t miss these.

• This Dining Room Invents the Subtle Painted Statement Ceiling
• How a Duo of Living Room Colors Made Sense of a Tricky Open-Concept Space
• Peek Inside this Charming Indoor Sunroom for Ideas You’ll Want to Copy, Stat