Colour guides

Which finish for a ceiling?

The ceiling is the most brightly lit surface in the room — window light strikes it at a raking angle, pendant light from below — and the least well prepared: nobody wants to sand it. That is why the finish matters more there than anywhere: a sheen would reveal every board joint, every bump in an old plaster.

Here are the Mylands finishes to choose for a ceiling, from the general rule to the exceptions worth the detour.

Updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France colour team

The short answer

For a ceiling, Marble Matt Emulsion in almost every case: its velvet matt absorbs raking light and erases the flaws of the plaster. On a new or stained ceiling, a coat of wall primer first. In an unventilated bathroom, Multi-Surface Eggshell; for a lacquered ceiling that doubles the light, Multi-Surface Gloss — on a perfectly smooth ceiling only.

The finishes, one by one

6 finishes

The rule: a velvet matt

Marble Matt Emulsion

Pigment-rich depth with a velvet-matte soul

Very Matt
Washable
Scrubbable & Scuff Resistant
Class 1 scrub resistance — EN 13300
V1 High breathability — EN 1062-1

Suitable for
Interior Walls & Ceilings · Bathrooms

Our signature wall finish, formulated with crushed Carrara marble. It offers an unrivaled 15m² coverage per litre with a breathable, scrubbable surface that brings a rich, limestone-soft depth to any room. Independently rated at the highest scrub resistance (Class 1 — EN 13300) and the top breathability class (V1 High — EN 1062-1 / ISO 7783), it stands up to daily cleaning while letting walls breathe.

A ceiling wants matt, and as matt as possible. Our crushed-Carrara-marble emulsion diffuses light rather than reflecting it: board joints, filled cracks and the undulations of an old plaster vanish. It covers 15 m² per litre, which matters on a surface painted at arm's length, and it is washable — useful above a cooker. It is the finish for every ceiling in the house, bar the special cases below.

Our tip — Long-pile roller, two coats at right angles, working from the window into the room so you can see the misses.

Every colour in this finish →

Before: the new, repaired or stained ceiling

Wall Primer

The perfect base for plaster and lining paper

Suitable for
Interior Walls & Ceilings

A micro-porous sealing primer for interior walls and ceilings, formulated to even out porous or repaired plaster and reduce the risk of visible joins under lining paper. Because it is micro-porous it keeps walls breathable under Marble Matt Emulsion. For interior walls only; on lime plaster use Stabilising Primer instead.

New plaster drinks paint unevenly; a repaired ceiling keeps more porous patches around the filler; a ceiling stained by a leak or nicotine lets the ring bleed through two coats of emulsion. Wall primer settles all three: it seals and evens out the surface, and blocks stains. One coat, dry in a few hours, that saves a third coat of finish.

Our tip — On an old water stain, two local coats of primer before the general coat.

The ceiling in the colour of the walls and woodwork

Multi-Surface Dead Matt Paint

An ultra-flat, sophisticated heritage finish

Very Matt
Multi-Surface
Washable
Scrubbable & Scuff Resistant

Suitable for
Interior Walls & Ceilings · Interior & Exterior Woodwork · Interior & Exterior Metalwork & Radiators

A 5% sheen level dual-purpose paint designed for flawless 'colour drenching'. This environmentally conscious formula provides a completely flat, non-reflective finish across furniture, radiators, and woodwork.

When the ceiling joins the walls, cornices and doors in a single shade — colour drenching — Multi-Surface Dead Matt lets everything be painted in one 5% matt finish, including timber or plaster mouldings and ceiling roses. No surface shines more than another, and the room becomes a box of continuous colour.

Our tip — An ornate cornice in dead matt, in the wall shade, keeps all its relief: the shadow draws it, not the sheen.

Every colour in this finish →

The unventilated bathroom ceiling

Multi-Surface Eggshell Paint

Luminous low-sheen for effortless elegance

Low Sheen
Multi-Surface
Washable
Scrubbable & Scuff Resistant
Moisture Resistant

Suitable for
Interior & Exterior Walls · Interior & Exterior Woodwork · Interior & Exterior Metalwork & Radiators

A versatile 15% sheen finish that strikes a perfect balance between durability and soft luminosity. Ideal for interior and exterior transformations where a gentle, silk-like glow is desired.

In a ventilated bathroom, matt emulsion is enough for the ceiling. With neither window nor effective extractor, condensation settles on it every morning and a moisture-resistant finish becomes necessary: eggshell, a soft 15% sheen, washes and takes steam. Its slight lustre is an advantage here — it returns a little light to a room short of it.

Our tip — Same rule for the ceiling above a cooker without an extractor.

Every colour in this finish →

The lacquered ceiling

Multi-Surface Gloss Paint

High-glamour brilliance with enduring strength

High Shine
Multi-Surface
Washable
Scrubbable & Scuff Resistant
Moisture Resistant

Suitable for
Interior & Exterior Woodwork · Metalwork & Radiators

The ultimate statement finish. This high-reflectivity gloss provides a mirror-like depth of colour while offering our most durable protection against the elements and daily wear.

The spectacular exception: a ceiling in gloss, like a lacquer, that reflects the whole room and doubles its light. It is a decorator's move — a dark sitting room, a dining room at night, a small hallway — reserved for a perfectly smooth ceiling, since gloss reveals the slightest flaw. Apply with a foam roller, two thin coats, over a primer.

Our tip — A gloss ceiling in the wall colour — Huguenot, Observatory, Pleasure Gardens Green — for a dining room at night.

Every colour in this finish →

The gilded ceiling

Metallic

Light-catching lustre with a hand-burnished depth

Mid Sheen
Multi-Surface

Suitable for
Interior Walls & Ceilings · Interior & Exterior Woodwork · Metalwork & Radiators

A true metallic finish, built from fine metal pigments suspended in our paint rather than a flat colour. It shifts with the light across the day, giving walls, woodwork and metalwork the warmth of leaf without the gilding. Best applied over a toning base coat; on walls, ceilings, kitchen cabinets and furniture we advise a coat of our Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom over the top, in matt, satin or gloss.

The metallic finish is made of real suspended metallic pigments, and a ceiling is where it is loveliest: the light striking it at a raking angle makes the pale gold or bronze shimmer like metal leaf. It goes over a matching base coat and changes with the light through the day. For an alcove, a dining-room ceiling or a small room you want to feel precious.

Our tip — Pale Gold on the ceiling above walls in Huguenot or Duke's House: the most sumptuous small sitting room.

Why a ceiling wants matt

Light from a window crosses the room horizontally and strikes the ceiling at a raking angle. Under that light, any sheen becomes a revealer: the slightest relief throws a shadow, the slightest tape joint reads as a line. Matt, by contrast, diffuses light in every direction and smooths the relief away. That is why Marble Matt Emulsion is the finish for every ceiling — and why the exceptions above assume an immaculate ceiling.

White or colour?

A ceiling need not be white. A warm white beneath coloured walls, or the wall colour carried up onto the ceiling, often gives a taller, calmer room than a pure white that draws a horizon line. We discuss it in which white for a ceiling? and in our 8 colours for colour drenching.

How much paint?

Two coats of emulsion at 15 m² per litre: a 20 m² ceiling needs about 3 litres, a little more on primed new plaster. Our quantity calculator does the sum.

To compare every finish, find your finish.

Frequently asked questions

Which paint finish for a ceiling?

A matt, in almost every case: Mylands Marble Matt Emulsion, whose velvet absorbs raking light and hides the flaws of the plaster. A sheen would reveal every joint and every bump.

Does a ceiling need a primer?

On new plaster, a repaired or a stained ceiling, yes: Wall Primer seals the surface, evens out absorption and blocks stains. On a sound, already-painted ceiling, two coats of emulsion are enough.

Which paint for a bathroom ceiling?

Marble Matt Emulsion if the bathroom is ventilated; moisture-resistant Multi-Surface Eggshell if it is not.

Can you paint a ceiling in gloss?

Yes, and the effect is spectacular, but only on a perfectly smooth ceiling: gloss reveals the slightest flaw. Primer, then two thin coats of Multi-Surface Gloss with a foam roller.