Freshly decorated room with Zhoosh paint on the ceiling

The Fifth Wall

Posted on December 16 2021, By: Zhoosh Team

Have you heard about the fifth wall in your home?

When you hear someone talk about the ‘fifth wall’, you may know of the acting term, when someone in character interacts directly with the audience or refers to other characters in an objective sense.

But there is another Fifth wall and it runs throughout your home.

It’s traditionally known as the ceiling, of course, but it’s something that deserves just as much attention when it comes to your décor, as the other four walls in every room.

The usual approach to the fifth wall is a light shade – white, cream – to contrast with the rest of the room and emphasise light and height.

But going for a darker colour, the same as the walls, or to complement them, can add a whole new atmosphere and it’s certainly an approach that’s worth considering.

Colour wash the lot

If you’re feeling particularly good about the colour you’ve chosen for your walls, why not be bold and go all the way? A room that embraces one colour, across skirting boards, coving, doors and the ceiling can feel amazing – really cosy, even when quite large. Make sure your furniture and soft furnishings provides contrasting tones, colours and textures to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Complementary colours

You might not feel confident about going all out, so instead you could look at going a shade lighter or darker on the fifth wall, like our Hip Hop Grey with our Pop Grey. Or even choosing a colour that is completely different but brings out the best in the main colour – our paint patches colour pack can really help with this.

Bit of blocking

A colour block effect that starts on the wall and works its way over the ceiling can provide a great point of interest. It can also be used to zone an area for example acting as a headboard in a bedroom, or a dining space in a kitchen. Use a quality tape like FrogTape to ensure clean lines and no paint bleed, as eyes will be drawn to this.

Embrace the dark

It can sound a lot, going completely dark on the walls and on the ceiling, and you might think that it could make your room feel smaller, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you have natural and artificial light and well-chosen accessories. Blues, greys, greens and purples mimic nature and shades like our Rock Blue Paint feels like the night sky, creating a wonderful ambience.

It can sometime feel quite a leap, going with colour on the fifth wall, if you have been used to white up there. And it doesn’t have to be used in every room in your home. But if you are going to consider it, then take your time to look at your space, light and furniture. All these things, when chosen well, should work together brilliantly to bring you a mindful, restful room.

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