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color ceiling?? should I paint beams? we are startin

14 years ago

We are brightening up our newly purchased house and it was very very dark. All trim unpainted etc. the family room is vaulted and we have BM White dove on all the trim and bookcases, dark hardwood and vaulted ceiling with dark beams. If the walls are Dove wing which is a very pale Grey/beige what would you do the ceiling in???? We were considering doing the beams in the white dove too but are considering leaving them as is. What does anyone suggest on both??? About to paint in a day or 2.

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Lori A. Sawaya
14 years ago
It depends on the beams.

I live in the SW and it's funny how many of my fellow mid-westerners move down here and seriously consider painting ceiling beams. Here they are called vigas and they are a MAJOR architectural feature. Many of them are custom from Santa Fe.

I remember one guy mentioned that a couple were "cracked" and didn't they need some spackle? :~D Um, nope. Ya don't spackle or paint vigas 'cuz they're actually pretty impressive and important just the way they are.

So it depends. If you look at those beams and think ooogly "railroad ties" then maybe you should paint them. If you take another look and appreciate how they might be a very important *part* of the overall architectural style and construction of your home, then maybe you will embrace leaving them as they are.
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Yeah I don't typically like fake ceiling beams, but I wouldn't find these all that offensive if they were white. Just make sure you use the right kind of paint or hire someone to paint them who knows what they are doing. There are sadly even a lot of "pro" painters who will come over, give you a cheap bid, and then just spray a couple coats of latex over it and call it a day. They will need a sanding, a sealing vinyl or shellac primer, and then a trim enamel made for wood, which means NOT latex. I will tell you that I think BM-Advance paint is overused on things it is not appropriate for like cabinets, but for trim the spray finish on that stuff will look like a million dollars on your beams.
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