I love brick flooring. My sister has brick floors in her kitchen and they're really lovely.

When I think of knotty pine, the words that come to mind for me are cozy, simplicity and natural elements. Fabrics especially with prints and lighter colors.

Unless it's in poor condition or you really just hate it, I wouldn't necessarily paint the knotty pine because it can be so pretty. Instead of using more wood for the furnishings though, I'd bring in painted furniture.

I also think of natural materials. Stone flooring (slate, limestone, etc) maybe covered with cozy rugs. I think of light weight fabrics - mixtures of light solids and muted patterns. I think of painted furniture or upholstered furniture with minimal additional wood. I also definitely think the addition of metals (either brass or silver-toned) in chandeliers, lamps, drapery rods, etc would be helpful to break up the wood and bring some light and contrast.

I realize that this isn't a log/knotty pine house, but Sarah's House Season 3 involved decorating (and remodeling of course) a farm house. I could see farm house decor such as she has used fitting in very well with a log/knotty pine home.

You could look up pictures of log home interiors for some idea's. Personally I love this look but I also like to add color to the room where I can. Terri

IMO, shiny surfaces will just look extra, extra shiny next to the more natural "softer" look of the wood. Our home is largely wood inside - some walls, all ceilings, all trim. I used colors to complement the wood, darker furniture (mahogany, old cherry, some painted peices), and plenty of textiles to add texture, depth and color. Out of personal preference, I avoided a lodge theme-type look. Our house comes across more as casual plantation style.

If the thought of wood on wood with your architectural elements and furniture scares you, you might consider looking for inspiration in Craftsman decor. It frequently combines wood walls/trim/built-ins/ceilings/floors with wooden furniture to no disadvantage, and may give you some ideas for colors that may complement your surroundings.

I'm one of those who think knotty pine is sadly underappreciated. Housewitch's home sounds gorgeous to me. As an alternative to an inhaler in your case, though, maybe you could try stripping the rooms down for a serene modern look to complement the warmth of the wood? Maybe white slipcovers for the summer? That's a look guaranteed to make me stop and fantasize when I come across it in those sophisticated glossy magazines. :)

Also in reference to Sarah's house, I loved what she did with the cottage (http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahscottage/default.aspx). I don't know what they did to the knotty pine (stain?) but it lookes so soft and lovely. Anyhow, check out the decor and if possible, post pictures of the space and you'll be sure to get tons of ideas and feedback!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sarah's Cottage

I think I'd get wood fatigue also and might try a white-wash technique in some rooms. Perhaps a bedroom or even just on a ceiling.

The link Chris11895 posted shows Sarah's bunkie at her cottage. This is Sarah's answer to the treatment they did on the pine walls:

Sarah Richardson says,
"In order to get the effect we achieved with the whitewashing we simply rolled semi-transparent oil-based stain tinted in a variety of shades (see the source guides) and then brushed the joints to ensure an even application. Be sure to test an area first and perfect your technique before rolling away! We did not wipe off the stain as recommended because I wanted greater coverage, but the effect was achieved with a single coat. Note: You cannot apply a whitewash stain over panelling which has a urethane coating - it won't penetrate (the only solution here is to paint it in a solid stain)."

IMO if the walls have a urethane coating you could do another urethane coat with the addition of some paint. Test it on a scrap of wood or in an inconspicuous place like inside a closet to see if the proportions of paint and urethane gives you the finish you want. You should still see the wood grain but the overall effect will be lighter if white paint is used, and a faint tint of color if a colored paint is used. Always use the same type of paint and stir carefully and frequently as it settles.

If you don't want to paint the walls you might use window treatments outside the edge of the windows so they cover part of the walls. Using lots of art or hangings on the walls will give more interest and cover more wood. Use either lots of neutrals or lots of color in WT and furniture, whichever your preference.

I would probably use lots of colored/patterned area rugs such as Oriental or southwestern styles. Or seagrass if you go for a neutral look.

Alternatively you could just embrace the wood look and use wood furniture in different tones and lots of dark fabrics in WT and upholstery. Cozy cabin style.

I have an A-Frame in NH and struggled with decorating around a lot of Knotty Pine. I finally decided to bring the outdoors in with an old world/wine country theme. Some of the walls are drywall so I painted them a taupe, lightened up the windows with light beige faux wood blinds, made toppers for the windows with taupe and medium forest green brushed cotton with a trim of taupe, green and burgundy. I have overstuffed taupe furniture on which I have burgundy, dark gold and green throw pillows and accents. I used wine country and old world pictures and placemats (kitchen and living room are open to each other). The fireplace has gray verigated stone, so I bought some of the accessories to highlight the gray. The old world/wine country theme really blended nicely with the knotty pine without looking too modern or country(which I hate). The palette of colors softened and warmed the knotty pine without the traditional need to display snowskis over the fireplace or bears, elk or guns. Hope this helps.