skip to main content

Home Decorating Remodeling Design Dilemma

Painting ceiling - what to do with dark beams?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hi Houzzers.

Mid-remodel. We are painting the tongue & groove ceiling pictured here white to match the walls which will also be painted white. Floors will be lightish white oak. What do do with the beams? I would love to sand them down to natural but I don't think that's in our budget. I could leave them as is but worry the dark color would be jarring. I could paint them white to match the ceiling but not sure that's the right direction either....Our style is clean, contemporary, comfortable. Help! Thank you!

p.s. this is a 1973 SoCal townhouse so there is nothing in any way historic or design-siginficant about these beams!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

calidesign
3 years ago
Since you're using a light white oak on the floors, I'd paint the entire ceiling including the beams white. Or start by painting the beams white and then see if you want to paint the whole ceiling.
0
Jenn Powers thanked calidesign
Hannah Wolfson
3 years ago
For our 1970s remodel, we painted the walls and ceiling (not tpungue and groove) white and left the beams dark (we actually re-wrapped them and stained darker because the old ones were reddish cedar ans wouldnt take stain). We have light floors. the contrast works.
0
Jenn Powers thanked Hannah Wolfson
Related Discussions
Ceiling beams...what do you do in the other rooms?
Q
Comments (11)
ll, My home isn't complete yet so it's still a little "raw" if you will. Here is a photo of the kitchen from the family room. By bb19 at 2012-02-27 picture looking from back hall at opening to foyer through kitchen By bb19 at 2011-12-31 upstairs playroom By bb19 at 2011-12-06 All of the other rooms downstairs are painted sheetrock. I used reclaimed beams so the cost was too much to place the beams on all of the ceilings. dekeoboe is correct in that if you can use load bearing beams it would be best.
...See More
Painting dark wood beams
Q
Comments (1)
Will you be painting only the beams? What color is the rest of the ceiling?
...See More
Floors/ceilings/beams- what should i do?
Q
Comments (12)
Your inspiration photo is not a stain. It is the colour of the wood species with a coat of finish over it. Your ceiling is probably a different species of wood. I think yours is pine (I'm guessing). The inspiration looks like fir. Fir is a much softer yellow whereas pine can be a STRONG orange. You could strip the finish (which is probably an oil based finish that turns orange all by itself) and then see what colour you have underneath. Then you can SEAL it and then apply a few coats of WATER based finish over top to stop it from getting DARK ORANGE as it is now. You *might get it a step or two lighter....but it will not go as light as your inspiration photo. And the reason you need a sealant is TANNIN PULL. Many species of wood exhibit tannin pull (the orange colour bleeds into the surface finish = turns yellow/orange). This is made WORSE with water based finishes. Therefore you will require the sealant over top of the raw wood. Then you apply a few coats of water based finish. Again, I think you will get a colour that is half way between the two photos you are showing. Whew. All that work just to get a slightly lighter ceiling. Personally I would leave the beams, paint the slatted planks of the ceiling white (after stripping and priming...and priming again because of tannin bleed). Then I would tackle the flooring. It is easier to strip down to raw wood...and then look at a water based finish that will be two steps lighter. Those two things will get you CLOSER to your inspiration photo.
...See More
painting/whitewashing dark stained beams and ceiling
Q
Comments (0)
My den and kitchen have dark stained beams and ceiling. I would like to lighten things up, but would still like to see the natural features of the wood. I would like a “white washed” effect. Advice on how to do this?
...See More
Related Professionals
Bloomingdale Interior Designers & Decorators · East Tulare County Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Glen Carbon Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Rochester Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Charleston Interior Designers & Decorators · Anchorage Architects & Building Designers · Yeadon Architects & Building Designers · Newnan Furniture & Accessories · Fort Carson Furniture & Accessories · Bell General Contractors · Langley Park General Contractors · Millville General Contractors · Randolph General Contractors · Villa Park General Contractors · Wright General Contractors
calidesign
3 years ago
Wrapping the beams in the same material as your floors could work. They can be slightly darker than the floors, but probably not as dark as they are. If your ceiling is fairly low though, it might be better all white.
Scandi Modern · More Info
0
cat_ky
3 years ago
I usually like leaving the beams stained, but, in your house, I would paint them all white like the ceiling will be.
0
Jenn Powers thanked cat_ky
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
IMO we need to see the whole space to answer this question. Do you love the beams ? Maybe the answer is to drywall over them and not have a T&G ceiling at all.
0

Related Stories

CEILINGS Box Beam Ceilings

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

COLOR Painting Rooms with Dark Colors

DECORATING GUIDES The Fifth Wall: Creative Ceilings Take Rooms to New Heights

By Toronto Interior Design Group

A plain white ceiling isn’t always the best choice for a room. Consider these options for soothing to stunning effects

ARCHITECTURE Ceiling Treatments Worth a Look

By Tiffany Carboni

Add beams, boards and other embellishments to that blank expanse for a room that looks dressed from head to toe

REMODELING GUIDES Design Details: Rustic Beams

By Lily Gahagan

Treat Your Eyes to the Warmth of Reclaimed Wood at the Ceiling

DESIGN DICTIONARY Coffered Ceiling

Sturdy does it, with beams and panels that evoke old-world artisanship and charm

Dramatic Ceilings

By Becky Harris

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Living and Painting in a Converted 1870 Woolen Mill

By Esther Hershcovich

With a gallery, an art studio and river views, this industrial-style home in Canada is just right for its forward-thinking owners

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Renovation Detail: The Blue Porch Ceiling

By Rachel Grace

Ghostly legends spurred the Haint Blue porch ceiling trend in the South, but you can pick this color just because it's pretty

MOST POPULAR Heads-Up Hues: 10 Bold Ceiling Colors

By Jennifer Ott Design

Visually raise or lower a ceiling, or just add an eyeful of interest, with paint from splashy to soothing

Sponsored

More Discussions

Living\Family Room layout advice

78

Help designing living room and from scratch

16

Maidenhome Varick + Do they ever have sales?

13

Help updating our dining room

3

Living Room fireplace and wall color

5