IMHO, you need to lighten that ceiling... a bunch, if you want to lean to a more contemporary style... and the cross beams aren't going to help... they really seem to weigh the room down.
As far as the flooring, to stain it a soft grey would definitely help...
When you suggest "Ebony"... be careful, because that term implies a BLAGK result... and may lead to confusion because there are so many stains labeled Ebony... but they are actually a dark, greenish brown color...not black (pic to follow).

Looks like it's a 2-1/4" Strip floor that has been "grooved" to make a simulated plank.

Also appears to be an older Red Oak (could be wrong), but Red Oak is tough to get nice greys out of because the RED/PINK undertone is hard to kill... unless you find someone who is experienced at "bleaching"... which would give a nice place to start.

This is what we refer to as "Ebony" or Ebonized... many/most floor people can't get there.

I agree it could be very difficult to get a good gray out of your current floor. Sometimes the best option is to stick with what you have lest you ruin it, and end up with something far worse.

Staining the flooring will come down to species and whether or not that species is easy to stain. For a more contemporary look, you might want to paint the slatted ceiling white but leave the beams their natural colour.

This will allow for a more transitional space, keeping it light and airy and allow you to work with a darker floor if that is something you would be interested in. Leaving the ceiling in this state will mean a dark floor will mean a dark room.

It is possible to strip the hardwood floor to find out the original colour of the floor. You can choose to work with a "clear coat" that does not yellow. This should tone down the oranges, allowing the more modern look of "bleached" wood to show through. The Europeans have clear coats on their floors which is what brought about the "bleached" floor look. The Bleaching is from the sun/UV...and the lack of ambering has allowed the lighter coloured wood to show through. That might be enough to get you the modern look without having to move to more difficult staining options.

Of course this is all dependent on the original species of wood.

Hi Jackie! Not sure when you posted this, but if you're still open to suggestions…I, too, would encourage you to paint out that ceiling, as well as the white band on bottom of blue wall. The back wall needs work too…that yellow toned paneling is quite distracting. And I think if you paint all walls and ceiling in light value you may find the room's proportions appear more balanced (ceiling is much too heavy). Also have you considered updating the fireplace? If you add a medium toned area rug and new fireplace surround (possibly cover the brick or re-work fireplace corner….there are many options), you may not need to change floor at all. Have fun! Twila

@tlouisem. Yes, we are still open to suggestions. Actually, we are doing a complete remodel. We will completely redo the fireplace and we already took down all the panels along the wall. We even opened up the left wall so it will be an open kitchen. I'm attaching a image of our progress so far. Please pardon the mess.

Go dark, very dark with the flooring and go from there.

I would paint the ceiling but leave the beams dark. Just looks really heavy to me with all that dark wood, but painting it out might highlight the beams.

I think that you will need to paint the ceiling white to open things up since your dark wood and heavy beams seem to be completely overpowering the room even with the wall removed:

This space needs height! Whitewash it all, go for either really dark, coffee colored stain, or light- 90's light honey tones are making a comeback!

this is the color tone i would have the floor be.

that way you can add in dark colors and bright colors for accents

Paint the bead board on the ceiling so the beams stand out.

what worries me is I hope the wall that you partially removed was not a "load baring" wall to the structure and you had an engineer take look before you just ripped it out of there, ....just saying. Being a decorative artist/painter for over three decades I would say most of the ideas above are very good ones. I would consider just taking the beams out all together being that they are only a pine. I am sure the only purpose they had was purely cosmetic and are not solid wood. The ceiling is too low for this kind of decor and too 1960's. I bet if you were to look around you could even raise the ceiling in a few areas to create some tray ceilings. Depends on what your elevations and reflected ceiling plan says in your drawings (if you have them)

Not the greatest pics or same style home as yours but you get the idea. We painted out the ceiling and the floors are honey pine. It makes everything feel very bright and airy.

I would leave your ceiling stained brown but paint the beams! It will open up the room and make your ceilings seem higher.

Another word of caution is if you want to keep that floor protected cover ALL OF IT and sweep it everyday just as if it were not covered at all. Trust me on this one, if I have seen it once I have seen it a thousand times, a covered floor only induces confidence and carelessness. Covering it with a few pieces of drywall is not going to protect it from rolling screws and nails under your feet. I have always used at least a masonite and made sure every trade cleaned up after themselves and all trash went into the dumpster. Unless you dont mind paying the floor refinishers a couple more thousand dollars to have to repair all the damage from what I see as an accident waiting to happen due to carelessness. Contractors are more respectful of a clean jobsite and more careful.

I would like for it to be natural wood for the floor, and white ceiling, and the walls beige or white, good luck!!!

That ceiling is too low to be anything but a white.

Great progress and great room to work with, look forward to seeing the after pictures. I love the wood ceiling, but vote for painting it white to add height and light.

White Ceilings. Black or Gray Beams.

I would paint the ceiling white or at least pickle it. It's too dark and heavy. You'd be amazed how much cleaner and larger your room would feel without all that dark wood hanging overhead. I'd strip the floors and use a clear coat sealer and I'd paint the wall wood or I'd pickle both for a light, more modern feel.

Here's another vote for painting the space between beams an off white that you carry to the walls and brick, and using a warm gray to wash the beams (watered down paint - it will retain the grain but actually lighten them - this is also called pickling). Then have the floor sanded and stained white / light. You will get the light you need bouncing around, still be able to see grain in the floor and have all the architectural feature of the contrast to the darker beams. Use a warm gray that is a medium tone - sort of a taupe on the beams (cut paint with water by 1/3 - it will actually lighten the beams but the grain will still read through. Look at cabinets in an off-white / tan that you lay out next to the refinished wood floor . .cabinets in sw naturel (great against white tops and backsplash tile) and wall color/ ceiling between beams like sw grecian ivory, beams like sw perfect greige. .. you can take the brick fireplace one shade lighter / render over it with stucco and paint it heron plume which is the white of perfect greige . . they all work together beautifully and the layered whites and neutrals will make it feel expensive and curated. . .
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7541-grecian-ivory/
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7542-naturel/
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6073-perfect-greige/

Hire a professional designer for help with coordinating a plan.

Thank you for all of your comments! We are planning to paint the ceiling white and add recess lights. Will leave the wood beams exposed as is for now to see how it looks. If we don't like the way it looks, then we may just paint it a dark color. But we think painting the ceiling white will give us more options for the floor color. We are still not sure what to stain the floors yet. We might go with a rich brown color.

Well I'm going to go opposite of what every one else has said and say paint the beams white and leave the ceiling dark. This will make the beams stand out as an architectural feature and the dark between the beams will raise the ceiling. The light beams will reflect light and actually brighten the ceiling up. Then you can go for as dark of a floor as you like.

The first picture is after everything was painted. The second picture shows the beams in primer and the ceiling light but there is still a small portion of one beam that was dark.

I would paint the ceiling light but leave the beams dark or even stain them darker like I would do the floors. Then add a light accent rug. Lighten the fireplace and take the design to the ceiling with light stone, tile, etc. Lighting, lighting is so important with a ceiling as this. Call an expert to give you suggestions on how this can be done to suit your desired design, tastes and compliment the room. It will be lovely! Have fun!

I used track lighting with fixtures that could I could position in different directions to project light past the beams.

The ceiling needs to be lightened. Off white with charcoal grey wood stain for the beams. Paint those red bricks in fireplace dark charcoal. Plaster the white ones with stucco painted same off white color as ceiling. Sand that floor to remove varnish and whitewash it then stain similar light charcoal wood stain as beams.

Since you're looking to contemporize the area I would paint the ceiling white and go Darker on the floors depending on what the original wood tones are and will accept. Even the greenish tone of the ebony above would have a good look. Then I would use the gray for your kitchen cabinets along with brushed or crome accessories. A nice blk/grey tone of granite with a third striation or even a stainless island top would send a nice message. Come to think of it, once the ceiling is painted the floor won't be as much of a problem and may not need to be changed at all.

I would Paint everything a warm white...including all brick on fire place, walls and all wood except the floor. buff and shine your floor.

I think its gorgeous more or less as is. I'd accentuate the uniqueness of this room and it's beautiful wood. I'd just paint the walls one color, maybe something light but with color. The fireplace brick looks like it might need repainting too. If you paint all the wood you'll regret it when styles change.

Embrace the mid century modern elements of the house. Don't fight them. Just search "mid century modern" on houzz and you'll see amazing examples of these beams done right that make the rooms still look open and bright.

White and grey

http://houzz.com/photos/542157

I'm a mid century fiend, so I personally I love the warmth of the wood beams in this style of house if the quality and craftsmanship are there, but I understand why people paint all or parts of it in white if they are lower ceilings to make the room seem larger.

You consider your style contemporary, which can tend to mean different things depending on the person. Do you like modern? If you embrace the style of the house that's exactly what you'll have.


Warm woodwork and beam example.
http://houzz.com/photos/737279

We wouldn't mind the dark ceiling if it was higher. However, they are only 8 ft high and makes the living feel very dark and heavy.

Jackie, please keep the photos of your renos coming. I enjoy seeing the progress. Your upgrades are looking wonderful! ^5's for a job well done.