Leave the ceiling beams, paint the trims and especially the oversized trim over the doors and windows, and lighten up the staircase. You will still have a nice feel without it looking dated or heavy. You could also paint the walls a more creamy white. If you want to play up the meditterranean style a bit have the walls painted in a mottled faux finish or venetian plaster. This will soften the rooms and warm it up!

Jpfox- 1. Your interior is very different 2. It may not have been a good idea, the wood did look better, less "Miami Vice"

You've received lots of great advice here! I like the idea of sanding the wood to a lighter, more natural color. One thing I would definitely recommend is to paint the walls - the stark white provides too much contrast. Or, consider painting the ceiling a warm caramel-type color to provide less contrast, and tie in the floors.

Don't paint the wood! Love the high contrast. Change the floor. It is very dark and heavy. Weighs the room down.

Don't paint the beams! Please! I agree with painting the walls or ceiling instead.

Your beams look flat because they are halfway done they need dimension and depth and in order to achieve that they need to be fauxed. I would add some lighter color paint to the beams and then wipe off. After that they should be varnished, that will add dimension and depth to the wood. I would then paint the walls a color that compliments the look you are going for. Banisters can be painted.

I would definitely paint the walls before I painted those beams. Walls look stark.

DONT DO IT !!

Please don't! They are beautiful, and add to your home's value. Paint the walls something to complement them, and create the fresh, modern look through your furniture and accessory selections.

I love the beams, in fact I have that same look in my place and I'm calling rustic modern Using all modern furniture and modern & rustic/earthy accessories. I love it. But I think if you want white wood go for it. The trim has simple modern lines already. Kevin

Why don't you live with them, go all out on your preferred decor and then decide after 6 months to a year?

Your house with the dark beams is SO much more attractive than the bland white on white one you posted as an inspiration. I think it would be a big mistake to paint your beams.

PLEASE DON'T PAINT THOSE BEAMS!! look at pictures of spanish mediterranean homes because you are set up for that kind of amazing ambience! Good Luck!

, https://www.houzz.com/photos/1512-dolphin-terrace-beach-style-hall-los-angeles-phvw-vp~235520

Other inspirations. Do what works for you!

No! Don't paint beams, they are an archtectural feature most people search for. Softening the windows with treatments would help, plus good area rugs. Please proceed to furnish, then make a decision about the beams. So glad we didn't paint ours -actually encased them in a lighter oak,and they add to our 70's custom home in a neautral livingroom.

I think the beams are lovely and would recommend painting the walls a warm cream such as Alleys Earring from Benjamin Moore; it will warm the space a make the beams look less bold. If the budget allows I would recommend dark wood floors...it would be stunning and give you a totally fresh look.

I think you should leave the beams as they are.

The photos make it look like the wood is a dark espresso color. I think it really works well with the white walls and the tile floor. So I'd say no to painting.

If this is your dream home and you plan on staying there do whatever your heart desires. Personally I love white beams and white wood work over the dark. But if you plan on selling in the near feature I would keep with the homes original state.

Hardwood also might make a huge difference here

Don't paint it, change the floor to large light polished tile

If the ceilings were lower I could understand the cave mentality, here it gives depth and interest to your extremely high ceilings. I think changing the railing be a big change for the better. Your inspiration room is very nice too. A lot of people will have trouble with balancing all the expanse of white with their decor. I'd say the best advice here if you have any doubt is to live with the beams for 8 months.

i think dark brown is best for ur wooden things & u should reconsider white on wood bcoz walls are also white..

We could offer a more robust argument if you would provide a close up of the timber elements in question. If it is rough hewn or even less than smoothly finished, painting it white will not look modern. It will look like a hack home decorating project. It may be possible to white wash them. Our opinions and your decision will be more informed by knowing: the age and architectural style of the house, the size of the beams and whether they are structural or decorative, and the kind of wood and finish. There have been a lot of comments encouraging you to go ahead and paint the heavy lintel over the door. Not so fast! You may be missing the most authentic, interesting, and ultimately valuable part of your house. The wisest advice you've been given here is to do everything you can possibly do to achieve the modern and clean lighting and look you're after without violating the original structure. Then decide.

don't paint the beam please please

@po8475..hi. Do you want to post your room separately regarding painting the ceiling? I this your ceilings are lower and have a wood ceiling as well. In your case it may be a great solution to paint. Give it a post and see what houzzers say. Whitewash may be a good solution for your ceiling.

It is too early to decide. What type of furniture? What wall and ceiling color? (always paint ceiling a color)These will determine what color the beams and trim should be..but don't limit your choices to dark or white.

Another comment, to me the home is transitional. Not Mediterranean as a lot of comments have said. I feel the room has good bones and I would change anything. But your feelings are yours and it's your home. The finial post of the railings could be cut off flat. If I were to do anything to make it more modern I would change the flooring. Big money there though. That would make the space more modern than painting out the beams white. I use to like all white wood work but that's when I was more traditional. Now that I have gone modern It's all about simple clean lines. Less & larger accessories. Open space. The look of modern now is not white ,white,white.... It is warmer & earthy so the beams work. I would go out and buy a huge deep shag rug to cover up a lot of the tile. Then work with furniture & accessories to go the modern route. Dark espresso wood colors are very modern and it looks like the beams lend towards that. Have fun. Kevin

Bumping this cause I'm really curious about others opinion. I really have no answer. I like it the way it is, but would like white too. Very undecided. What do the want the room to be?

I played with a few different styles in photoshop and I think lightening up the wood on the ceiling, windows and beams above the doors brings the room up to date and shows off these nice original details.

Please wait a while and really think about ALL of these options & great ideas.
I walk out of houses that have been painted white. White bores me. It reminds me of all of the other cookie cutter houses your neighbor lives in, across america.
We have a huge, thick, dark fireplace mantle on a 2 story diagonal fireplace. I was going to paint it or replace it because it looked so dark & 70's to me, but I am so glad I didn't. Instead, months later I changed what was on the fireplace mantle, flooring & pieces in the room that now compliment it. What a difference and my house does not look like the neighbor's white family room, kitchen & bedrooms.

Paint them. You have to live there. It will look fresh, and you will hate it till you do. It's just old fashioned train of thought to think you can never paint wood. If you are concerned about resale, maybe ask a realtor, but when we looked at homes we would rather have clean fresh open than dated(not saying yours is dated) just really trust your gut.

Also looks good with just the ceiling and door beams lightened.

Bottom line paint anything & everything you want to. I have painted & stained brick , woodwork & furniture. You can even paint or glaze the floor. There's paint & stains to cover everything from wood ,plastic and everything in your home. With that know you can always refinish the beams back to the dark in the future. You had stated you wanted Modern and every finish is in a modern look. Kevin

I think that the problem is the shade of white that is used - if it were a warmer, creamier white, the room wouldn't look so stark - as i the pictures posted by decoenthusiaste - I would do that first, and live with the results and have a very very long think about painting the beams etc. -
I wouldn't paint them, but make them the best feature of the house

Definitely paint it...

BOY-feel way outnumbered here but I say PAINT them!!!!! I LOVE white wood and I think you will be very happy. If you want a little contrast, you can paint your walls a creamy white (what I did) and then the woodwork stands out just a little. I pickled my beams in our house and I wish I had painted them white. White woodwork was everywhere in the forties and I still love to watch those old movies and drool. Its seems to be coming back and I do not think you will regret it. The architecture draws the eye and does not need a dark paint to make it stand out. It is much more subtle and classy when it is quiet. But then, I am a furniture "painter" and I know a lot of folks that think I'm crazy for slapping chalk paint on a vintage wood dresser, but you know what? The painted dressers sell, the stained ones SIT. Good luck! Mary-The White Barn-OKC ;)

I say NO if painting the wood white destroys the original architectural integrity of the house, such as in the example posted above where the Asian-influence house seems completely altered now that the beams are painted white. I think that house has now been ruined and lost all of its original beautiful esthetics. It reminds me of the people who buy lovely old Craftsman style homes and slap white paint over all of the beautiful old woodwork, and then the next buyer comes along and labors long and hard to return it to its original state. Painting everything white in an inferior home where someone has added dark beams because they think it is a look they like but the beams have nothing to do with the original architecctural style is different than doing it in a house where the very essence of the house depends upon the dark structural forms above.

Furthermore, I don't understand why people buy a house with dark beams and immediately decide they need to paint everything white. I think the trouble comes when people move their furnishings into a house and it doesn't "stand up" to the architecture. It may also be the lighting - natural or artificial that is causing an emotional reaction, so make sure to investigate that before making a drastic change in such a valuable house. Your house is dramatic - and maybe as you furnish it with art, etc you will find the house pleases you more. If not, do something about it in the future, but I think it is good advice posted above for you to live with it for a year or two.

A Big NOOo NOOo nooooo no

Lighting as said before makes a big diff... Waiting is SMART.. furniture, decor, art, make a huge dif! Paint the walls!! They are easy to alter... those beams would be a sad mistake to regret;)

It is beautiful the way it is do not touch it!!!!!!

I do agree with jagood about keeping the integrity of the original design of the house, if it can be made to work with your possessions AND if the original design is GOOD. However, sometimes the original designer/builder doesn't do it quite right. And I also agree that furnishing the room will make a huge difference, and living with it for a year is very good counsel. But if it were me, I would have purchased a house that I could paint the wood white, because I love white woodwork and architecture.

Add short rods and curtains to the ends of the beam on the walls so the when u cover the walls with the curtains the illusion would be that you have bigger windows and those beams don't look like they are sticking out like that.

Yes, i would paint it. The beams make the space look so outdated! If not white, any color would help this place. It just makes the room look small. I like the classic white that you are thinking of. It really just depends on the look ur going for.

The White Barn - I also love white in many situations. Do a Google image search on "Nordic Interiors" if you want to see a sea of white rooms! Perhaps our desire for white is dependent upon how much natural sunlight we get in our homes? And some people need more than others?

I agree with you! I too have the dark beams they are rough and a very dated look not pretty oak beams or I might just lighten and enhance the wood. It could be a Spanish or Swiss look none of which I care for. I would love the bleached white ceiling planks so pretty. I love the picture links provided. You should update your home it will increase the value. Light floors will lighten it up tremendously.

DEAD THREAD - 2012 - poster never responded

DEAD THREAD - 2012 - no response from poster

Not dead to me it's a revelant subject to me and I doubt I'm alone ;-)

no, keep then black. everything else looks much cheaper