Without seeing pictures of your style it's hard to advise. Plank ceilings can look cottagey.

you might get the pretty look you are after by just hanging thin (1/4") drywall over the popcorn ceilings. The popcorn does not have to be removed. Yes, drywalling, tapeing and sanding is a dusty job but may be worth it to have all the same ceilings.

I have no design style--haha. Light and airy is all I can say for my preferences. I have a lot of hand me down furniture which is pecan and darker but I also have some light antique stain pieces (cottage looking) and a darker pie table from the 20s and a vintage telephone table. I have a gorgeous crystal antique chandelier. I love creams, pinks, and pale greens. I don't like the fussiness of shabby chic with all the ruffles though. Granny chic maybe? Also, my walls are not in great shape. They had layer after layer after layer of wall paper. I was poor when I moved in here so I removed myself to best of my ability. The walls still have wall paper backing and seem bumpy/ridge-y in places. I have painted a flat white.

i like planked ceilings, but i think planked ceilings everywhere might be a bit much, especially with 8' ceilings. also, i don't know how much lower planked ceilings would make you ceiling- an inch?

i would want to remove it, but would choose drywall over it if removal isn't a real option...

Thanks for input. I am leaning towards covering with drywall. Removing seems really, really messy and expensive.

We are going through something similar except have the swirls instead of the popcorn in every room. Complete removal, skim coat, cover with drywall, or cover with beadboard or planking is pretty much the options. Each option has their pros and cons, although if the home is older like ours, asbestos can play a roll, which could make complete removal more costly and difficult. In our lower level we have ceilings that are shorter than 8 ft, we are DIY skim coating, which with the right tools (magic trowel, paint roller, and spray bottle), seems to be working out just fine, although it's messy and takes some time. Upstairs the ceilings are taller, at about 8 feet, and I'm considering either covering them with primed plank style boards or new drywall. I'm thinking that covering with the boards would be less messy than new drywall and possibly more forgiving, although I am wondering about how busy it could look visually.

Some examples I've been looking at:

A DIY blog where they covered up their ceilings in all their rooms, I think their ceilings are only 8 or 9 ft tall.
https://lifestyleanddesignonline.com/2014/01/29/the-best-decision-we-ever-made/

Another DIY blog where planking was done with faux beams in a kitchen with 8 or 9ft ceilings, and a master bedroom where she did beadboard and faux beams to cover up the ceiling.
http://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2014/01/kitchen-chronicles-finished-plank/

http://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2014/04/kitchen-chronicles-the-reveal/

http://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2014/08/master-makeover-reveal-html/

I think I would have the popcorn tested and know what you are actually dealing with and then decide if you would rather have it removed now, assuming the worst, or wait and hope it will not be a problem in the future. Guessing you will have to disclose on a sale that you sandwiches it up.

If you do decide to plank, I would think it would be a much nicer project to work on with a smooth surface. And look at your home and decide if a plank ceiling fits with the home or if it might look like a dated style in a few years.