The only way to do this without darkening is with an opaque color wash. You need to find a painter who is proficient at doing this. it is very difficult for the inexperienced. Something with a green tone will kill the red and make it look brown. in order not to darken it a white or light pigment will have to be added to the color mix as well. If you just want to kill the red and dont mind it a little darker then a diluted stain with a little green added to it should do the trick. the key here is that a hint of green will neutralize the red tones.

More likely red cedar. Not easy to change the tone of the wood.

I would leave the beams and paint inbetween use a good shellac based primer 2 coats and then what ever color you want 2 coats

I "wood" not have bought the house if that vast, prominent ceiling was something I didn't like.

I hope you understand how painting/washing that wood will kill the resale value of your house.

The only way painting or washing the wood would kill the resale value of the house is if it is done badly. There are plenty of painted ceilings-we see them ALL the time on Houzz-and they have never been a problem. I am in the natural wood camp and I have seen bleached and washed ceilings that look great and I like just fine.

I like the ceiling, but I agree with pro poster no. 1.

It's beautiful--if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Spend your time, effort and $$ elsewhere in the room! If you want to make sure the room isn't dark, use light furnishings, window treatments, etc.

without a photo of the whole room i cannot advise, some rooms feel oppressive with this much wood over head, some not. i do like the look of painted wood with the beams left alone. but if you've just bought this i'd leave it for a bit. see how it feels to sit in the room, not just walk in.

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I "wood" appreciate it as a highlight of my home.

Looks fine just the way it is. If you feel an intense need to do "something" you can look at painting out the beams. But that's about as exciting as I would get.

Getting paint on red cedar to stay true to colour is hard. It takes expensive primer (usually two coats) and two layers of paint. Add in the cleaning and the prep and you have a very expensive ceiling that may not turn out the way you want.

A high-end painter who has done this many times can get it done. They won't be cheap. The prep won't be cheap and the materials will have to be some of the most expensive stuff on the market.

It's your call. Just remember: You have to go HIGH-END to get it to work. Ask yourself what the likelihood is of you choosing the MOST EXPENSIVE bid. That is your answer.

Gorgeous wood! I would enjoy it and leave it alone.