Can we see a picture of the room from the same vantage point as the real estate listing photo you posted, but in its current state, please? I’m thinking your new floors and the existing ceiling probably aren’t getting along. Also, rough-cut cedar doesn’t sound very appealing on a ceiling, so a better look at the ceiling would be helpful. The real estate pic isn’t reality, after all. ;)

@Sammy. I dont have current pic for that vantage point, we will have carpet in the living room. currently our contractor has it walled off with plastic as the staging for all our supplies. The cedar is rough but all the same thickness.

@Lori - I appreciate the perspective however its just not what we are going for in regards to tones.

Well, if I was trying to achieve the look you’re after, I’d either replace or cover it with Sheetrock (smooth finish, of course).

I agree with Sammy. That ceiling is spectacular. I would be designing everything around that ceiling. At least if you sheetrock over it, it preserves it for someone else who just might be thrilled with it.

Yes to all of what was said above by other posters. It seems as if little thought went into these decisions before they were made, which is why the tones don’t mesh. The ceiling is a part of the house and IMO should’ve been given a lot more consideration.

Painting that would be a travesty. There’s nothing worse than taking a great architectural element and trying to make it into something it’s not. Respect the architecture or sell it to someone who will. Since that’s highly unlikely, the only semi-logical choice if you don’t like it is to sheetrock over it so that a future owner who appreciates it can enjoy it.

By the way, are you aware of how much it would cost to put in a wood ceiling today? It’s not cheap. My last house had a redwood ceiling and it was a showstopper. I would've never dreamed of painting it!

Hi! in my personal opinion, I would make the ceiling smooth and paint it a neutral color. While I LOVE the ceiling the way it is, since you installed boards on the flooring I feel it will look odd. But, I may be outvoted here. Again, I love your ceilings, it just seems like way too many planks of woods to me.

Don’t touch it. If you have to ruin a classic by blindly following a dated fad, please Sheetrock over it and save it for future owners who would recognize a classic gem. And if you’re touching that fireplace, you should have bought a tract home and left this lovely home alone.

@my_four_sons my thoughts exactly. You’re speaking my language!

Wow! beautiful ceiling!

It looks so much better than that poorly designed floor. It's a gentle and harmonious blend of shades rather that the wild grain patters of the mismatched boards in that floor. That floor should have been left natural to disguise the fact that the boards are so random and so different.

Get your inspiration from the ceiling--that's the quality statement in that room.

I'd lighten that floor before I would touch that ceiling!

I agree with David Jensen.

The problem with those floors being stained is that they weren't sorted and graded before they were laid. They are simply builder-grade bundles laid as they came. That would have been okay if they were left natural; the variation of grain would not have been so pronounced.

But as it stands, there are some boards that have little grain in the pic (including 4 greyish ones side-by-side with a little brown one floating in them), and some that look like they were ripped off of a zebra.

The other problem is--and what makes this stain job worse--is that the flooring contractor apparently didn't attempt to minimized the grain variations by using a pre-stain conditioner. That would have evened-out the stain absorption and kept the zebra-striping much less obvious.

Don't draw attention to those floors. Draw attention to the ceiling.

Since the floors seem to be in already I would be in the camp that says cover it with drywall it in no way works with that floor and IMO should have been done before the new floors were installed

As others have said, the ceiling is a beautiful warm classic. The floors, not so much.

Based onb your original post its not at all clear to me whats going on here - have you already stained the entire floor or just thinking about it? Ideally before doing anything, you should think through entire color scheme and have it all mapped out before proceeding.

You havent mentioned the brick fireplace but that needs to be part of your planning. Do you have a pic of the fireplace room without the carpet? IMHO, theres no reason you cant keep the warm natural wood tones + add in contemporary grays/whites, or go in another direction altogether. Its a both/and. Keep the beauty of what you already have AND update it with a fresher new color scheme. If you havent already talked to a professional consultant, you might want to do so.

Houzz has some articles on wood plank ceilings - Im not seeing them now but a whole bunch of them appeared below your post when I first read it yesterday - you can find them Im sure by using the search function above. Apparently its the in thing. Yours looks to be a high grade wood - not seeing knots or other flaws that give it a too rustic look, which some people object to. Ultimately of course its your house and your choice but just wanting to point out all the ramifications - good luck.

That ceiling is a showstopper and beautiful. Please do not paint it. I'm not always a fan of keeping original elements in a space, but that ceiling is fantastic.

Sheetrock the ceiling. That way, if you stay in the house, when you tire of those floors (and likely you will) you can restore the ceiling. Btw, have you any plans for the fireplace?