Personally, I feel they are very confining. Like the ceiling is closing down on you in this very small room.

I vote for removal.

If you are going to leave them, then .leave them the color they are. It goes well in the room. I do think, they make the ceiling look like its closing in on the room too, so I would remove them, or prime them well, and paint them white, so they dont look so overwhelming. Your room looks a bit on the narrow side, so anything that can be done, to make it look larger is a big plus.

Thanks for the feedback! They are structurally integral to the living room as is. Ah ok that might do the trick to just paint them. Yeah the room is only about 8.5 ft wide and the darkness of the beams brings the ceiling down a bit. Anything to blend/ open it up to the eyes would be a vast improvement! Adding in another pic.

The room would feel larger with the ceiling, walls, and beams painted the same color. They will blend together and the edges of the room will feel less defined and therefore less confined. In small spaces it helps to blur the lines so you don't see where wall and ceiling start. It has a more limitless feel to the space. Will really open things up.

Is there only one entry way to this room or is it a pass through?

Thank you! It's a pass-through

I would also paint them to match the ceiling color.

Copy that! Thanks all

I'd paint the little brown door above the door, paint it the same color as the walls. I'd trim out your doorway too.

Leave those beams as is. They are the best of the room. Paint the walls white. The paint the ceiling any color you like..I love this dusky blue.

Am I safe to assume those beams reflect the architectural design of the home? If they are I would recommend designing the room around those beams, or move to a different house.

They are structurally essential to the as it pertains to the living room. We have no plans to move.

I assume the beams are part of the roof structure and are just rough, unfinished wood. Go ahead and paint them the same color as the ceiling and they will disappear, or at least not be so overbearing. It may take more than one coat to cover the dark stain. This room seems awfully narrow for a living room, more like an entrance hall.

Personally, I would have to cover those beams with a proper ceiling, if I lived there.

Judy Graham, the beams in your pic are up against the ceiling, so totally different situation than the OP's.

It is narrow for a LR and unfortunately thats what we have to work with until future renovations. It is only about 9 ft wide..