I don’t want to paint the beams I want to paint in between them but as my walls are beamed and the ceiling is vaulted I don’t know whether the whole room has to be painted the same colour or I can paint the ceiling one colour and do the walls in another.

I would have thought paint stripper and a scraper would be the go , possibly with a wire brush thing on a cordless drill for the more difficult areas ? Why I say possibly is because it would clog up , so use as a last resort and/or when the paint stripper isn't liquid any more .

Whilst I don't totally love the beams and roof tones , they are pleasant enough and I wouldn't be too worried trying to change them -- it would take a lot of effort that may or may not be worth it . Or maybe I'm just lazy haha . BUT what I'd do is paint the walls -- maybe a bit creamier , maybe a blue or apricot tinge -- not a pastel , just a slight hint . OR embrace colours , go a pastel or a burgundy or sunshine yellow or forest green if you want , or maybe a strong feature wall colour and toned down versions on the others , with furniture and accessories to complement . Apart from the all white one of Julies pic's , the others all have a clear differentiation ( mostly through the use of the beams ) -- yours seems more 'barn-like' in the one tone -- yes , I know theres no furniture . But tio me , doing 'something' with the walls will work better than changing the ceiling tones -- especially with a light toned carpet , it will be too much 'nothing' in my view . Maybe you have bright furniture or art or cushions or rugs , but even then , upping the walls a notch or two won't hurt .

Ok thanks for the tip. I just purchased my paint today so will start on the walls in the morning. I will leave the beam enclosed for now, so once the walls are white the beams should blend in too then. I also had a look under the stairs where the beam continues and then wondered would the top of the beam be the top of the gyprock? If the gyprock hung lower than the top of the beam that would be a hard fix.