Hey guys! It's been a while and we have since moved into a new and bigger home butttt here is what we ended up getting for the wall, a John Martono piece called "Journey To Others". Thanks for all the great advice! Irene

It's a hard decision when you have to balance the cost of a full renovation to the ceiling timbers. If you remove the rails and gyprock the ceiling, maybe you could add a paper frieze or stencil where the rail was. This would break the height a little so the room doesn't feel like an empty elevator shute! I've got 3m high ceilings, masonry walls, but no rails. We are adding picture rails in some areas and doing dado's in others. Good luck, I wish you well....it looks like a lovely home.

bump.. would love to see if there is someone

Hi bolst I love the picture too. It is certainly dramatic.( It does not need framing.) With that in mind, I'd go for a dramatic colour on the wall behind. You will not linger in that space as it is a passage to other areas, so a strong colour will not tire you!! A rule in artistry is to surround a picture with the colour that is LEAST represented in the work. You said that there is a small amount of green at the bottom of the picture. That is what I would choose for the wall colour. It will enliven the picture. To use more blue or grey will just blend and make the picture 'disappear'. Enjoy the process.