Yes! Stretch ceiling will sit perfectly flat, and it never sags, bubbles, peels, flakes, moulds, or fades! It can be installed right over the sagging ceiling, or, if it is in danger of falling, you might choose to knock the existing ceiling out and then install stretch ceiling right over the empty space. You may also want to check to make sure that the floor above isn't sagging, in which case you may need to install a structural column or beam. We carry over 280 colours in high gloss, satin, matte, sandy matte, and canvas textured finishes, as well as translucent, iridescent sparkle, and we have the ability to digitally print any high resolution image on any of the above.

We have raked ceilings in our new split level extension that follows the fall of the land (and in the rooms that were part of the skillion sections of the old cottage) and I love the sense of space they give and also the fact that the inside reflects what is happening on the outside of the house. We have used ceiling boards (painted white – I didn't want to feel like I was living in a cigar box) both in the old cottage and in the new section and they certainly add an enormous amount of visual interest to the rooms as well. However, I endorse the comments about the added trickiness of light fittings. Pendants with rods are out and pay particular attention to the little rose/canopy thingies that connect pendants to the ceiling – make sure that they sit flush with the ceiling and don't have weird unsightly bits that you can suddenly see because of the angled ceiling. We have successfully used LED downlights with a recessed diffuser and dimmer switches to make sure there is no glare but if the raked angle isn't too extreme they are a definite possibility.

Cloudyhaze....I think all of the options look good, but it just depends on the look you personally wish to have for your house, because painting the ceiling white will COMPLETELY change the look. My sister has just bought a place that had brick walls and exposed ceilings that had the beams painted mission brown and the ceiling was in some form of raw chipboard type material. She wanted to brighten the place up before she moved in and got it all painted white. It looks beautiful, but I personally would have thought of other options before painting the brick etc. She got a quote for plastering (sheeting) the sections in between the exposed ceiling beams and it was a lot more expensive than painting. If you are keen to paint just the panelling in the ceiling, then I would get additional quotes. I am no painter but I would suspect if it has shellac on it, it will just need an initial sealer on it, before putting on the 2 coats of flat ceiling paint. I think all of the options will look beautiful, because the high ceilings are the feature.........it just depends on whether you are going for a more rustic look, mid-century look , more modern look...I am not sure of what all the designs are called. Good Luck. Your house is gorgeous. My sister lives on Gold Coast BTW.

The lounge in our 1956 house in South Africa had a stained wooden ceiling. The house didn't have any insulation so the lounge would become really hot in Summer. We opted to have the original ceiling removed and dropped 150mm so we could install insulation. We needed to paint the original panels but left the varnished beams. Every wall in the house was painted white, which I found too stark. I decided to paint the lounge using a light blue and a peach colour. People thought this was a bit bold, but I was happy with my choice. The before photos were scans from the 1980s, as I couldn't find the original EA photos when we bought the house.