I came across your post and I think we have the same house! I was just pondering whether to paint or not. What was your verdict on painting the beams? I was leaning toward preserving the mission brown.

A photo would help. Usually I-beams are steel, but I havn't seen them paired with straw ceiling panels before. If discolouration is coming through the paint I would research that you are using the right sort of paint. If they were previously painted then they are probably an oil based enamel paint which can have problems if the new paint is acrylic. Getting the paint problem properly resolved will be cheaper than boxing in the beams with a new material. Best of luck, Dr Retro Dr Retro House Calls

Haha -- I've got you thinking ! Look at the pic you posted today , and the first thing you see is the timber . Its got a golden honey tone , its natural , it looks nice . You've enclosed the beam and thats noticable too . The white door is a couple of steps up from plain , and you notice that too . The house itself is still a grey box IMO . The only good thing you did ( again , just my opinion ) was that darker grey . But imagine if you ( or your builder ) got up and did 3 pieces of 150 wide timber ( varnished / stained ) around that upstairs veranda-y thing that pokes out above the upstairs window . And we've never seen the other side of the front of your place , but see if there is something there that would get a wooden surround -- balance the place a bit , add interest . It isn't even really colour , but it is a pleasant colour , its natural , it adds interest .

I think in this case paint them white. I’m not sure why everyone always paints the ceiling a different white. Our designer said to paint the ceiling the same white as the walls and I absolutely love it, and have done the same in subsequent renovation. We used Lexicon half strength throughout and I love the ‘art gallery‘ vibe it gives. Also, why not go real wood on the floor? Yes it might be a bit more expensive but so worth it feeling the beauty of a natural material beneath your feet everyday and much better for resale value on the house. We recently installed european white oak throughout and I love it every day, and it’s so durable and easy to keep clean.