I agree it's a fantastic house I have a similar one with updated kitchen etc, Removing any swags and the painting done this is a more updated look. I'ts a shame that it's empty, how much would it cost to get someone to style a couple of rooms, kitchen dining lounge and take a few great photos for the purpose of selling, you could enlarge and frame some to hang on the wall so that you wouldn't have need to keep hiring furniture. Kitchen table chairs and a large choir rug, lounge with coffee table and a couple of lamps, no clutter would really help. Where do you live we could all come by and help!

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

I wouldn’t hesitate to paint the whole lot white ( kitchen included) it will be quicker and easier than trying to lighten the colour of the pine and will look so much brighter and fresher than you can even imagine. The boards will still give the space a lot of character but painting it white will bring it up to date and add a lot of value. Definitely more appropriate for a beach property.

Hi Aleisha Polytec make an MDF wrapped spaced Batten system in woodgrain finishes that could work https://www.polytec.com.au/brochures/polytec-steccawood-prefinished-decorative-battens.pdf but you need to make sure they did not get wet. Perhaps increasing the depth of your Fascia Boards would help with minimizing blow-in moisture? Another option, which is actually totally waterproof is a woodgrain finish aluminium batten system like https://www.decorativeimaging.com.au/building-products/decobatten/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-JG5BhBZEiwAt7JR64VrXGqEWPhS5NR1fYgfrjigV7FV51LflRdrY0IEkh4dVq_kXKBLPhoCOJoQAvD_BwE that you could install yourself. Cedar is very expensive and added to this is the cost of prep & sealing. Not sure how these alternatives compare in cost. The Greenhaus Ascot Bamboo could also be a cost effective option, though I have found Bamboo Planks to be highly prone to warping and bowing so worth bearing this in mind with fixings if considered to be a option. Hope these help, Malcolm.