HU-348388819 is yours unfinished chipboard as appears to be in the original poster's pics, or is it something else? There were some interesting materials used in ceilings of that era which could be worth preserving. I've seen them mentioned in sales listings as valuable original features, though the names of the exact materials escape me at the moment. On the other hand, with any unfamiliar materials of that era you need to check if it contains asbestos. Another thing to consider is your climate, as the insulation is likely to be inadequate in a ceiling with exposed beams.

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.

Thank you everyone for all your help and advice! Yes, we live in an inland part of Southern Australia that is very chilly in winter and exceedingly hot in summer. So efficiency is a very important part of our build. From the picture you added Louise, I think a "coffered" ceiling looks like what I would call an "up lift". I'm glad to have a second on that option ;) The picture looked good, and could defiantly be an option over the dining table I think. Thanks jbantick I looked up "scissor trusses" and they look like a great idea as well. I'm just not sure how they would run. From the entry across the dining area (N to S) or across the whole length of the 3 zones E to W ? The middle of the roof line (running E to W) doesn't run in the middle of the living zones (if that make sense) as it stretches across a hall way on the south side. If it ran this way would it look a bit off centre? How did you in vision it? Thanks for your thoughts guys.

Keep it light otherwise it makes the low ceilings feel even lower. I will share our story in the hope it may help you! Picture 1. We moved from a house with high ceilings to one with low bedroom ceilings and it felt claustrophobic for a while (2 years we put up with it). Our bedroom, when we moved in, had burgundy walls, dark wooden doors into the ensuite and wardrobe, b&w zigzag curtains and pink carpet (yes someone thought pink carpets and burgundy walls would be a good idea!). The one redeeming feature was large glass sliding doors that led out onto a covered deck which provided a view and let in some light (which pretty much got swallowed by all the dark features). We faced our bed towards the doors when we moved in to have a view - as who wants to look into the bathroom like the previous owners did in the picture! Transforming the space: We pulled up the carpet and laid medium coloured wood floors (dark floors were too much for this space and needed to work through entire house), we painted the whole room including the ensuite and bathroom slatted doors white - all of which transformed the space in a way that really surprised me. A tallish wooden bed head and antique dresser, along with tall (rather than wide) artwork help add height to the room as do the doors now that they are white. To keep a feeling of warmth in the room (sorry minimalists out there) I used linen bedding in greys and used blue accessories in rugs and cushions which compliment the artwork which we picked up from a painter on the streets of Paris (framed on our return). We used a muted rug on the floor to bring elements together and for warmth for our feet as we live in a very cool climate during winter months. I simply wanted colour that wouldn't overpower the space. Since pics were taken: We have since started revamping the outside deck and removed some of the lattice which has brought a beautiful flood of natural light flooding in and a view of the garden. Our next step: will be to add some white linen or silk curtains at the highest height possible to maintain an illusion of height. We will extend the curtains to land either side of the doors when open, as while we now need to have them for some added privacy, we still want the light and the view most of the time including when the deck is lit up at night. We will keep the curtains light as colour would encroach on the room size which isn't very big. Our dream addition is to replace the sliding doors with white French doors. Hope this is helpful.