Paint these cottage beams white??

[MrsMummyBx]

Hi All

Holiday cottage in Yorkshire- doing a total Reno and having spotlights in bedrooms due to low ceilings. These beams are actually RSJs boxed in by pine stained darker- add to cottage feel in some ways but should I paint white?? Would it be better? It will be a holiday let so want to appeal to as many people as possible. Thanks in advance?

We live in a gorgeous old house but all of the beams are plastered and painted. Looks shit, as if they couldn’t figure out how to make a smooth ceiling. In your place is would strip them, stain them and then wax them to bring out the grain. Painted beams only look nice if they are slightly eroded. Otherwise you loose all of the character.

Thanks for the compliments! It’s an unusual space in an unusual building and I didn’t have lots of money to spend...a while ago now (5 years) so I don’t know if they still do them but the paint is Country White on the beams, Creamware on the lower walls and Paper White on the upper walls/ceiling, all Laura Ashley. (I went for LA because though there was some choice, it wasn’t so much as to completely confound me, also I felt the colours were softer and worked better on the very irregular surfaces.)

Borntobequiet can I live with you? I'm very tidy! your home looks beautiful, I'm so jealous!

Please don’t do this! A) it’s doesnt look better b) it’s basically defacement and c) you would constantly be repainting it!

Hello, mybump! You would be very welcome if you would contribute to the heating bills (unfortunately 17th century standards of insulation too, and I’m directly under the roof)!
Also I spent ages tidying up before taking photos, it’s not normally like that!

Borntobequiet let's do this, roommate!

Why on earth would she be constantly re-painting? Rub down, decent primer and a couple of coats of satinwood paint it will be fine. It's not defacement either.

Wow @bluntness100 they look soooo much better than before!!

Re the stairs- I was a bit worried that any marks will show much more easily on the stairs, particularly as it's a holiday let so firstly people probably won't be that careful and constantly bashing suitcases up and down; and secondly we will need to keep a v high standard of decoration to keep our (hopefully?!) high standards up. I do think white stairs will be much more bright and airy though so I'm thinking that will win the day...

@borntobequiet, I've just bought a load of paint and wish I checked out LA before as those colours look lovely. I've gone with bog standard F&B colour matches.

Thanks op, yes it lightened the rooms a huge amount as will painting yours.

It's surprising what a difference it makes. If it was original I'd be horrified at rhe thought of painting the stairs or beams, but they aren't, and the beam is just pine boxing round a supporting beam, so just paint it out.

However it doesn't need to be white, you can do a contrasting colour. Even a metallic colour like copper. If you look closely at mine you can see I have a metal supporting joist which I painted gold.

LOL at the 'add character' brigade! Given a choice of holiday accommodation with light airy rooms or the dreaded 'ginger pine' and that includes beams, boxed in beams & doors & frames, my money is not going to pay for being surrounded by ginger pine - shudder. I chose Airbnb accommodation with white sofas - I don't loose my taste if I'm going away! If you have wall bashers, spillers & scratchers, put your prices up & attract a better clientele. And if they do leave the odd mark, touch up between lets. Twenty years in letting HA and still going strong

My old 17th century farmhouse had the beams shot-blasted and any later renovations and/or replacements in the attic bathrooms were painted.

@notwiththeseknees thanks that's actually a helpful insight re holiday lets as we are aiming for a luxury product. lol at the 'ginger pine' comment- as a redhead I do not want to be matching the beams hahaa

I've confirmed to the builder last night to paint the beams and the staircase. Decision done and so grateful to all the lovely MNers here that have been so helpful.

There are some other beams in the kitchen which I am leaving as is and not painting - again beams not original but I think with my new shaker cream coloured kitchen and spotlights they might look like a nice contrast. Photo attached - any dissenters please speak up now!!!

@notwiththeseknees thanks that's actually a helpful insight re holiday lets as we are aiming for a luxury product. lol at the 'ginger pine' comment- as a redhead, I definitely don't want to be matching the woodwork hahaa

I've confirmed to the builder last night to paint the beams and the staircase. Decision done and so grateful to the MNers here that have been so helpful.

There are some other beams in the kitchen which I am leaving as is and not painting - again beams not original but I think with my new shaker cream coloured kitchen and spotlights they might look like a nice contrast. Photo attached - any dissenters please speak up now!!!

Sorry, was having trouble posting and it's posted twice for some reason...

Oxalic acid (from Amazon by the kg) is your friend here.

I'd agree leave the kitchen beams. They look the part.

@notwiththeseknees I hadn't heard about oxalic acid, I will keep that one in mind for future!

@bluntness100 thanks that's what I thought too, hopefully will look ok!

'Admiring' your Magnet kitchen in Kings Oak, looks so dated now can we see a picture of your replacement?
(Also looking to replace same kitchen, debating on doing just doors as there's nowt wrong with the carcasses and I'm not changing layout. )

You can get some great kitchen doors. I just worry about how easy they are to fit.

I don't think it is defacement at all. As far as I see it, they were defaced when painted black!

Do you mind me asking how much the sandblasting was?

I wont do anytbing in the cottage that wont increase revenue. It is hard, as I think there are things that I think would make it much better but our lettings agency says we can't charge any more so I have to hold back!

We could create a roof terrace, but we already have outside space. I have to be remindrd constamtly that it's a business.

Sandblast the kitchen beams..

I can't recall but my sandblasting I think was about 2.5 to 3 k for all of downstairs, , but I have very large rooms, big fireplaces , doors, ingenooks, many beams, which were all sandblasted. I'd guess for just the beams shown it woild be a fraction of the cost. Maybe a days work, where as it Was nearly two weeks work here. So it's hard to judge really.

Its a filthy job though. And needs to be done before any painting.

If the kitchen beams are pine - paint them. Eggshell for interior wood works well. Ginger Pine isn’t a luxury finish. Natural limed Oak beams are. The kitchen beams don’t look great in the picture and cheap faux beams don’t add character! I think the faux beam look will be pretty dull with a new kitchen and makes the ceiling seem very low. This finish (or lack of it) wouldn’t appeal to me as it’s very dated.

Use an eggshell paint on your staircase. Tends to stand up to most knocks! Also use loads of sealer to stop the brown leaching through. Don’t just use paint.

@ariela v impressed you know the name of the kitchen! It was put in by the owner before last and has definitely had its day. I've ordered a shaker kitchen from DIY Kitchens and will certainly post an update in a few weeks time with the finished kitchen! Re replacing doors, the units did seem to be quite standard sizes so probably could work. However there are lots of extras in modern kitchens- like pull out corner units etc. which I wanted. Think it's simpler to do everything but the cost has run away with me a bit!

@MrsMummyBx it is the very kitchen we wish to replace here!
I'm thinking of keeping the carcasses though, they seem very sturdy and good for another 25 years!