I love your accent.

(vivienne westwood's "squiggle" wallpaper)

Right when you walk through the front door of our home there is an accent wall just begging to make a statement. I'd love to get my hands on it with some wallpaper. Now the question remains: go bold with navy blue and leave those ceiling beams white, or paint the beams dark and keep the room nice and neutral with beige.

My ceiling is beaming.

One of the first things I noticed about our new home were the wood beams on the vaulted ceiling that connect our kitchen and living room. I love the architectural interest that they add to the home, but they are currently painted white and I crave the warmth of exposed wood beams. I have no desire to spend days on a ladder sanding away layers of paint, so I hope to simply paint over them. These images give me courage that with the right shade of espresso paint for the beams, and a room filled with plenty of light, painted beams can be just as beautiful as the real deal.