Post #520938 by Monkeyman on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 10:40 AM

Thanks everyone for the kind and supportive comments. This is a project Ive been waiting to do for a long time... just holding out till I had the right location for it.

Swanky, The center wire in the ceiling is a slide switch to control the drop down ceiling fan. I can control the different speeds from the wall. The other two wires will have plugmold power strips along both sides that Im going to paint first. They will have a faux speckled brown colored sprayed on and then will be cut into the carved panels that Im going to install on the sides of the center beam. They will control all the lamps from a single switch and I wont have ANY wires or swag chains running up and down the walls.

Tiki Vato, Those 1x2's were just plain old cheapy pine from Home Depot. I used a super course sanding attachment for my grinder and distressed them to look hand carved. It was a pretty quick process. Then I used a stiff wire paint stripping tool that attaches to my drill to beat up the wood. Then its just a stain and clear coat. No burning neeeded. In the end I will attach the bamboo beams directly to those strips of wood.