Wooden ceiling beams are often one of the most attractive design features of a period property. They are much coveted in the housing market and when people want to buy a home, they often think about period properties for this very reason. If you are thinking of buying a house with beams, get a structural survey carried out first to find out whether there are any issues with the beams and to work out if they are structural beams or just for decoration. In older properties, they will often be structural.
You can always install beams retrospectively if they do not come with a property. Use beams that are the right colour wood to go with the rest of the property. Make sure they are added in sympathetically and avoid using them in rooms where the ceiling is too low and you may end up feeling like the room is smaller.