Need advice on hard wood floors

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 9:43 am

This house is in Miami Beach

I'm moving to a house that has wood floors, the entire downstairs, including bathrooms.

Very light, I think they call it pickled.
Narrow planks on a diagonal.
They need to be re-done,though. Sanded and polished, etc.

The look is like beach/ocean, at least that's how the house is decorated, 1980s Miami Vice, a little Art Deco with the color schemes.

Problem is I don't want to decorate the house in that way.
I like the new modern look. High gloss kitchen cabinets, Big white tiles, modern sectional couch, etc.

How can I make these floors work with the look I want to achieve.

The house is a townhouse narrow, with Windows only in the front and the back,
So going dark will only make the downstairs feel smaller.

I saw the next door house with really dark floors, beautiful, but it felt very enclosed. Also, the planks were wide.

I do have an option to re-tile, but I would have to for-go Other things in the kitchen renovations. Probably going with cheaper appliances.

Can I make these floors work?

amother

Cyan

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 12:32 pm

Posting amother cuz I'm a decorator.

Some beautiful ideas....

Classic grey stain
Pickled stain
White stain
Ebony mixed with white (you can play around with the proportions to get a look you like)

studying_torah

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 12:37 pm

I personally love dark wood floors, but I get that it can feel stuffy. Can you pick up a few samples to see how it looks in your home?
Also, lighting and paint make a huge difference in how open and airy a room looks. Use good bright or daylight bulbs (not yellow bulbs) will surely help.
Enjoy the new house!

ra_mom

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 1:12 pm

I think that just by scraping and refinishing the floor, without additional stain, you can achieve your desired look and feel.
Just make sure walls are fresh and bright, moldings and doorways are stark white, and keep the space open and airy with minimal furniture.

greenfire

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 3:52 pm

if you really cannot stand the natural wood tone - you can stain them in a stain with colours and still see the wood ...

http://staining123.com/ProductInfo.asp?pid=14

Miri7

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 3:57 pm

I would do a lighter natural stain - maybe just sanding and re-finishing. I find that darker stains do make the room feel more enclosed, while a lighter natural wood floor can kindof disappear and let the furniture and other decor set the style.

I wouldn't re-tile as I think that putting the money into other design details can have a bigger impact and make the house fit your lifestyle better.

greenfire

Tue, Jun 21 2016, 8:07 pm

ah it's probably 'sunbleached' tones ... you surely can sand the floor & then do a small patch to see how it takes to polyurethane ... if it's still too light - then you can use a wood stain before to enhance the colour [just remember to re-sand that test patch before staining]