A home’s flooring speaks volumes about the owners’ design sense and the use, or maintenance, of vintage flooring offers a level of luxury unparalleled in new flooring options.
Whether it’s hardwood or tiles, the beauty of vintage flooring could never be re-created with a new product and that’s why I love it so much.
Many older homes were made with hardwood as the subfloor, which was then covered up by carpeting. In recent years, homeowners have been pulling up those carpets and refinishing the floors – a decision that I can whole-heartedly encourage you to consider. Sometimes the revealed hardwood is in great condition and needs nothing more than a good cleaning and polish to show off its’ beauty, but often a light sand and re-finish is required.
When this step is needed, employ the services of a refinishing expert and consider changing the colour of stain to reflect your personal design preference, or current trends. Many hardwood subfloors are finished in a light oak, which can look dated, and a darker stain can quickly bring them into the 21st Century.
Even vintage parquet flooring can look good, particularly if it’s done in a herringbone or chevron pattern – both of which are very trendy today. Just like standard hardwood, parquet floors can benefit from a light sand and re-staining.
If your home has vintage tiles – lucky you. Often showing intricate design work that we’d never find today, vintage tiles also came in a wide assortment of colours, as is evident in some bathrooms, which feature all shades of green, blue and pink tiles, as well as kitchens. While you might be tempted to rip these out, you may want to reconsider if the tiles are in good shape and don’t have many, or any, cracks. Instead, hire an interior designer to help you work with the off-colours to preserve the tiles’ vintage charm.
