You might want to check the oldest vinyl tiles for asbestos.

Do you like the herringbone wood? Could you match the tone of the wood without the herringbone?

Thanks! I am not crazy about it. I'd rather have wide planks with not much shine throughout, but just not sure about the expense to replace it all!! I think I'd need the same design to tie it all together if I left the existing herringbone design. Just wanted other's advice????

I think it would be pretty by keeping the herringbone, and laying a solid color wood for the GR. Pick a color that would match the herringbone, preferably the darker wood in it.

If you aren't crazy about it then I don't think you should match the herringbone in the greatroom. I suggest you the ugly center tiles with a large rug until you can afford to redo everything or try and match the color of the herribone but in a wood design that you are happy with. From your post I feel you would be happier if you redid the whole thing.

I agree that if you don't like the herringbone, don't extend it any further. Start with the walls and get those done first. It's also a good idea to live with the house before you make any changes.

A high ceiling (probably big windows) fireplace, etc. can cause a lot of sound to echo in a great room. You might find that wall-to-wall carpet will be more practical than wood floor. Another idea might be thick curtains and a lot of upholstered furniture with a wood floor and area rug.

Live with the house a little while and find out if you like wood flooring in the dining room, kitchen and nook, before you replace it with more wood. You might even find you want to make some other changes in these rooms, after trying them out for awhile. Taking down a wall, or opening up a doorway, can cause more flooring repairs.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your new house!

I don't see a need to do herringbone there. It is separated since it is sunken. I would make sure what you choose works with it though.

I had those tiles that's in the entry in my first house in TX in the entry too. I hated them, but the person that bought the house from me in 2000 loved them.

To make it easier for everyone, here are your pics:

{{!gwi}}

If the house was built in the 80s I don't think that you need to worry about asbestos. I'm pretty sure that it was outlawed in building materials by 1979.

Personally, I would redo it all, if your budget permits. I think it will be money well spent, giving the entire space a cohesive, updated look.

My first thought reading the post was that wood floors are always timeless - even in herringbone pattern. Your plan is to de-80fy the space and that would mean removing shiny cheap brass-look hardware and mirrored walls, and cheap stick-on tile.............not the neat-o herringbone wood floor that is has. The right updated accessories would make the room/home.

But.............now that I see the photos...........it looks like the herringbone floor was put over a previously installed wood floor. Yikes. Everything is so off kilter. The railing appears to be screwed into the original floor and the herringbone is an inch thick on top. The stair risers are two different heights.

All that cheap stick-on tile has to go. Stick-on tile over stick-on tile? And it looks like the foyer vinyl is on top of the herringbone with a divider to trip over? Yes? No? Oh lordy, you've got your work cut out for you.

I would live with this awhile and think carefully all the options. There is more to consider here than just the herringbone floor.............Do you love those metal railings? Or would a nice wood railing be better? Or...........Would putting up drywall walls be better in order to close of the view of the kitchen from the LR, with the transfer of noise and clutter? You might want to create more "nooks" or "nests" throughout rather than having such an open plan where the view from the living room is legs and feet.

One more suggestion to add. You say they painted over the wallpaper instead of removing it, and then there is the issue of stick-on tile around the perimeter instead of doing the whole room. That makes me think the previous owners may have taken a lot of shortcuts with repairs and maintenance. Before you sign anything I would make sure all the electrical, plumbing, foundation, and roof are all checked out thoroughly. There may be shortcuts they took with things behind the walls that you cannot see, and that stuff behind walls is more important than what you can see when you walk through a house.

Thanks for the thoughts! Terriks how did you get pics on here like that? Dilly dally, the best I could tell the railing is screwed into the concrete slab and the wood is cut around it (looks like they didn't take down the railing to lay the wood floor). The tile in the foyer is real ceramic with a wooden threshold between the two areas. I don't care for it so it will be taken out. I want to keep the area open so I am ok with the railing, will probably change the color. The people who have the house now are the 3rd owners (they've been there 8 yrs). We are getting a home inspection done this week. Hopefully we can get some measurements and price quotes this week too. That will tell the tale on exactly what is redone in regards to the flooring. (the herringbone was just recently refinished so doesn't look too bad). I would prefer to redo it all!

Couldn't agree more with dilly dally. Check over that house with a fine tooth comb. Scratch that: A delousing comb. You never know what can lurk under an otherwise maintained interior. Do you get the feeling most of these "shortcut" renovations were taken in order to sell? Sellers that would take this route would probably also Kilz and paint over mold. I would be a little wary. Definitely do thorough inspection.

To answer your original question, I would probably say redo all flooring. The wood is quite pretty, but too mashed up, with too many thresholds. Maybe a nice carpet in the sunken living room. I would nix the painted iron balusters and replace with updated wrought iron, or possibly a pony wall? Hard to say what would look the best without seeing a floorplan. Do you have one you could post?

I think the herringbone floors would look like a really nice focal point for the floor if all the other floors shown where made to be the same material and color that works with the colors in the herring bone. There are just to many competing in the same area. I think it would look nice if all the hard nonherring bone surface areas were done in a compentary wood and the sunken area kept carpet where it is now.

Michelle, it's really easy to put the pictures right in your post. It's the reason that I use Photobucket. You just copy and paste the "HTML code" below each picture.

I love your herringbone wood floors. That is my dream floor (but in another wood species) so I would say match it in the living room. :O)

Depending on your taste, updating this house may be a tremendous amount of work and money. Paint over wallpaper? How many rooms? Taking down wallpaper is probably a top five garden web pet peeve.

The herringbone floor is nice but the way everything is cobbed together it looks like you might need to start from scratch. I like the suggestion to get area rugs until you have the time and money to tear everthing out.

Have the bathrooms been updated?

I have updated three houses. It always takes much more time and a ton more money than you expect. Good luck with your inspection.

I'd yank out all the flooring and go with the planks as early as possible. It will unify the house and make the open floor plan look a lot better. Otherwise, you'll make changes to the house, but they won't look good because of the overwhelming, chopped up flooring. But you can better decide what you can live with for now and what you can't.

Looks like you have a diamond in the rough there: nice kitchen, nice windows, interesting floor plan.

Thanks! We do have a diamond in the rough--great neighborhood that will never go bad! Just alot that I want to update, including bathrooms, but just changing fixtures, faucets, and paint will make a huge difference. Our largest first expense will be walls and flooring! Will post more pics later today! Be thinking of paint colors--what are the "in style" colors right now????

Not sure about "in style" colors, but Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore have color visualizers that are fun to play with. You can see how different colors transform a room. Below is Sherwin-Williams'. For Benjamin Moore's, go to their web site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sherwin-Williams color visualizer

OK-here's the plan. We are going to replace foyer tile with herringbone, and put unfinished red oak planks in the sunken GR. The herringbone will be sanded and all wood will be stained to match. We plan to paint majority of house interior with SW Blonde and trim with SW Antique White. ??Question?? There is a wrought iron railing around top of sunken GR(SEE PICS). Would you keep it and paint it black or take it out? If railing stays the wood edge will be fixed where rail is mounted. If rail goes, we thought of building a step all around the room(presently you can only step into sunken GR in two places--from foyer and between kitchen and breakfast area).

Here is a link that might be useful: photobucket: railings

I like the idea of simplifying the flooring in the sunken area but still matching it.

You are lucky that you have Two steps to the sunken area. One step is a tripping hazard, two is enough of a change that people pick up on it.

You may need the railing in some regard because of traffic patterns and making sure people don't fall off it in some areas, however, I do like the idea of creating more entry points.

If you Do think you can do without the railing, your furniture arrangement may have to be such that it dictates certain entry points, and clarifies to people that the area is sunken. You should have a handrail to assist people up and down in any case, particularly if you have elderly relatives.

Thank you for the update.

do you have kids? railings might be needed to block off areas for little kids. middle age kids might make a game of jumping up and down on the steps.

Our kids range from age: almost 22yrs to 9yrs, so most likely will be ok.

So excited...we close on the house tomorrow morning!! We've made alot of decisions, and more to go. Now, it is almost time...Let the fun begin!!

Congratulations!!!

Good luck today! ENJOY your new home!

Best wishes for a happy life in your new home!

Very exciting!

Not everyone can see past the 80's embellishments. Nice that you have that vision and a great attitude about your diamond in the rough!