Need help with living room flooring of a mid-century modern house.

7 years ago

We've recently purchased what we believe is called a mid-century modern house, built at the end of the 60's (both me and my wife are architecture/design noobs - we just liked it, found out only after purchase). Besides other renovation tasks (re-paint, refinish the cabinets/wood platform across the kitchen), we have to decide what to put on top of the concrete that is now the living+library room areas. After reading more about this specific architectural style, we are afraid of making a faux-pas, plus, we want the inside to fit the outside (house is surrounded by trees and shrubs - this is the Pacific Northwest).

After some research we're thinking of some light stain of solid red oak on top of the slab (we've been told that we don't have to go the engineered wood path, the house is 50 years old, the concrete is settled by now, humidity ok, etc. and we would like to keep the option of multiple refinishes some years down the line), placed diagonally - to somewhat match the fireplace angled wooden wings (does anyone know if they have a name? - tried to find photos of similarly shaped wings online but came up empty).

Part of the space (the middle) will be hard-hit by light (two story high windows across the fireplace),so we'd have to take into account that as well.

There is already a lot of red oak - the platform across the kitchen, the fireplace wings and the wood panels on the walls (not sure they are oak though)- and we want the space to be more formal (not barn/cabin like), but I kind of eliminated the natural stone and carpet, I just feel like it doesn't fit the character of the place.

Any advice/suggestion would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Featured Answer

Helen

7 years ago

I think wood floors would be too much - what about terrazzo as that was a very common flooring during that era.

Polished concrete would also work although obviously it wouldn't be absolutely authentic to the era but you could get some great area rugs to add color and warmth. I remember the Rya rugs from that period :-)

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Comments (14)

thinkdesignlive
7 years ago
Design wise you don’t need any more wood surfaces. Why don’t you consider a coating over the concrete like a resin or just a stain on the concrete.
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palimpsest
7 years ago
What was it before? Carpet?

What about epoxy? If you need something on the concrete how about a very plain, large format porcelain?
Pete Edberg thanked palimpsest
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thinkdesignlive
7 years ago
However I have to say that unless you are committed to removing the tile and prepping the concrete for a uniform floor throughout your second best bet would be a wool or really high end nylon carpet in a color that matches the surrounding tile areas. When you see midcentury spaces that are designed well it’s all about balance and you usually won’t see wood walls and floors. If the floors are wood the walls are usually smooth or a stone (some other texture) and vice versa.
Pete Edberg thanked thinkdesignlive
Pete Edberg
Original Author
7 years ago
palimpsest: yes, we believe it was carpet (it was already removed when we bought the place) ; we haven't looked at epoxy or porcelain, thank you for the suggestions.
palimpsest
7 years ago
It probably would have been carpet, depending upon the esthetic a wool velvet cut, very short or shag.
Pete Edberg
Original Author
7 years ago
thinkdesignlive: Thank you for the suggestions. We are not yet ready to get rid of the tiles, they look ok to our untrained eye, maybe somewhat dated(?) = ), but yes, wool carpet was (and is) an option. Wrt to stone, we think that a less-glossy, more matte look would probably fit better. What do you think?
User
7 years ago
NO, concrete can not have solid wood applied to it. It would be an inappropriate choice for any wood flooring other than parquet anyway.

Look at doing terrazzo. The resin based tile versions are economical to install, are period appropriate, and come in loads of colors. http://www.fritztile.com/
Pete Edberg thanked User
cat_ky
7 years ago
New carpet close to the style it might have been, or terazzo. Beautiful house.
Pete Edberg thanked cat_ky
Pete Edberg
Original Author
7 years ago
Helen,Sophie,cat_cy: Thank you for your input! Regarding the terazzo, it is interesting that so many of you think of it. Besides fitting the era the house was built, are there other reasons for choosing it? Is it back in style - or you think it is particularly fitting this layout/setup?
PRO
Home Interiors with Ease
7 years ago
Very light natural wood flooring or large Slate tiles ...so beautiful! Congratulations on this great MCM home...
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Terrazzo is a neutral surface that provides subtle textural appearance much like the original choice of carpet did. But without wood grain. More wood is wood overload. Yes, it’s period appropriate. Yes, it’s never been out of style in warm climates. Maybe out of economical reach, but never out of style. It is considered a huge upgrade to a home because traditional terrazzo is so durable, and expensive. It’s a lifetime floor.
Pete Edberg thanked User
Helen
7 years ago
I would go with terrazzo since going with wood would be a poor design choice.

I am not a fan of wall to wall carpet for a variety of reasons so that wouldn't be an option for me.

Terrazzo is both true to the period and would look great with that style of the home. It is also more of an investment to future buyers as anyone who is looking for a classic MCM home is going to be thrilled to find terrazzo. However, wall to wall would no doubt be cozier but would need replacing fairly frequently
Pete Edberg thanked Helen
PRO
Home Interiors with Ease
7 years ago
The stone fireplace is not really MCM...I am sure not original...so I think you can do any flooring you desire...wool Herringbone wall to wall carpet would be beautiful and complement the stone fireplaces casual feel.
Pete Edberg thanked Home Interiors with Ease