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ozwalla1

Determining style & choosing flooring

4 years ago

This is a custom 1947 built home. I’m unclear on what architectural style this is considered? Help🙏🏼Also curious if we should keep the original deep red matte tiled flooring on staircase? It’s also under the laminate floors in entry and hallways. Thinking a runner down the stairs could warm it up!?! Needs some ideas on this too. Thank you.

Comments (19)

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    What are you thinking for budget IMO all the brick should be gone the lighting needs to be replaced and I need more info. I see carpet in another space please more info.

  • 4 years ago

    I would get rid of the laminate and embrace the beautiful red tile, original to the house! WOW! What a find! I would hope that the installation of the fake floor hasn’t compromised the tile. Love your home!

  • 4 years ago

    While the tile is attractive in its own right, I don't see how it fits with the style of the house which is vaguely colonial. I would expect this tile to be in a home in the SW US or FL. More to the point, what style do you like and what are you going for here?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thank you all for your responses. This home was built by my grandparents which makes it that more special to us and we are simply elated at the opportunity to bring some life back into her. Still working through what to do on the stairs. The color of the tile is tough but wow is it in great shape and clearly very durable. The laminate flooring you see in the entry was run through the entry and hallway to the left of stairs. It also runs through the dining room, first space on the left , as well as the kitchen which is further left of the dining space. The room to the right is a huge living room that has been carpeted, and always has been. Considering a warm tone herringbone wood flooring to run the hallways, dining and kitchen. Possibly the living room depending on our costs. Worry it could become to busy though. Sometime a little goes a long way. Lighting will be fun but have not chosen these yet.

    Tiling the risers is a great idea Beverly. Thank you. The hardness of the staircase is tough for me as I'd like to find a way to keep the deep red tiling while adding some warmth on the feet. Hence the thought of a runner??? Originally we wanted to keep all the tile but we haven't been able to look under the laminate yet to see if they glued it. Hoping not!


    Any and all idea welcome. This is a traditional home interior. The former owners removed the louvered doors to the dining room and we will have to find a replacement to add some character back.


    So far I've only heard colonial as a style on the exterior...? I see elements of several styles but was wondering if there is a common name for this home stylistically speaking?


    What else would you like to see?

  • 4 years ago

    Love the style of this home. Very forward looking for '47.

    I like the tile, but not the gray laminate.

    ozwalla1 thanked houssaon
  • 4 years ago

    kandrewspa - This home is in the NW.

  • 4 years ago

    houssaon I could not agree with you more:) The tile in the photos does not do it justice.

  • 4 years ago

    A suggestion for you before you make a decision on the tile flooring…have it professionally cleaned, and the grout cleaned, too. That way, you will see what you are working with. I say that an oriental style runner for the stairs, perhaps one that has blue, gold, and red in it will help you pull it all together. How it might be attached (with rods?) would be something experts here might be able to help you with. I can see vintage oriental rugs on those beautiful floors…and wooden herringbone floors? Gorgeous!

    ozwalla1 thanked ptreckel
  • 4 years ago

    I'm not sure you can do a runner on a tile staircase -- they usually staple it to the wood at regular intervals! Perhaps you could do glue-on treads, but a full runner...?

    ozwalla1 thanked acm
  • 4 years ago

    Acm- I have this question into a flooring company✅

  • 4 years ago

    What a beautiful house, and how wonderful that you’ve kept it in your family! The tile you have is called quarry tile. It’s very strong, and you’re lucky that they’ve used a grout that blends nicely with it. It was sometimes installed using a contrasting gray or white grout which has a very different (jarring) look. I thought that knowing the name of the kind of tile might help you search up other people’s solutions. Personally, I love it on your stairs and would keep it wherever you can rescue it from under the laminate flooring, adding rugs to warm it up.

    I looked to see if I could find someone who had put a runner on a similar staircase and came up empty but perhaps your flooring contractor has thoughts. There are a number of examples of quarry tile stairs with contrasting risers in Spanish style homes.

    ozwalla1 thanked pds290
  • 4 years ago

    pds290 - Thank you for sharing. This is fantastic to know. My father could not recall the name. Appreciate you taking time to share the knowledge:) I like your ideas of trying to incorporate and keep. It will stay on stairs regardless but we need to see if they skimcoated it under the LVP.

  • 4 years ago

    What a lovely home! It looks like vintage quarry tile and I quite like it. Beverly’s idea of doing a patterned, contrasting tile on the risers would look wonderful and add so much interest!

    ozwalla1 thanked Business_Name_Placeholder
  • 4 years ago

    Thank you Lynartist. I've had a few folks share with me that this is in fact quarry tile. As previously mentioned, the quarry tile is in beautiful shape. I'm liking the idea of keeping it on the staircase and have come to the realization that while we wanted to keep the hallway's quarry tile, it is going to be too cold as well as too choppy visually. . One bedroom will remain carpeted for warmth and the 2 baths are tiled flooring. Choosing hardwood flooring option soon. May do a little pop in the entry with a herringbone or possibly dark big hex tile..?!?


    Still have not defined the exterior house style .... thoughts?

  • 4 years ago

    I think your house is cottage style. More European cottage though because of the stone exterior and more formal look. It isn’t storybook cottage as it doesn’t have that whimsical aspect to it . Very lovely home!

    ozwalla1 thanked Business_Name_Placeholder
  • 4 years ago

    Have you considered having an artist paint a design on the riser tiles? Consider a stylized version of your grandmother's favorite flower or something to recall their life together here. Agree you might want to have tiles cleaned first. You could alternate stairs or you could do every other tile or just a random pattern. I would not want to ruin the tiles if a runner involves glue!


    Tile Staircase · More Info


    KJ Stairs · More Info


  • 4 years ago

    A darker wood in the foyer wouldn’t be so much of a color variation to the tile. Good idea to do a stencil. There are lots out there!

    ozwalla1 thanked Business_Name_Placeholder
  • ozwalla1 thanked Business_Name_Placeholder