The slate is pretty dark, but there is wonderful lighting coming from the big windows. If you are going with lighter colors elsewhere, I say yum (keep it).

As many others have said, I too feel that the faux brick has to go. You could make the floors work in this space ...

@Margo: thank you for always making me smile :)

;) and thank you indianpatti for showing one of my favorite photo's on Houzz;)

Love the slate - it's a keeper for sure.

I agree with the others to keep it. Great house. Love-ha- the red countertops. We have those in our lake house. They are still in good shape and I am too cheap to replace them. Must have been all the rage! Happy lake living!

You could actually go over the slate, without tearing it out, with a self leveling cementious material @3/8" depth. This material could then polished, stained, engraved to look like tile, or you could put any type flooring over this, unless height is an issue.

I don't think the slate floors are the problem. The fake brick, date light fixture, check wall covering and red counters don't look good with the perfectly nice slate floors. I would deal with those and leave the flooring alone.

Gut everything else and see how the flooring looks with a blank slate. Sorry for the unintentional pun.

I'm with iamjudy, keep the floor and renovate the rest. For the sake of having fun with a sledge hammer you could take one to those cabinets. :)

I'd definitely go white for your cabinetry with silver or brushed nickel hardware. If you're able to switch out the fridge for either stainless steal or integrate the front paneling to match your cabinetry. I'd also go with a light grey granite for the countertops instead of the red, even though I do love pops of color in kitchens. Is the lighting in your kitchen fluorescent panels?

As for the brick walls, I love the paneling and crown molding iamjudy posted, it's a very clean look. I think you can keep the stone wall with the fireplace, just update the grout to a lighter grey, the dark grout ages it a bit. I'd also switch out the frame of the fireplace for a lighter piece, the black stands out unnecessarily.

Then I'd add touches of color with patterned accent chairs, a rustic coffee table, and art. Rugs are another great way to incorporate color, reduce echo, and keep the room a little warmer.

Keep the slate flooring. Clean it up. Put in your light/white walls and enjoy your lake house. Here is an inspiration with slate floors similar to yours

Are you laying the tile? Because demo is usually incl in price when tile layers do it. It's a job but not that bad. Messy. So do first. The slate looks dated. Plus the color is too dark. Go lighter or go wood. Remove light also and is that wall paper on wall? Are doing all work yourself?. Might be well worth getting a contractor in to do all. Demo incl. Are you redoing kitchen. Cabinets look very dark.

Very nice view. Don't cover windows.

I do like the fact they used a random pattern on slate. It's not awful. If you could lighten up walls and kitchen may work.

I would start with getting rid of the faux brick first - maybe u could just cover it with reclaimed barn wood in a light silvery tone - then change out the lighting with something simpler & more modern. Put some nice light rugs down & the slate flooring may b able to stay

I find it interesting that all of the Houzzers who post as designers think you should keep the floors. You don't always see such agreement among them.

The only reason to keep the floor is if you like it. If you're doing a lot of renovations, THIS would be the time to remove it, and posing the question in this forum sounds like you're not too attached. If the house is used primarily in the summer, I would keep it, because it's easily cleaned, durable, sturdy against water, and cool. But if this house is used year-round and it gets cold in the winter, I would bust it out and grind it up for gravel in the yard.

If it's used in winter, I'd add a wood burning stove. The place just has an original period charm- to me, only change what's needed if it's a seasonal home.

I cannot believe that there is not one enthusiastic comment: that slate floor is fantastic! It is a natural material, a great pattern and very sophisticated. The fake white brick, on the other hand, is awful. What is your style? If you want something modern, consider facing the FP wall with a metal (steel, corrugated tin, etc.). If you want something warmer, use wood - you could even use a bamboo flooring vertically on the wall. If you're non-committal, drywall or board-and-batten it and paint it! Do you have a color scheme worked out yet? I would go for a VERY light, almost silvery, gray on the walls, white trim, white cabinets, gray-blue-green accents along with a bright accent - orange, yellow, green, whatever floats your boat. Kind of a soft, beachy-woodsy palette. Install a backsplash in the kitchen which will bring these colors and finishes together.

I agree strongly that the slate floor is a great feature. I myself wouldn't dream of touching it, and I would caution the homeowner that appraisers and buyers and designers attach substantial value to it. If you demolish it, just be aware that you will be paying $$$ for a change that is effectively a downgrade (unless you put in polished Koa wood or something else truly amazing). Of course, it is your choice, but given the near-unanimous pro-slate input, you may want to reconsider.

I must pile on....keep the floor and get rid of the faux brick!!!!

Why would you remove the hearth? I hate the brick, but you can't have a lake house without a fireplace.

Nobody deserves that

Keep the floors, lighten up the walls with a creamy ivory and light colored furnishings with accent colors that coordinate with the floor/greens and grays etc.

without a doubt...YUM!!!

Yum. Keep the floor and cover the brick and paneling.

Lake living is fun and carefree. Those floors can take traffic and last a long time. Would lighten up the walls and cabinets.

Keep the slate; it's neutral and will disappear when you get your furniture moved in. It is indestructible and you probably will appreciate it later down the road.

I too like the slate. But the fake white stone on the wall has got to go. Is the "hearth" the low seating to the right of the fireplace? Are you keeping the fireplace? Keeping the slate seems like a savings that you could live with, unless you just hate it. Cushy rugs can soften the spaces and mitigate the noise factor. I am thinking about glass tile or stainless tiles surrounding the fireplace opening, topped by a raw wood mantle and stacked stone or medium colored flagstone, fireplace wall only... a nod to retro and lakehouse style with a current twist. Dry wall right of the fireplace with open raw wood shelving. White cabinets keep it clean and light (stainless countertops or soapstone?), while wood accents keep it casual, and soft colored fabrics keep it comfy. A shiny finish to the slate could reflect light and take a step up from the overall dark look...perhaps bring out the subtle colors.

I just took a more careful look at your photo: is that tile on the wall or wallpaper?

I don't think it is the floor causing the problem (as long as it is all even walking wise- as it looks more cobbled than straight?), visually it seems to be the walls and counter tops. Plus the fridge doesn't match with the room. Regarding foyer and den put lots of bright rugs as you want a warm atmosphere in den.

The floor is fantastic. Lose the rest of it. The pics People have posted above are wonderful. You will have a fantastic place when you are done remodeling. Definately get rid of that fake brick and the orange walls. Maybe just cover over it with sheetrock (fireplace)? You have tons of potential

Thanks for all the supportive comments, Houzzers! The whole thing has already been gutted down to the studs, so yes...all is being replaced. The plan is to do ship lap walls and ceilings throughout, white cabinetry, stainless appliances, chrome cottage style fixtures and would like a blue, green, orange color palette. The fireplace is staying, and you have convinced me to get rid of the faux brick. Had already dreamed of a driftwood mantle, if I can locate a piece large enough. So ship lap the large wall, and do what with the actual fireplace wall? Sounds like the floors are staying.........

Little late but the discussion reminded me of when we moved into our house with slate floors 20 yrs ago. Every day since I have regretted not getting out he sledgehammer. It's cold year round,hard to keep "pretty", a pain to stand on and tough on the growing crop of grandchildren. Congratulations on your choice- wish I'd done it.

Looks like you've got it all set!

Those sound like great choices, chickeecoop! Sounds like you are going for kind of a spare cottage look so I would just keep the shiplap on the FP wall and do a simple slate surround around the firebox to repeat the look. If you want it to look more rustic then you could do a stone veneer. Can't find any great photos - best I could do!

Slate can be a great option when paired with the contemporary furniture. Check out some of the options we offer at eurofurniture.com.

I, too, was thinking of a stone veneer for the fireplace. Your design choices sound great. Can't wait to see the progress. Our next big project at the lake (after finishing the basement) will be the kitchen. Always like to see others' take on "lake living".

Are the walls staying and the cabinetry going in exactly where the old cabinets were? it seems like it would be impossible to patch the flooring... I personally like the flooring but I would not be able to deal with any patches that didn't match perfectly.

I agree with many. The floors are not the problem. When everything else gets updated and fresh I believe you will see those gorgeous floors in a different light. Good luck!

Ugggg...that "faux brick" is actually stone (sandstone??) that's been painted plasticy white. We discovered this when we removed the hearth box. So the removal of a ton of rock aside, we will have to just cover the long wall with shiplap. Kinda want to try stripping the fireplace wall tho! Will regular paint stripper work on this or ruin the stone??

No advice but that's insane!

I don't know chickeecoop, but something tells me it will be a HUGE mess to try to strip it. Sandstone would just drink in paint, I would think. No harm in trying, though, I guess. Maybe you will luck out.

Try a heat gun.

I bet the original sandstone would look fantastic. Any way you can sandblast that paint off of there?

[houzz=]

If you can isolate the area, a sandblaster would strip it. The sandstone would drink in the paint was if it was thin like watercolor OR oil based.

I love the slate, I am so glad you kept it. What a shame they painted the stone. Ship lap is a good solution, I don't know but I doubt you will be able to restore it unless possibly sandblasting would work.

Don't you think sandblasting will ruin the stone? Sandstone is so soft.

There are different grades of grit. If a professional does the job, they'll know how to adjust the blast. The other option is a wire wheel, but that would take a long time and could possibly send chips flying... unless there's a teenager in the house hoping for a car soon.

If the floors are being preserved, be sure to protect them from any procedure. It would be a shame to decide to keep them and then see them damaged.

I agree to possibly sandblasting the stone. I strongly recommend getting a pro to look at it. As jncc44 and saratogawizzlestick said, sandstone is porous, and might have absorbed the paint. Since you have a solid white face to the stone, that might not be the case. Before you decide, you need to know.

Thanks for the input, Houzzers! Here are the "afters"! So we kept the slate ;) And the faux brick...

This natural slate
is beautiful. I’m sure it has been down for a long time, probably
decades. Irreplaceable, if you did remove it. Since slate
is extremely durable it's great that you left the original slate for the character of the house.