| Soap them Scandinavian-style. For a subtle whitewashed finish on pine or oak floors, take a tip from the Scandinavians and soap your boards. Typically wood lye is used on sanded boards to lighten them... |
| Paint them white. For homes in need of a brightness boost, nothing matches the light-reflecting powers of white painted floors. Instantly transformative, white floors add contemporary flair to period homes... |
| Opt for elegant gray. When black might be too dark but white feels stark, try painting the floorboards in a midtone, such as gray or pale gray-blue. A warm gray floor paired with pastel walls adds depth... |
| Consider varnished boards. For a hard-wearing, fuss-free finish, try a varnish for your wood floors. Most contain polyurethane, which coats wood with an impermeable, plastic-like seal. Finishes vary from... |
| Try tone on tone. Take a leaf out of interior designer Abigail Ahern’s style pages and match your floor and walls for a tonal effect. The difference in the paint finishes of each surface will create textural... |
| Go back to black. If your property is already flooded with natural light or you’re keen to embrace a dark and moody hue, black painted boards could be for you. Black floors add drama and make it easy to... |
| Work a waxed finish. Fans of traditional wood floors may prefer to alter the appearance of their boards as little as possible. Hard wax products contain a mixture of natural oils, such as linseed and... |
| Learn how to go over to the dark side. To get a dark finish that also shows off the grain of the wood, your first step is to stain your floorboards. This is not a straightforward process and requires patch... |
