Have you seen my Umina Springs house after its recent renovation? It's wonderful, and all it took (😉) was some remodelling of the existing floor plan and the quick addition of one small room to create an entry foyer. The true success of this project, though, was due to the choice of products - durable, easy to maintain, and, of course, truly beautiful. The original flooring of the house, for example, was a laminate product that was pretty ugly and very damaged over time. For that 'Palm Springs' look that we wanted to achieve I could have selected tiles throughout. Still, because we are in a coastal environment, I decided to add an Australian take on the Mid-Century Modern style and selected a timber look for the floors of the entire home.
Engineered Timber is real timber, but layers of it, where the top layer is good-looking and high-quality timber, like oak, for example. The layers underneath are less beautiful but give the timber the thickness and strength necessary for a durable flooring product. When needed, Engineered Timber can be sanded back and polished, like solid timber flooring, which, of course, only happens every many years. The thickness of the top layer will determine how many times the flooring can be sanded back. The product I chose for my home is Marlu Engineered Oak from Flooring Xtra's vast range of products. I truly love its elegant looks and the way it feels when you touch its brushed surface.
I love how the character of each board is unique because, of course, it's real timber. It's low maintenance and very easy to clean. In fact, we chose not to have carpet in the bedrooms because the beach is seven minutes away. We didn't want to worry about having to take shoes off or sand getting into the carpet, therefore, except for the two bathrooms, we decided to install timber throughout, from the kitchen to the living areas, the laundry, and into all of the bedrooms.
Another positive of having timber floors extending in every room is a visual continuity, making the floor plan seem larger than it is.
I have worked with the team at Flooring Xtra for many years now, on many of my clients' projects, with great results. Now, I’ve got the 'proof of the pudding' also in my own house.
So, my quick tips to you, when selecting new flooring, are:
Make sure you deal with a reputable brand.
Ask the sale staff which flooring type best suits your needs.
Select a product that's durable but easy to look after.
Watch the video below to learn more about James' selections at Flooring Xtra Gosford Showroom (NSW).
James Treble has three decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to properties through effective design & styling. James is also an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for plenty of Design information. Watch his Online Series to see how an Interior Designer renovates his own home.
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