Hi, I had a Spotted Gum Timber Floor ( 10mm Real Solid Timber Single Planks ) in a penthouse apartment for 8 years . It was pre-coated in high gloss clear from the factory . When it was laid it was necessary to have a noise reduction 3mm foam under layer ( apartments underneath building noise requirement) . This method of installation actually made the floor very quiet and it also made it a little softer to walk over . When it got any scuff marks, they just easily wiped off with a damp cloth. When I sold the penthouse, the floor was in exactly the same condition as the day it was first laid - first class. It was only ever cleaned with a steam cleaner , no chemicals whatsoever . I would certainly recommend the pre-coated polyurethane gloss finish on the real timber planks to anyone, it was great ! You can just see a glimpse of the kitchen floor in the attached two images. Good luck with your specifying . High quality surface finishes normally stand the test of time . I have added a couple of extra images of the penthouse for interest. We did the interior design fit out after buying the shell from the developer. It was a stunning sky home . Cheers LAADP

The photo below is my suggestion for colour of floor. Furniture should be darker - similar to below. For the rug - choose one colour from the artwork and find a similar coloured rug. Don't put a mantle over the fireplace - it could be a health hazard - bumps and bruises. Blinds - unless you want them to make a statement I think white - to match window frames would be fine.

Thanks for the ideas - I realise that only looking at flooring as the 'link' between inside/outside is limiting. We will have a brick boundary fence that will connect to our inside brick (but don't want brick pavers, too small and busy for our small space). We will also have a timber pergola that links to our beams/doors/flooring. So perhaps it's not essential that the pavers 'match' the flooring. I do like Travertine, and certainly large pavers are the idea. Also that pic that Swaneee posted - I would never have thought of that as 'slabs of cement', but it looks nice - where do you get that kind of thing, and what sort of cost? PS: I never said twin boys, it's one boy and one girl - but just the same in terms of pebbles being out!

Unless you live like animals, carpet does not 'harbour' a single living organism. It's a scientific fact. It's your bed that harbours organisms. Carpet acts like an air filter for dust, waiting for you to vacuum it out. Timber flooring allows dust to be constantly stirred up into the air in the home unless you vacuum and mop daily. At the end of the day, go with what you like- carpet in bedrooms and not in high traffic areas is logical. I've manufactured carpet for years and wholesale carpet and hard flooring. There is a lot of misinformation out there about all flooring types. Happy to answer any queries.