I used to have tiled floors at the old place ..the whole downstairs was tiled ( lounge, study, living room , kitchen, laundry) terracotta ones..not cold at all contrary to what people think .. the kids loved riding their trikes around the house as it was massive open living space 36 squares in all. we had a wool rug where the living area was so kids can lounge around.. I find tiles are easier to maintain than floor boards.A quick vacuum and mop is all it needed and it hid the dirt well..whereas floor boards collects dust and hair etc.. Timber floorboards are nice to look at..the floating /laminate looks cheap and nasty I'd rather tiles instead.

Timber with timber can work brilliantly, and it's in keeping with the mid century style you want for your home. This room (below) is a little similar to yours, albeit with less of a pitch to the roof - the large feature lighting helps to break up the expanse of timber on the ceiling. You have a lovely open plan area, so I'd be inclined to use rugs to create zones and a cosy feel. Rugs reduce the impact of a large expanse of flooring material. They have the benefit that you can swap things around to change the look and layout at little cost. I think one trick may be to define your "walls" carefully, and paint these before you go with a new floor. This should give you a sense of whether the timber is overwhelming, and how to balance it. E.g. You might decide it works best to paint the kitchen cupboards to white, to give you a more seamless look and work with your new counter tops. If you want to experiment with the "paint ceiling" approach - gulp, it's a big one!! - then maybe that small section above the kitchen bench, at a different angle to the rest of the roof, could be the spot. It seems to have the same horizontal line as the wall, so even if you don't like the painted look for the whole, you might be able to get away with blending this into the walls. Best of luck!

Hi Andrew, I think you are asking what type of timber you can use to match your floors. You may like to consider either Karri, ( or Spotted Gum, Nyatoh or Tasmanian Blackwood) as these are readily available hardwood timbers in this varigated tone and grain pattern you have. It is also worth noting that Timbers that start out with red in them also actually fade over time to turn this nutty colour. Once you decide on a spiecies, your Cabinet Maker may also be able to hand pick colours to get the closest match. Hope this helps; regards Malcolm.

Walk-in-showers are great for large bathrooms, but are problematic for small bathrooms. Even more so with a timber floor which does not comply with the regulations for waterproofness for wet areas. There are regulations in place that your waterproofing will need to comply with, as set out by the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards (AS 3740-1994). You will need to do some research and speak to a professional as you are heading for disaster with the combination of a timber bathroom floor, a small bathroom, a walk-in shower, no waterproof membrane to protect the floor and no understanding of the legal requirements. Houses of the 1920's traditionally had tiled floors so I would be looking at one of my suppliers such as the Olde English Tile Company to help you source somethiing that is period appropriate and legal instead of timber floors. Olde English Tiles Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls