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Help with choosing floorboards.

8 years ago

Hi all,

Really need some advice.

We're renovating our 20 year old Federation style home (attached), which we're installing a white Hampton's kitchen. However, we are stuck on floorboards and fireplace colours.

I really like darker colours bit I'm not too sure they'll go with this style of house. Also, I don't know whether to choose engineered or solid.

I like the mink grey engineered boards from Royal Oak Floors (photo attached) but not sure about the material or whether the colour will go.

Note that even though our house is really dark, we have a number of ceiling to floor Windows which look out onto our terracotta floor tiles (will there's be a clash?)

Ugh. I need a designer.

Thanks, Kelly

Comments (4)

Kelly Mayer
Original Author
8 years ago
Here are the boards we are looking at? Clash?
PRO
Haus Of Hanem
8 years ago
Hi Kelly,

I think you're definitely on the right track. I have used Royal Oak engineered hardwood and it's great. Durable, easy to keep clean etc.

Are you planning to run it through the whole house? (Main living areas that connect, and the room with the fireplace?) This will keep the flow through the house, making space appear bigger.

Because you are changing out the kitchen to white, there is no need to worry about clashing of timbers which is great, and to keep consistency with your new pallet of the more grey tones, opt for a bench top that has a grey vein through it. This will help produce the pallet for your fireplace too.... keep the consistency through the house, so it's cohesive and intensional. Change the fireplace tiles to compliment the new vibe too.

I don't think there will be too much of a clash to the outdoors and if there is, down the track you can always paint the outdoor tiles. But don't let the terra-cotta dictate your internal pallet.

Goodluck!

p.s If you're Melb based, Fowels Auctions in Clayton, supply the Royal Oak at really good prices and have an extensive range of other floors to look at and compare.
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Kelly Mayer
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me.

I am glad you like the Royal Oak product as I have nothing else to go by since I can find no reviews at all. Are you referring to the Harper's and Sandilands brand?

I was mainly concerned about the colour suiting our home since inside our house it's really dark thanks to a pergola and eaves.

I'll look up the place you mention above. Would they be able to recommend a good installer?

Thanks
jmm1837
8 years ago
I got a different brand of engineered timber from a comparable supplier (Wild River). Lighter in colour and probably not what you're looking for, but from what I learned while researching, you want at least a 4mm slice of real timber on the top, with a total of 15 mm altogether. That gives you the ability to resand a few times, just as you would with solid hardwood. I think Royal Oak has a pretty good reputation.

Our price for the timber included installation, and because ours was a non-sealed timber, one oil and buff. The vendor should be able to provide the installation, for a price of course. Sticking the floors, as opposed to floating them, is more expensive.

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