I see this is a very old thread , with lots of comments . I've just skim read them , but I haven't seen anyone suggest anything like my 'top-of-my-head' idea -- I love the wood , and the white contrast , but pretty boring . Whats your favourite colour , or what ties in with the other rooms ? It might be blue or red or yellow or orange or green , as examples . So paint the skirting board and around the door a pastel shade of your choice , and add a small 30cm x 30cm abstract painting featuring that colour as the primary dominant one , above ( or possibly below , or maybe even get 2 matching/complementary ones ) the control panel . One lighting crowd suggested glass shades -- I'd actually go for someothing large but wooden , in much the same shade as your floors and steps , with LED bulbs -- you can get some stunning ones around 80-100 cm in diameter ( sort of a star ball shape ) for $300-400 . Total budget then $500 plus a painter and maybe electrician , unless you DIY .

We had a Vic Ash floor laid recently in our living room. The floor polishing person we used was excellent in every way, including helping us choose which products to use, which was a great start. He said that polyurethane gives timber that tan colouring, but water based (non-toxic) finish doesn't develop any colour - so you get the natural colour of the timber, intensified just a tiny bit as if it is wet - our finished floor is beautiful. If you want the timber tinted, they have tints they can apply before sealing. The water based non-toxic finish is more expensive, but more durable than polyurethane, and not high gloss which I dislike, so I decided readily that it is worth it. We are in Melbourne and the business name of this gentleman, Sasha, is S&A Flooring Services. They were very clean and methodical, leaving no mess or unsatisfactory areas of work. They did a beautiful job, and the finish was as he described in the first place when we chose the products. Getting people in for various advice, repairs or restorations in the home can be difficult and disappointing, so trades people like this man Sasha, and the resultant finish we live with, are a pleasure.

Thanks to nickybaruch I am now considering doing the floor (which is now sanded back ready for finishing off) with white liming with a slight tint colour in it. Some say you have to be very careful when liming. Is this a problem? I would have thought it would be just like putting on a stain? Anyway doing it that way we would still see the grain of the timber floor which would be lighter than the dark cedar it was before and keeping the pine lined ceiling with the cedar coloured beams will blend in well I think with the lighter timber floor and the white walls we now have. What do you think?

Polyurethane timber floor finishes are the most durable and economical floor coating available for floor sanding and polishing projects. Especially if you are considering the resale of your home in the future. Liming or white washing your floor certainly is in fashion at the moment but is far more expensive to do. If you are still interested in liming your timber floors take a look our blog for some more info . http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/?s=liming+timber+floors http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/timber-floor-finishes/timber-floor-staining/