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

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!

just put over a km of spotted gum decking into our new house near the beach. Architect and builder recommended and used Cutek oil. The oil seeps deep into the timber without putting a coat on the surface with will peel or fail. Would definitely not use any product that puts coat on the top of the timber. I have used other finishes on our decking at our main house (Cabots, inter grain etc) and all ended up looking terrible after being punished by the harsh Queensland sun. My advise is research your choice thoroughly, as undoing a mistake is very time-consuming and costly. I guess only time will tell if I got it right this time?? Photos below.

You have done extremely well! I think the couches and white rectangular coffee table are great. The things that worry me are the 2 small round tables, the 2 occasional chairs you have now, (though I can see they are lovely chairs, but at different heights and styles that causes a distraction), plus the nest of tables as they don't go with you lovely rectangular coffee table between the couches and the placement of them. I feel there maybe just too many small tables in that immediate area. Looking at the style of the nest and the taller round table, maybe if you stripped back the tops of the nest of tables and painted the legs white so that they match up the other round table they would work together, but remove the small round cane table in the background. I do like the taller occasional chair more than the low one and would try to find one similar. The low chair might be good in a bedroom. To have a higher back chair especially as we get older can be a good thing for guests that drop in and when you are needing to get up and down quickly as the hostess, (good for our backs and our take off). I think introducing cane though it is light weight and that is a good thing, might just be adding too many textures if you want a calm plantation style room. It would have to be a fine cane, maybe featuring the wove rattan sides. Taking another look at the chairs they are both nice chairs but I think you need 2 of the same style. I like the fabric that features the muted lime and black and linen look in the cushions, just that small use of it as a complementary fabric is great. I am wondering if you are able to raise up the palm so it is higher, and used as a more decorative element. I am wondering where your couches came from and the mirror too, if you can remember. Thanks and I hope you find these suggestions helpful, Good Luck