I think since lounge and all bedrooms are or will be carpeted, it makes sense to do the hallway a sliding well. It will cut down on noise as well as look consistent. Removing the wall really opened the living space up. Well done!

Do the hallway as well is what I thought I typed!

Except for the gaps under the old walls, why do you want to hide this beautiful timber under carpet or vinyl?

Timber floors are ageless and will look 100% better than any vinyl or carpet, your room now looks lovely, patch the floor re sand tint and seal and a carpet square as mentioned by Ruth.

Keep the timber! Even with the patching, it will be cheaper than the new floor coverings.

If you want a fresh look, have the floors sanded then just a clear satin polyurethane (no stain, no tint) will make them look fresher. Alternatively you could lighten them up with a diluted lime wash which I've seen look great on pine floorboards as I think yours are. It would look great with the other colours you have.

PS What is your navy feature wall colour, it's a fabulous colour.

Here's some examples. First one is sanded and lime washed pine.

You can vary the lime wash dilution (and even DIY!) - though I wouldn't DIY the sanding unless you're very handy.

Then a polyurethane over the top will keep it protected. Avoid tinting the varnish as if there's dents or chips, they're more visible.

Oh wow, Vanessa, your floors and kitchen look amazing! Great Reno.

I am only going to answer one question - entrance with a non carpeted surface, otherwise everyone comes in and wipes their feet and what are they wiping it on. Also if you have pets it gives a small gap for wet (and sometimes muddy) foot prints to remain off the carpet. It also gives the feeling of separation e.g. you are walking into an entry way not straight into the lounge.

I prefer polished timber in all areas. Perhaps the timber can be matched up to fill in the gap between the living and kitchen area. If you don't want polished timber, I would suggest that the bedrooms only be carpeted and vinyl be used in the kitchen, entry and hallway.

I love the look of timer, but I've usually hated living with it. Noisy, scratches and if it is the original flooring, can be cold as drafts come upwards - not very energy efficient. Also can be a nuisance in the kitchen proper. My only comments are, yes an entry floor, (I've just having mine tiled in a slate tile at present, so we don't step straight onto carpet. Hall in timber can be particularly noisy so you might go with carpet there or one of the classy vinyls. I like the open look but I also like some differentiation and in this room those for me would be entry and kitchen.

Best thing we ever did was get rid of the carpet in our home and use the Baltic pine that was original to the house over 120 years old bluestone, as others have said hall runners and a huge big rug in lounge dining room and smaller in bedroom each side of the bed, they are easy to clean especially since we have a German Shepherd and the noise factor is hardly noticeable it also ties the whole house with the same flooring except in the kitchen and wet areas which are tile but also easy to clean, the hall runner in the hall cuts the noise to almost nil it is such a timeless look for any home and WAY less allergens that the carpets collect.

I agree with all the others here, don't cover up that beautiful pine flooring! Patch the wall gaps with pine boards following the lie of the old walls, and re-sand the floors. They will come up much lighter, and the place will look better than with any other type of flooring.

Hi I renovate a lot of houses and I know getting the same timber is very hard my suggestion is if you want to keep the timber floors to get the right colour pull up the carpet in one of the rooms take out about 2 or three boards you can then patch that floor with other timber and relay the carpet. where the timber goes where the boards run the one way it is easy where the timber runs diagonal to existing pull out a bit more than the width of the wall you pulled out. so it is staggered. I also own a carpet shop so if you want some advise feel free to call me on 0746394065

Tanya - This is your home so what's the greatest priority for you?

A lot of the answers here focus on your desire to update/modernize/refresh the look of your space. If this is your main priority than the advice here is spot on - there's nothing out of date about wood floors and they can be bleached or stained in a variety ways to change their look - but you also mentioned noise, which hasn't really been addressed to the same extent.

How significant of an impact is the noise? Is it a mild annoyance or is someone in the household sensitive to auditory stimulation? Could the noise be managed with area and/or runner rugs in high traffic areas, or do you genuinely need a more permanent solution?

Cut the floorboards diagonally from jamb to jamb. Put in new threshold timber flooring piece jamb to jamb and then remove remaining "triangle" of old boards and replace into existing boards so there are no straight cuts i.e.. alternate splicing/cutting over joists. It will look like it has always been there.

I like John's idea above keeping the timber floors if not I would be looking at putting down Kardeen flooring this is a great product and has a guarantee for a long time it is comically grade flooring planks and you can use it in wet areas including bathrooms and laundry's. Should you have any flooding or burst taps ect. in these areas it is only a matter of lifting them up and putting them out to dry. Then replace them your self. Good luck!

I agree with the above comments re floor boards - sand and re stain to a look that is modern enough for you. There are some really great vinyl products on the market, but none as timeless as what you have to work with now. Carpet is good for bedrooms in cool climates, but other than that it is just a dust holder - definitely would not use for the entrance as this patch will wear down very quickly. For resale, a wooden board throughout will serve you better.

Good luck :)

The awkward boarder issue you have to deal with could be complimented by some form of feature?

I am for keeping the timber too. It's very popular, people even lay it in brand new houses over a concrete slab. You're probably not considering resale value at this point in time, but timber floors definantly add value to a property, whereas vinyl, and carpet to a lesser degree don't. But obviously if you don't like timber then change it, good luck with whatever you decide on.

Tania, you initially asked about whether to use carpet or vinyl in your entryway. That's a good question. It probably isnt practical to extend carpet to entry. It does seem to be more practical (as far as wet, dirty or muddy shoes/feet) to have an easy-to-clean and damage resistant floor there, such as vinyl. If I was in your shoes, I would use the same flooring as kitchen (in this case vinyl) and extend it out along the line with where old wall was and finishing at the corner where the opposite walls meet (see your 2nd photo where there's a picture or something leaning up against the wall). I can't tell what is beyond that wall; is there another hallway? By extending the kitchen flooring out to include your entry, it seems more practical to me. It also creates an invisible boundary between the entryway and the living room. I hope this makes sense. Please keep us updated of your plans. Best wishes!

Annb's suggestion seems good to me. Our new place has a pale beige wool carpet to the front door - it's in excellent condition but shows every mark. We are replacing some of it in the entry with a slate tile that matches with brick, internal walls and the carpet, and extending it to cover the porch floor. Having something easy to clean and that can deal with occasional dirty shoes is important - much better than carpet.

Another point which has not been mentioned is that by having two different types of flooring in that area it will look both smaller and busier to the eye. Better to have just one...and more modern.

Good point; that's something to consider as well. Decisions sometimes have to be made in favour of practicality and what suits the people living in the home best, and knowing that there will likely be opportunities to make alterations in the future as the family's needs change.

I is a good point - and maybe might be addressed by getting vinyl (or even tiles) that are as close a match to your wood as you can get - which would minimise differentiation.

You can get porcelain tiles that look like wood, in my opinion MUCH better look than vinyl which always looks vinyl but if you don't wish to go all real wood as I like then try to get a matching porcelain tile that matches your wood colour I really believe as others have also pointed out having all the same flooring gives a much better flow and makes a place look larger, adding rugs carpet runners etc just add a little bit more class and softens the sound issue.

We all have our own opinions but I guess in the long run it is what is right for you.

Do remember though that porcelain tiles can be hard underfoot in a kitchen and things always break on them.