Oak is a stunning wood, there’s no doubt about that. Used as a flooring material for centuries, when you choose the right oak floor it could last a lifetime (and possibly a whole lot more).
The great thing about oak floorboards today is that they are now even more versatile than they were just 20 or 30 years ago. Why is that? It’s because nowadays when you know you want an oak floor you have the choice between solid and engineered oak floorboards.
What this means is that you can fit oak flooring with complete peace of mind in every room in the home, and even over under floor heating. Engineered oak flooring is so versatile that it can even be fitted in rooms where temperatures and moisture levels fluctuate significantly. So, in the good old days, if you’d fitted an oak floor in a bathroom or kitchen for example, you’d have done so with crossed fingers that the floor would survive the moisture and temperature ups and downs. The risk of the floor developing unsightly gaps or even worse, cupping or bowing would have been utmost on your mind and quite rightly so. Today, engineered oak flooring means you can have that solid oak flooring look no matter where you want it, and no matter how challenging the conditions are.
So in summary, between solid and engineered oak flooring, you really do have an all-round solution.
Once you’re clear on the fact that you want an oak floor, it’s a case of deciding which colour of oak floorboards would work best for you. Oak, in its natural state comes in a whole host of colours, but with the sophisticated wood treatments available today, it can be made to look almost white or almost black, as well as everything in between. In this article we want to share our thoughts about which settings light, natural and dark oak floorboards work best.
The most popular and most logical place to fit light oak floorboards is where you have either a small room that you want to make look bigger or a dark room where you want to create an illusion of light. The likes of these London White floors isn’t only extremely versatile, it’s easy to maintain and stunning to look at to boot. At Wood and Beyond we’ve seen it fitted in the smallest of rooms as well as lofty apartments and in each setting (and everything in between) it looks simply stunning. It’s a flooring solution that’ll make you feel bright and cheerful no matter the season or the weather outside. Reminiscent of New England decks and with a real natural charm about it, you’ll never tire of this one.
Purists would argue that if you’re choosing an oak floor, the floor should look like natural oak and nothing else. While we agree with this at Wood and Beyond, we also love the little twists that can be introduced to natural oak floorboards, such as this solid oak extra grey brushed hardwax oiled floor. As you can see, the treatment that this solid oak floor has undergone brings out all the natural charm of the wood and a whole lot more. It’s obvious for all to see that this is solid oak, but it has a real edge to it, thanks to the grey brushing it has had. This floor is perfectly suited to lounges, bedrooms, halls and dining rooms. Our favourite look to go with this floor is laid back casual – think faded linens, plumped up cushions and an abundance of cosy throws and sheepskin rugs and you’ll get the idea!
Dark oak floors such as jet black brushed and UV lacquered option have really come into their own in the last few years and it’s easy to see why. Monochrome colour schemes (if that’s not a contradiction in terms) are absolutely stunning and can surprisingly work really well using traditional/vintage furnishings as well as modern. All it needs it some careful planning and works best in a room where you have lots of light. This floor would look fantastic with some basic pieces from the likes of Ikea, combined with either a real or reproduction Barcelona chair, originally designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich. Choose this option if you want to make a real statement throughout your home. Combine it with stark white walls and a clever mix of bold coloured or monochrome rugs and you’ll be the envy of all your friends and family!
If you’re swithering over which oak floorboards would work for your interior, don’t hold back – get in touch and let the team at Wood and Beyond help. We love nothing more than when clients get in touch to ask our advice!