[ad] Why we swapped our white painted floors for Quick-Step pale wood flooring

[AD – press product. The pale wood flooring in Wintry Forest Oak Extra Matt was supplied by Quick-Step floors]

When we first renovated our home, I wanted to recreate the white painted floors of the Scandinavian style interiors I love so much. To me, they just looked effortlessly stylish; the very epitome of clean minimalism. So I spent hours lovingly sanding the original boards, filling in the gaps and finishing them in a pure, brilliant white. They looked smart at first, giving a bright, airy feel to the open-plan downstairs. After knocking the wall down between the living room and kitchen, the white floors brought a lightness that offset our monochrome furniture and belongings perfectly.

The thing with painted floors, I soon realised though, is that they need a fair amount of upkeep to keep them looking fresh (especially when they’re white and you combine everyday wear and tear with muddy paw prints!). They’re neither effortlessly stylish or clean, really. The white paint soon starting chipping at the edges and showing every speck of dirt, dent or mark, no matter how much I cleaned them.

Some people might be drawn to that rustic, rough-around-the-edges look, but not me. It was a little too rustic in places… Every year or so, I would have to paint a new coat on the floors to get that white freshness. I’ve tried all the paint brands (I get asked this all the time – Ronseal Diamond Hard floor paint was the best of the bunch). It never took too long but it meant going through the faff of moving all the furniture out, waiting for the paint to dry, then moving everything back in again. A home should stand the test of time, not tire after a short amount of time.

Because in reality, the white floors were really just a cheap fix. We were coming to the end of our renovations, getting tired of the builders dragging things on and the budget quickly dwindling away. If we could have afforded to, we might have fitted pale wood flooring sooner. But it was easier and cheaper to do the work ourselves and spend our spare cash on a couple of tins of paint.

I always recommend to clients to invest in the features that will stand the test of time (such as flooring) and save on smaller accessories and furniture that you can swap and change with the seasons or as your style evolves. I loved the white floors for a time, but in hindsight I wish I had planned things a bit better instead of rushing blindly into an easy decision. Fast forward four years and I was itching to say goodbye to the white floorboards forever. With a baby on the way, I wanted something that would look similarly light and airy but without the hassle and endless hours of cleaning.

So here’s a reminder of how the space looked before. The rugs disguised a multitude of sins… Through the eye of the camera lens, the painted boards looked bright and spotless, but up close, they appeared uneven, scuffed and tired. There was also one board dividing the living room and kitchen, breaking up the seamless feel of the open plan space.

Looking back at these images, I think I had also tired of the stark, sometimes cold, contrast between white and grey. I wanted to bring a greater feeling of warmth and cosiness by introducing more natural materials and soft, tactile textures. A makeover was due!

That’s when Quick-Step stepped in to help. Quick-Step is a flooring company that dates back to the 1960s – after first manufacturing flax chipboards, their history really began when they introduced laminate flooring to Belgium for the first time. They also invented the Uniclic system in 1997, allowing planks to click together for a quick, easy installation. Today, Quick-Step produces a variety of high quality hardwood and vinyl floorings as well as laminate in a range of  contemporary finishes.

After our trials with painted wood flooring, I chose engineered wood flooring over laminate or vinyl because I wanted something that would truly last and stand the test of time. There’s just something about natural wood that appeals to the senses; the knotted grain and texture giving warmth and charm to any space. Whatever the style of room, real wood flooring gives a timeless, elegant appeal that will never go out of fashion, no matter what you pair with it.

I ordered several flooring samples from Quick-Step, which was invaluable in helping me make that all important decision. I could line them up next to the fireplace to see if they matched the tiles and hold them up to furniture to check they worked together.

Quick-Step has lots of floors to choose from but I was looking for a particular type of pale wood flooring that would fit with my simple, Scandinavian style. I was hesitant to go too dark as I wanted to retain the light, airy feel the white flooring originally offered. In the end, after much deliberation, I settled on Wintry Forest Oak Extra Matt – a pale grey oak with enough variation in the white washed grain to give it character. It has a lovely patina that’s brought out by the stain, adding interest to the soft neutral tones. It’s also extra matt; a more natural choice that gives a sleek, contemporary feel that’s perfect for a seamless, open plan space.

The fitting went smoothly without too many hiccups. After they had laid down some plywood in the living room to level to the space off with the kitchen and hallway, they could begin installation. The flooring went down much quicker than I expected, thanks to Quick-Step’s Uniclic Multifit system. Each board is slotted together with a ‘click’, without the need for glue, meaning you can cover a large area fairly swiftly. The tricky bit is probably the edges, especially as we had two curved walls to contend with.

Luckily Quick-Step do a paintable flexible skirting that can be cut down to size and moulded around curved surfaces. It was easier and quicker to apply this to the edges than it would have been to remove the original skirting board or undercut the skirting boards and potentially cause damage to the walls. When fitting wood flooring, you’ll likely need a trim or Scotia as there will need to be an expansion gap to allow the floor to naturally move and expand. As our skirting boards don’t feature any decorative details, I think this fits in quite well and blends into the background.

I can’t tell you how happy I am with the result. Our new pale wood flooring has truly transformed the space. Along with a lick of Slaked Lime Mid by Little Greene in the living room (a soft, simple beige), the flooring has given the space an injection of subtle warmth. It feels so cosy in here now, especially when we’ve got the wood burner roaring and all the candles lit. I was worried that all the different woods of our furniture would look a little mismatched, but I love the relaxed look and think each tone just adds to the character. I can’t quite believe the difference it’s made and to be honest I don’t know why we didn’t get wooden flooring sooner!

I love the streamlined finish too, from the integrated coir mat that welcomes you to the smooth finish that feels warm enough to walk with bare foot on. The flooring also runs perfectly between the hallway, kitchen and living room, uniting the spaces into one whole. And so far, it’s been a dream to clean! It needs a sweep fairly regularly but it doesn’t show nearly as much dirt as the white painted flooring.

Now I’ve experienced the smooth tactility of pale wood flooring, I don’t think I’d ever go back to painted boards. I know we’ll love this look for years to come, even if our style changes and our furniture comes and goes.

So what do you think? Have you got wood flooring in your home? Or are you perhaps thinking about installing it? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and I’d be happy to answer!