Buxted, East Sussex

As the house was built only 15 years ago it wasn’t in need of any major work, however, the couple were keen to update the duck egg blue carpets that were installed throughout the downstairs and do some decorating to update the living spaces to their own taste. While we also wanted to update the upstairs of the home we decided to focus on the living spaces first. We knew taking up the old blue carpets and adding a new and more modern floor would instantly lift the home, and we were decided on wood floors. We visited lots of local flooring shops and I also spent a lot of time looking for ideas online. As the samples arrived I think I had enough to have fitted out a floor in one of the rooms. A bit confused we made a short list of things we definitely wanted from our new wood floors.

“Something light that would lift the spaces and make them feel fresh and modern, and also something with a matt finish, I wasn’t keen on anything too shiny. I was also looking for a wider style plank so that once fitted throughout all the living spaces there would be a nice natural flow without any joins between the rooms to create an almost open plan feel.”

Sue had received samples of several V4 floors and having refocused on what they were looking for the Alpine Oak Rustic and Matt Lacquered planks stood out for her. The wider face of the Alpine 110 plank has a rustic oak finish which has been smooth sanded and sealed with 6 coats of UV cured aluminium oxide lacquer. This protects the surface creating an extremely durable finish which is low maintenance, whilst giving the appearance of a lightly oiled floor. And the generous boards measure 190mm x 1900mm.

“With the decision made I contacted a local floor fitter who was able to order the floors for me and get to work ripping up the old carpets in readiness for our new wood floors. As the house was fairly new the subfloor was level concrete so the engineered planks could be installed straight over with a simple underlay. He did an immaculate job carefully planning the installation so there would be no need for joins or transitions between any of the rooms they were going in. The Alpine wood floors extend from the central entrance hallway and continue into the living room, dining room and study which all lead off from the hallway. The kitchen and utility had fairly contemporary tiles and we decided to keep the floors as they were in these rooms with the wood floors featuring everywhere else”.

“They immediately transformed the home, making the spaces feel so much lighter and more spacious. All that was left was to decorate and I chose Little Greene’s French Grey Pale for the walls. The lounge is a lovely space for relaxing now, calm, neutral and our new sofa from Laura Ashley completes the cosy and modern feel.”

“We are so happy with the new floors having looked at so many samples. They were the perfect choice and met our brief perfectly. As we like quite a clean and neutral interior they add a lovely layer of light oak character. It’s the perfect blend with our interior taste. They have been great to live with and so easy to keep clean.”