9/15/08

Uncovering hidden treasure

Well we had a busy weekend, uncovering a hidden treasure in our home. Why did we decide to do this? Here are the 'before' shots; first looking in from our front door towards the kitchen and below looking back towards the front door.

Well firstly one of the cats has had an occasional and inexplicable desire to pee in one corner! Secondly we never liked the carpet and finally, I just got up last weekend and felt like a change was needed in our entrance/dining room! You know how us women get restless with our homes and need change every now and then, right? Now usually with me that means painting but this time something more drastic was agreed.

We decided to pull back a corner of the carpet and discovered we had an old solid oak raw (unfinished) floor beneath in great condition. So this is what followed on Saturday...



When we got to this middle section of underlay above, we discovered it was starting to rot and has marked the floor. But the lady who will sand and finish it for us, after inspecting today, said all the little marks we can see will sand out fine.

There is also a section at the far end with lino stuck on it and our next job will be to lift this and strip the glue off the floor. We worked hard as a team; the Hubster removing the carpet strip and nails - me removing staples, scrubbing off the underlay and utilising the Dyson.

The best news is this same beautiful flooring extends right through our kitchen, inner hallway and our bedroom. These rooms all connect off this room, if the lino comes up relatively easily, we will do the hall and kitchen now too. Then next year we will do our bedroom, where the underlay is also starting to rot underneath the carpet.

We have the same flooring already exposed in the back of the house, but it all needs sanding and refinishing too, which we will have done in the spring. Here's the hubster below, enjoying the 'new' room and kicking back after all our hard work!

Now see the far end of the room by our front door in the picture below, that whole area between the dining table and the far wall? Well we have a 'plan' for a new living area there, that will fulfil a long held desire of mine. The floor is stage one which is still underway, stage two is new furniture which is ordered and then I will reveal the final look.

But in the meantime can you guess what we are going to put at the far end (Daryl you are banned from guessing my friend, seeing as I told you!). The only clue I will give you is it revolves around one of the 'things I love' over on the left there.

We think considering the floor is only half done and still needs sanding, properly edging and finishing....it still looks 100% better than it did and gives much more character to our home.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks really beautiful. You've done a great job with it and I imagine it will be more manageable too.

We have old floor boards in our house but, apart from one room, they are covered with carpet.

Came via black box!

Crystal Jigsaw x

A Cuban In London said...

It looks great, I love wooden floors!

Greetings from London.

Utter Basketcase said...

That is so cooL!

We have the same thing here! Our carpet is covered in stains... and we lifted a little to see what was under neath. and we were suprised to discover a beautiful floor board!

We are just a bit nervous to remove the carpet right now... in case anything goes wrong and we can't afford to fix iT! xx

Anonymous said...

The floor looks great so far. I'd love to pull up my carpet, but we've got a concrete slab underneath. I don't think that would look too pretty.

As for the area near your front door, judging by your list I have a couple of guesses:

A Formula-1 race track
A handbag-shoe store
A dance floor
A reading room

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Wow, lucky you!! I think the oak floor makes the area look larger. It will be gorgeous when finished.

Woody said...

Hey, Just wanted to say thanks again for stopping by my blog and hope you stop back.

Nice floors by the way..

Linda Jennings said...

How exciting to have this beautiful oak floor under your carpet! The finishing process will create and lot of dust and take time, but it will be worth it. We have wood floors in part of our house. I think it might be time to approach the hubby about wood flooring for the rest of the house.

Janet said...

It really does look terrific!

Janet

Expat mum said...

Makes you wonder why people put carpet down over such lovely floors. It's not as if it gets really cold in your neck of the woods.

Pam said...

Wow! Hard work but WORTH IT! That floor looks gorgeous. Just the perfect color of wood too. People pay huge money to get what you already have. Well done. I know there is work ahead but really, labor of love. Now I'm trying to think what you are going to add to the room. Lewis Hamilton shrine perhaps?

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a find! Right now I want to pull back my "wood" floor and find carpet! haha

Jill said...

OMG - those floors are amazing! They look so fantastic.... I SO want them!

Can't wait to see your next project. :)

Rhea said...

No way! What an awesome hidden treasure!! I love it. And, if those spots don't end up sanding out, colorful throw rugs can always add to the ambiance!

Very cool. :o)

Daryl said...

My lips are sealed


:-Daryl

Tonya Staab said...

Love it. I'd take wood floors over carpet any day.

Tess Kincaid said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tess Kincaid said...

OMG!!! Hidden treasure is RIGHT! Who knew? What a fabulous find. I love it!!! :^)

Laura Brown said...

Lovely to find hardwood under the carpet and it's not in bad shape. So much easier to keep a hardwood floor clean too. We had them put in the house here. They have a lot of shine but show every least mark and scuff. I think the older hardwood floors, like yours, are better.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the comments everyone, we are thrilled to have discovered this floor and are counting our blessings.

As to what we are doing at the far end of the room, well it's a bit small for an F1 circuit or Lewis Hamilton shrine!

Lynne was spot on; we have purchased large bookshelves for the far wall and a rocking recliner loveseat for under the window. It will be our own library and quiet reading/relaxation area.

Snippety Gibbet said...

Holy smokes! That floor is beautiful!

Lump said...

wow that made such a difference. I love the wood floor!!