House of contrasts
Dark wood floors create a solid ground. They bring a sense of sophistication and richness to the interior. They never seem to go out of fashion, they are always trendy and in style. The contrast between dark wood floors and bright, light walls for many people epitomize a sophisticated and upmarket style.
Dark wood floors create a solid ground
This architecturally bold and decisive South African home has another side to it – subtle and filled with clever contrasts between the materials. Hard concrete, glass and steel meet the softness of dark wood, while opulence, extravagance and patterned wood floors meet minimalism and simplicity. The result is stunning.
As you enter the house you step into a powerful and arresting open space: a triple volume, seven-meter-high living area, framed on either side by walnutclad floating staircases with frameless glass balustrades. Meanwhile, wooden ceilings, walls and dark French and chevron pattern wood floors add warmth and a softness that comes into focus the longer you look. The whole house is an essay in contrasts, a layering of raw and refined to create an exhilarating tension between the two. Basically, the concept of this house is that it’s one room with dark wood defining the space and giving it warmth.
Floors chosen for this home:
Lounge area: Oak Palazzo Fumo. This warm, smoked oak floor is laid in a classic and timeless French pattern. Bevelling ensures a classical patterned look and feel. Each board is carefully brushed to bring out the character of the grain and highlight the natural texture of the wood.
Living room: Oak Chevron Dark brown. The richly smoked finish on this chevron pattern oak floor enhances its deeply burnished hue, and brings a modern expression to its traditional look. Each board is carefully brushed to bring out the natural character of the grain, while partial handcrafting gives each board its unique appearance.
Home office: Oak Supai. The dark brown hues in this smoked, single-strip oak floor highlight its rustic expression. Knots and cracks pepper the boards, resulting in a beautifully aged effect reminiscent of reclaimed timber, while hand-scraping enhances the worn appearance of the floor.
Kitchen and upstairs lounge: Oak Lava. This is a 3-strip oak floor with a brushed, black pigmented, matt lacquer finish. All naturally occurring wood colour variations are allowed, from light to dark brown. Together with large, black knots and cracks, enhanced through brushing, a dramatic and rustic impression is created.
