AbbeyFlooring

Flooring by house style in Ohio

Century homes, mid-century ranches and newer houses each have floors that look at home in them. Pick your era and see the samples.

Request an estimate(224) 479-3598

Style match

Pick the age of your house. The samples change to the woods, patterns and tones that usually sit well in it, with the trim to match.

  • Narrow white oak strip

    Natural or lightly ambered finish, close to what many of these houses had from the start.

    Hardwood floors

  • Chevron in oak

    A patterned field for a dining room or front hall, framed by a plain border.

    Hardwood floors

  • Original oak, refinished

    Sanded back and sealed in a warm satin, so the old boards look cared for again.

    Floor refinishing

Century homes: what tends to suit

  • Refinishing the original oak strip
  • New solid oak in narrow strips
  • A chevron field in a dining room or hall
  • Carpet on the stairs with matching trim

Trim: Tall baseboard with a cap and shoe moulding, matched to the existing stain or paint.

Use this in my request

Samples are drawn to show pattern and tone. We bring real boards, tiles and carpet to the visit.

Two story craftsman foursquare with a deep front porch and tapered columns on an autumn street

Century homes

Built roughly 1880 to 1940

Many older houses in northern Ohio were built with narrow strip oak, and much of it is still under carpet or tired finish. In these homes the floor is part of the original character, so we start by asking whether it can be brought back before we talk about anything new.

The rooms tend to be separate rather than open, with thresholds at every doorway, tall painted or stained baseboards and a front hall that takes the most traffic. A refinish of the original oak keeps the house honest, and where boards are missing or a wall was moved long ago, we weave in matching strips so the patch reads as one floor.

Where the old floor is past saving, or a room never had wood, a new solid oak strip in a natural or honey tone sits comfortably beside the trim. A chevron or bordered pattern can suit a dining room or front hall. Stairs often look right with a carpet runner held in place over painted risers, and the entry can take a small tile field that meets the oak at a clean threshold.

What tends to suit

  • Refinishing the original oak strip
  • New solid oak in narrow strips
  • A chevron field in a dining room or hall
  • Carpet on the stairs with matching trim
Long mid-century ranch living room with a wide picture window and a new walnut tone plank floor

Mid-century homes

Built roughly 1945 to 1975

Postwar ranches and split levels are everywhere in our area. Their rooms are long and low, the light comes in through one big window, and the floors are often oak strip hidden under decades of wall to wall carpet.

Because the rooms are simpler, the floor carries more of the look. A light natural oak or a walnut tone plank in one continuous run from the living room down the hall makes the house feel longer and calmer. Many of these homes have an entry that opens straight into the living room, and a modest tile landing by the door keeps boots and grit off the wood.

Split levels add short runs of stairs, so stair treads and nosing are part of most projects. Trim is usually plain and low, and a clean flat baseboard with a simple shoe moulding fits the period better than a heavy profile. If the original oak is still under the carpet, refinishing it is often the quickest change with the biggest effect.

What tends to suit

  • One continuous plank floor through living room and hall
  • Refinishing oak found under old carpet
  • A tile landing at the front door
  • Flat, simple baseboard
Hallway and kitchen edge in a newer two story home with a natural oak floor and a carpeted stair

Newer homes

Built from about 1980 on

Newer houses in the county usually have open plans, a family room that joins the kitchen, two floors of bedrooms and at least one long staircase. The floor has to tie a lot of space together and handle a busy household.

Wide planks suit these bigger rooms. A matte white oak or a light vinyl plank with long boards can run from the front door through the kitchen and family room without a break, which makes the open plan feel like one space. Where the plan does need a change of floor, we put it at a natural line, such as the edge of a cabinet run or a doorway.

Upstairs, many families still prefer carpet in the bedrooms for warmth and quiet, and the stairs can be carpeted or finished with hardwood treads and painted risers. Baseboards in these homes are often builder grade, and new trim at the same time as the floor makes the whole job look finished.

What tends to suit

  • Wide plank oak or vinyl plank through the open plan
  • Carpet in bedrooms and on stair runs
  • New baseboard and transitions with the floor
  • Tile in the kitchen or entry where it fits the plan

Questions about house styles

My house mixes eras. Which section fits?

Many houses were added to over the years. We look at each part on its own terms, and often a floor that suits the oldest rooms ties the whole house together.

Should old and new floors match?

Where they meet in the same room or at an open doorway, matching width and tone looks most natural. Behind a closed door, a different floor is perfectly fine.

Do I need to know what is under my carpet?

No. At the visit we lift a corner in a closet or at a vent to see what is there, with your permission.

Can you bring samples to the house?

Yes. Seeing samples in your own light, next to your trim and walls, is the most reliable way to choose.

Which era is your house?

Tell us roughly when it was built and which rooms you are thinking about. We bring samples that suit it.

Request an estimate(224) 479-3598