Last summer we chose to refresh our living room by sanding and refinishing the existing hardwood floor. The update was intended to revive the space without a full replacement, keeping the solid oak we had previously installed when we converted what used to be a large garage into a home living area.
Although the oak flooring was structurally sound, years of sunlight through the full-width, south-facing windows had altered its appearance. The polyurethane varnish had yellowed over time, giving the floor a warm, slightly dated tone. We decided the best approach was to strip back to the bare wood and refinish it with a paler, whitened oak look to brighten the room and better complement the natural light.
Here are a couple of photos of the floor before refinishing. It wasn’t in terrible condition, but the varnish had developed a pronounced yellow cast. To achieve a cleaner, lighter oak appearance we planned to remove the old finish completely and apply a pale, whitewashed effect.
Preparation was important. We spent a full day emptying the living room, taping up cupboards and doorways to limit dust spread, and removing the skirting boards. Proper prep took longer than expected, but it made the sanding stage more controlled and safer for the rest of the house.
With the room cleared, we began sanding. Because the floor was solid hardwood rather than softwood like pine, the hire shop suggested a Bona Flexisand machine with a rotating disc. It was easy to handle and initially seemed promising—much more manoeuvrable than a drum sander and equipped to capture most dust into a bag. However, after about thirty minutes with the heaviest grit available, the old varnish would not budge. The rotating disc simply couldn’t remove the stubborn finish.
Reluctantly, we returned the Flexisand and hired a drum sander instead. The drum sander was louder and created more dust, but it proved far more effective at stripping the varnish. After a long day and another 24 hours of concentrated work—finishing the edges with an edging sander—we finally had smooth, pale bare oak ready for the next stage.
I researched different finishing options and reached out to followers on Instagram for recommendations. Many people shared their experiences, which helped narrow down suitable products and methods. Among the common suggestions were lye and soap finishes, which are often used to achieve a pale, Scandinavian-style look on softer woods such as Douglas fir, but which can also be applied to hardwoods in appropriate settings.
I considered hardwood lye as one option, but I was concerned about long-term durability in a high-traffic living room. Ultimately we chose to use Osmo Polyx Oil Tint in white (3040). This product gives a subtle whitewashed or limed appearance and allows you to control the final brightness by applying one or two coats. We applied two light coats to reach the pale, even effect shown in the photos.
The finish satisfied our goals: it brightened the room, softened the yellowing caused by sunlight, and retained the natural grain and texture of the oak. The Osmo oil provides water repellence and dirt resistance, and it should allow for spot repairs or additional top coats in the future without requiring a complete re-sand in many cases. This was an important consideration for a busy living area.
In total, the project cost roughly £400 for materials and tool hire, plus the considerable amount of labour involved. Sanding solid hardwood is demanding and noticeably different from working with pine. It required two of us over two full days to strip the finish, plus additional time for applying the oil tints and allowing adequate drying between coats.
While the DIY route was a budget-friendly way to update the room and we were pleased with the end result, the work was physically taxing. If faced with a similar job in future, I would seriously consider hiring a professional to handle sanding and preparation. The finish is rewarding to live with, but the process tested our patience and energy.
We plan to tackle more flooring projects in our new house. For the living room we’re considering parquet as an alternative texture, while the hallway will likely need a hard-wearing option such as slate tiles to cope with muddy boots and pet paws. Decisions for the kitchen and bedrooms are still pending as we weigh aesthetics, durability and maintenance.
If you’re planning a similar renovation, take the time to prepare the room thoroughly, choose sanding equipment suited to your timber type, and test finishes on a small area first. The difference between a rotating disc sander and a drum sander can be significant, and the right oil or tint can transform an aged floor into a lighter, more contemporary surface without replacing the boards.
All images by Design Hunter.