For this project we installed a beautiful prefinished engineered oak floor, completed with a matching border — a classic, high-end detail that frames a room and gives a floor a real sense of quality and permanence.

Prefinished Engineered Oak

Prefinished engineered oak offers the genuine warmth and character of real timber with the stability of an engineered board, so it copes well with everyday family life and changes in temperature and humidity. Because it arrives factory-finished, the surface is hard-wearing and ready to walk on as soon as it is laid — with no sanding, sealing or finishing dust on site.

The Matching Border

What lifts this installation is the matching border that runs around the perimeter of the floor and frames the foot of the staircase. Created from the same engineered oak and carefully mitred at every corner, the border defines the space, neatens the junction with the walls and stairs, and gives the whole floor a bespoke, considered finish. It is a detail that takes extra skill and time to execute well — and it makes all the difference.

The Finished Floor

The Result

The finished hallway is warm, elegant and built to last — with the matching border giving it a tailored, premium look that elevates the whole space. It is a lovely example of how the right product and the right detailing come together to create a floor you will enjoy for years.

Considering Engineered Wood Flooring?

We supply and fit prefinished engineered oak and wood flooring — with borders, herringbone, chevron and bespoke detailing — across Swindon and Wiltshire. Visit our showroom or book a free consultation to discuss the options.

This is the kind of project that sets us apart from the rest — and a perfect example of why, with flooring, you really do get what you pay for. Behind every beautiful finish is a truly skilled craftsman who takes genuine pride in their work, and nowhere is that more evident than here: a stunning five-bedroom Victorian property in Hammersmith, London, with three flights of stairs and landings throughout.

The Brief

The property was to be fitted throughout with a natural herringbone floor covering — across multiple bedrooms, three full flights of stairs and the landings that connect them. The challenge with a directional herringbone pattern is continuity: to look truly first-class, the pattern has to flow seamlessly from room to room, across every landing and up every single flight of stairs.

Craftsmanship That Sets Us Apart

Our operative meticulously pattern matched every room and staircase throughout the property. Each stair, riser, landing and doorway was measured, set out and cut so that the herringbone runs perfectly true and unbroken — the chevrons lining up as the floor turns corners, climbs stairs and passes through doorways. It is painstaking, highly skilled work that a less experienced fitter simply could not achieve, and it is exactly the kind of detail that separates a quality installation from an average one.

The Finished Project

The Result

The finished result speaks for itself: a flawless, continuous herringbone floor that flows beautifully through every room and up every flight of stairs in this elegant Victorian home. It is a true showcase of the craftsmanship and care our installers bring to every project — and the difference that real skill makes.

Want This Level of Finish?

From natural floor coverings and stair runners to carpets and luxury vinyl, our skilled installers deliver a finish that lasts. Visit our Swindon showroom or book a free consultation to discuss your project.

Some projects are a little out of the ordinary — and this was certainly one of them. We were appointed to carry out a sympathetic flooring makeover at the Staffordshire Historical Archive Centre, a characterful listed building that is even rumoured to be haunted. The brief: refresh the tired staircases and landings while respecting the building’s heritage, using Unnatural Flooring New England Woodstock NE6022 finished with a classic whipped perimeter.

The Brief

As a listed building, the archive centre’s original timber staircases and landings were full of character but showing their age — dark, worn and tired underfoot. Working alongside the main contractor, our task was to transform these high-traffic areas with a hard-wearing, natural-look floor that would lift the space, improve comfort and safety, and sit comfortably within a historic setting. As the before and after above shows, the difference is dramatic.

The Product: Unnatural Flooring New England Woodstock NE6022

We specified Unnatural Flooring’s New England Woodstock NE6022 in a classic herringbone weave. Part of the popular faux-sisal family, it delivers the warm, natural appearance of a sisal floor with the durability and practicality of a hard-wearing synthetic — ideal for a busy public building. The soft, sandy herringbone tone complements the building’s period timber beautifully. You can read more about these ranges in our guide to faux-sisal flooring.

A Classic Whipped Perimeter

The flooring was finished with a classic whipped perimeter — a traditional, hand-finished bound edge that frames each run with a neat, durable border. It is a premium detail that suits a heritage building perfectly and protects the edges of the flooring in a high-traffic environment.

The Installation

Fitting flooring to winding period staircases and irregular landings in a listed building is highly skilled work. Every tread, riser and turn had to be measured and cut individually, with the herringbone kept running true and the whipped border following each edge cleanly. Our installers worked carefully around the building’s original features to deliver a crisp, professional finish without compromising its historic character.

The Finished Project

The Result

The transformation breathed new life into the archive centre’s staircases and landings — brighter, warmer and safer, while still entirely in keeping with the historic building (resident ghost permitting). It is a great example of the commercial and heritage flooring work our team delivers across the country.

Commercial or Heritage Flooring Project?

From offices and hospitality to listed and heritage buildings, we deliver hard-wearing commercial flooring with a premium finish. Talk to our team about your project — book a consultation or explore our commercial flooring services.

“The floor’s ready for LVT!” It’s a phrase we hear from builders all the time — and one that, more often than not, simply isn’t true. With luxury vinyl tile (LVT), preparation is everything. The finish is only ever as good as the subfloor beneath it, and even the smallest imperfection can show through a freshly laid floor. This project is a great example of the work our installers carry out before a single plank of LVT goes down.

When the Builder Said It Was Ready…

On arrival, the subfloor was anything but ready. It was uneven, had open cracks, and needed proper damp protection and levelling before it could take a quality LVT floor. Laying LVT straight onto a subfloor like this would lead to lippage, telegraphing of cracks and ridges, hollow spots and, ultimately, a floor that fails long before it should.

Why Preparation Is Key

LVT is thin and flexible, so it follows the shape of whatever sits beneath it. A subfloor that is not flat, dry and sound will telegraph every flaw straight through to the surface. Investing the time to prepare the subfloor correctly is the difference between a floor that looks immaculate for years and one that disappoints within months.

The Preparation Process

Here are some of the key stages our installers carried out to get this subfloor truly ready for LVT:

1. Assessing the subfloor — identifying unevenness, cracks and any signs of damp.
2. Damp protection and sealing — installing damp-proofing and sealing junctions and insulation boards.
3. Crack stitching and repairs — stitching and repairing cracks so they cannot reappear through the finished floor.
4. Priming — priming the subfloor so the levelling compound bonds properly.
5. Reinforcing and levelling — applying reinforcement membrane and a smoothing/levelling compound for a flat, sound base.
6. Checking levels — verifying the floor is flat and true before any LVT is fitted.

The Result: A Floor Truly Ready for LVT

After this preparation, the subfloor was flat, dry, sound and ready for a flawless LVT installation — the kind of base that gives a luxury vinyl floor the perfect finish and a long, trouble-free life. It’s the part of the job most people never see, but it’s exactly why our floors look and perform so well.

Planning an LVT Floor?

We supply and fit Karndean, Amtico and other premium LVT across Swindon and Wiltshire — and we never cut corners on preparation. Visit our Swindon showroom or book a free consultation to discuss your project.

A beautiful staircase deserves a finishing touch that is both practical and elegant. In this project, our team transformed a characterful oak staircase in a Wiltshire home with a stunning Roger Oates Venetian Flatweave 85cm stair runner — adding warmth, comfort and timeless style while protecting the stairs underneath.

The Brief

The home featured a solid oak staircase with turned spindles and a sweeping curved bottom step. While the timber was attractive, bare wooden stairs can be slippery and noisy underfoot. Our client wanted to introduce a stair runner that would soften the look, improve safety and comfort, and complement the period character of the home — without hiding the beautiful oak completely. The before and after above shows just how much of a difference it makes.

The Product: Roger Oates Venetian Flatweave

We specified a Roger Oates Venetian Flatweave 85cm stair runner. Roger Oates is renowned for its premium British-designed flatweave runners, woven for durability and a distinctive striped finish. The flatweave construction is hard-wearing and ideally suited to busy staircases, while the soft, multi-tonal stripe brings colour and character that works beautifully with both period and contemporary interiors.

The Installation

Fitting a runner to a staircase with a curved bottom step and half-landings takes real skill. Our experienced installation team carefully measured, set out and fitted the runner so the stripes run true and centred all the way up, with crisp, even margins of oak showing on either side. Particular care was taken around the elegant curved bottom step, where the runner is wrapped neatly to follow the bullnose.

The Finished Staircase

The Result

The finished staircase looks warmer, feels more comfortable and is safer underfoot, while the oak still frames the runner beautifully. It is a perfect example of how the right stair runner can completely transform a hallway and staircase.

Thinking About a Stair Runner?

We supply and fit stair runners and carpets from leading brands including Roger Oates, Alternative Flooring, Crucial Trading and more, across Swindon and Wiltshire. Visit our Swindon showroom to see the ranges, or book a free consultation and home visit.