Once when discussing floor color samples in her home, Nicole Tunick of Douglas Elliman said to me, “White floors are like skinny jeans. You keep thinking they are going to go out of style, but they don’t!” And while I understand how a top Hamptons real estate broker could tire of seeing white floors, it seems that the general public can’t get enough of them. Just like those skinny jeans that seem to be always trendy, White floors have been super in for several years running, and they don’t seem to be going out of style any time soon!
White washed White Oak floors in Water Mill, NY provide the perfect anchor for this high end transitional decor.
So what’s the big fuss over white floors? White floors are chic, clean, and bright. White floors lighten a space, and impart a beachy or a contemporary vibe. Where dark floors make a space look darker and smaller, white floors make a space look bigger and more open. White floors are cool and light, while also looking effortlessly stylish. Take a look at the gallery below…All photos are of White Oak flooring with either 1 or more coats of White stain.
White stain on wide plank White Oak has continued to be one the most requested finishes and species for our region of Long Island for new construction and gut renovations. Our clients love the light tan, creamy beige tones of White Oak, and so they choose this species over and over again. White Oak is a fabulous choice for seaside homes, modern farmhouse styles, and contemporary décor. Wide plank White Oak is timeless, warm without looking warm in color, and has a neutral, beautiful natural tone that so complements a high end interior design aesthetic.
Wide plank Rustic Grade White Oak in East Hampton finished with White stain and Bona Traffic HD Satin.
There are varying shades and types of White finish applications and products. Frequently, we use Bona Nordic Seal to bring out that lovely light brown/beige, neutral tone of White Oak that everyone loves. Nordic Seal is a sealer, which has much less pigment than a stain. 1 coat of Nordic Seal will subtly lighten the color of White Oak, while 2 coats of Nordic Seal will make it significantly lighter. Here are 2 new construction projects from Quogue and Southampton, NY where we installed wide plank White Oak flooring and finished with Bona Nordic Seal:
7” Engineered Select White Oak installed & finished in with 2 coats Bona Nordic Seal in Sands Point, NY. A perfect choice for this gut renovation and a great anchor for transitional style.
To intensify the White tone, we most frequently use Bona White stain because we feel it is the brightest white color of all hardwood flooring stains. 1 coat of Bona White stain lightens the wood and presents a soft White color. With each successive coat of White stain, the more pronounced the White color will be. Additional coats of White stain also increase the opacity of the White color. The most coats of White stain we have ever done on a floor was 3, though this is not for an amateur to attempt because the stain can start to look cloudy!
1 coat Bona White looks Dreamy on this newly installed Select White Oak in Commack…
All photos in carousel above are of 1 coat Bona White stain on Select Grade White Oak.
Here on Long Island, it’s true, we execute White on White over and over again, because of it’s easy, breezy, beachy look. It’s the perfect choice for a summer house, or a beachy style. Think of rope accents, Shiplap walls, woven or sisal area rugs & white/wooden furniture… combined with white-washed White Oak, it’s a oceanside décor dream, like in this Mattituck beachside beauty pictured below:
In the gallery below, Character Grade White Oak that we installed & finished in Remsenburg, NY with Bona White stain was the perfect choice for the superb transitional style on display. And yes, we also sanded and finished the ceiling panels & beams to match the floors!
A stronger, more intense white color lends itself to a more modern, streamlined interior décor. Think clean lines, metal railings, open stairs, black & white accents. Check out this recent new construction project from Quogue, NY, where we installed wide plank White Oak floors and finished with 3 coats of Bona White stain:
Ultra-White in Quogue, NY with 3 coats Bona White stain.
Check out this Northport project on Instagram, also White on White Oak. It’s evident that this light and easy, contemporary vibe travels well!
So what if I have Red Oak floors? Red Oak wood flooring can also be White in color. Most frequently, with Red Oak, to go light or white with the color, bleaching is a necessary prerequisite. Bleaching should remove most of the Red tones, which tends look much better with a really light stain color like White. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s that Red Oak pickled floor (heavy white stain) with the red & pink tones of the Red Oak showing through was super popular! Today, most people with Red Oak flooring who want to have White floors express a desire not to see Red, so usually with a white stain, we bleach the Red Oak before we apply the White stain.
Do we always have to bleach Red Oak? No. Please remember that all wood is unique & different, even among the same species of wood. Some Red Oak floors have more intense red or orange tones than other Red Oak floors. It depends on the age of the wood and the area of the country it came from. Samples are always necessary.
Some things to be aware of: bleaching is a hazardous chemical and produces a chemical reaction with the wood. Some boards may appear a bit yellow, or the stain a bit muddy, for lack of a better word. Sometimes not all of the Red comes all the way out. It’s best not to expect perfection with Red Oak flooring & bleaching, and definitely best to do test samples before deciding on anything!
Above Photos All Display Red Oak flooring with bleach & 1 coat of Bona White stain.
Putting a White stain on un-bleached Red Oak can also be very nice, though the floors will be certainly a bit warmer in tone than a Red Oak floor that has been bleached. I happen to like the warm tones of a Red Oak floor in a country home or summer cottage. With a white stain on unbleached Red Oak, the house can look contemporary, and still be incredibly inviting. A talented wood flooring craftsperson can make unbleached Red Oak look beautiful with a White stain, and it will look much different than the heavy application of white stain and yellow finish of olden days!
Top row of photos above taken in a lovely summer home in Water Mill, NY. Unbleached Rustic Grade Red Oak + 1 coat Bona White stain & Bona Traffic HD Extra Matte. Bottom row displays an in progress renovation at a mid-century home in Dix Hills, NY. Unbleached Red Oak with 1 coat Bona white stain looks light & pretty, while still looking very natural!
2 coats White stain on unbleached Red Oak makes for a more intense white color. While Red tones may be more muted with 2 coats, you should still expect to see warm tones coming through. See pictures below from our projects in Bellport & Shelter Island!
Another question I get frequently is: Does using Nordic Seal make Red Oak look like White Oak? No. Nordic Seal will help to tone down Reds (2 coats, even better), but Red Oak will NEVER look like White Oak. Even if you bleach Red Oak, it will never look like White Oak because the base colors of the 2 species are so different: White Oak is mainly composed of brown/tan/beige colors, while Red Oak is much lighter in tone - light orange/light pink/cream colors. When Red Oak is bleached, the nearly-White canvas that is the result is much lighter than the natural brown color of White Oak. Counter-intuitive, yes; but since White Oak is a darker wood, it’s actually easier to do a very pronounced, opaque White color on Red Oak.
In the Gallery below, all photos display 2 coats Bona Nordic Seal on unbleached Red Oak. Project locations are Southampton, Jamesport, and Baiting Hollow, NY.
How about bleached Red Oak + Nordic Seal? Yes, we have done that, too… See Gallery below for photos of bleached Red Oak & 1 coat Nordic Seal. Project locations are Bayville, Floral Park, and Lloyd Harbor, NY.
What other kind of wood flooring looks good finished White? Pine. Yellow Pine, Eastern White Pine, & Heart Pine all look fantastic finished Nordic-style frosty White. Pine has a very yellow base tone that improves greatly with bleaching, so if the plan is to go White with Pine, you should plan to bleach it first before applying the white stain. Check out these projects below, all bleached Pine (varying species) with 1 coat Bona White stain!
How about a good before and after to see transition from Dark to Light? Check these 2 projects below, both in Amagansett, NY. Light floors make both of these homes appear brighter and more open!
Lastly, over any White stain or light sealer, it is important to use a crystal-clear, non-yellowing finish. A yellow cast on top of a White stain is noooo Bueno. We recommend Bona Traffic HD as the best 100% clear and non-yellowing finish on the market, but there are certainly other good ones out there!
All photos feature our own work and are property of Valenti Flooring, Inc. Thank you for respecting our craft & thanks for reading!!
~Julia
