Parisian Apartment. Part Cinq. L’appartement: Hardwood Floors

 

Like I said, it’s not that hard to have a gorgeous apartment in Paris. You just have to look for the basics and 99% of the time they are available. There are seven basics to look for: Hardwood floors, high ceilings, French windows, moulding, hardware, a balcony, and a fireplace. Then there are the extras: updated kitchen and updated bathroom, but don’t hold your breath for this. Other extras are: a terrace, washer, dryer, good closets and extra fireplaces. Let’s look at hardwood floors today…

There are three basic types of hardwood floors: Chevron/Herringbone, Parquet de Versailles and plank. Do not take an apartment with newly engineered hardwood floors. Gross. It will ruin your whole Parisian apartment vibe. Don’t even get me started on carpet. Your hardwood floors are your base and you build from there.

  I started to do a little research on the history of hardwood floors, but I nearly bored myself to death. Most apartments have the Chevron/Herringbone pattern. The colors can vary from raw, grey, low gloss, high-gloss to dark brown to a very dramatic nearly black. I like all of them.

 

What I like most about old hardwood floors is the creaky sound that they make. You don’t get that with tile or carpet or marble. Also, designwise, hardwood floors are the foundation for any decorating style. You can go modern, eclectic, historic, anything! Any type of rug will work with hardwood floors (except ugly ones) from aubusson, Persian, sisal/seagrass, zebra, vintage Berber, Flokati or even a cool Kelly Weartzler modern rug.

After you check off hardwood floors on your list, next up, stay tuned for Parisian Apartment.Part Six. L'appartement: High Ceilings.