Whole-House Engineered Oak — Notting Hill Townhouse

This Grade II listed townhouse in Notting Hill came to us through an architectural practice we have worked with for several years. The brief was ambitious: replace the existing mix of worn carpet, tired laminate, and cracked ceramic tile across four floors with a single continuous oak floor that would respect the building's Victorian bones while meeting the expectations of a high-specification renovation.

The Challenge

At 310m² across four floors — and with a protected staircase running through the centre of the house — this required careful sequencing. Materials had to be loaded floor by floor, stored overnight under controlled conditions, and installed in a precise order that allowed each floor to acclimatise and cure before traffic resumed above.

The ground floor kitchen extension presented an additional challenge: a suspended timber sub-floor with spring that needed stiffening before any engineered board could be laid without flex underfoot. We installed cross-braced ply reinforcement before beginning.

Material Selection

The clients and architect selected Boen Animoso in 240mm boards — one of the widest planks in the residential engineered oak market. The natural oil finish was chosen deliberately: it allows spot repairs years from now without visible patching, something impossible with a lacquered or UV-cured finish.

The floor runs in a single long direction throughout every room on the ground and first floors, reinforcing the sense of volume. Stair nosings in brushed brass were the architect's touch — a period-appropriate detail that ties the contemporary floor to the house's original Victorian ironmongery.

Result

Completion on day six, as planned. The finished floor drew an immediate Instagram post from the client's interior designer, which generated two new enquiry calls to our office within 24 hours.