Victorians loved elaborate patterns, on fabric, wallpaper, carpet, tile, or in wood flooring. This parquet floor, constructed of hundreds of individual pieces of three different hardwoods, dates to the 1880’s. By the late 19th century, such floors could be ordered pre-cut from millwork catalogs. Some, called “wood carpets” were shipped preassembled on canvas backing.
Historic flooring is a character-defining feature that is often hidden under later layers of flooring or carpet. Fortunately, it is also often restorable. There are experienced professionals who can repair and refinish wood flooring and many DIY homeowners have mastered the required skills to do it themselves.
This example is located in the front hall of the Smith House, one of the 13 featured houses presented between the how-to chapters of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” Flooring in historic houses is covered in detail in Chapter 14.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors including the classic “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs.
© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
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