Strip and sand the whole floor that gives you a nice smooth new surface to work with.. You have no idea how many coats of paint are there and what they were so IMO start with a blank slate.

That’s a good point. I was wondering if acrylic could cover oil or latex. The floor man should have but wouldn’t do it — said it would gum up his pads. That’s why I was thinking of the power wash first.

380 sf = 33.5L x 12W

Found a young man who just started his own company — great job!

Finished floor!

That is beautiful. I hope you dont plan on painting it.

Looks awesome please leave it natural.and paint the ceiling a pale blue.

WOW!!!! Thanks for sharing this! Don’t paint it. Preserve it. And, as Patrica Colwell Consulting advises, above…paint the ceiling pale blue!

Yes, you’re seeing the end product. I live in Kentucky so I understand haint blue and have used it on a covered porch down there. This is a 108 year old historic family cottage amongst 12 other family cottages on a lake in NW Michigan with a channel to Lake Michigan. The ceiling has been that color for a very long time and as my 100-year-old mother-in-law says, “Why would you change that?”. I haven’t found a suitable answer for that question related to a number of choices during this long renovation and it’s actually made for some much more clever design choices both interior and exterior!

Totally get your desire to keep the pristine ceiling! You are a wonderful caretaker of this property. Would love to see what else you have done to your lake home. Bravo!

More pictures, please!

That flooring is so beautiful. Congratulations on a terrific job. There is no better satisfaction than a job well done.

Lovely work ❣️

Found a young man who just started his own company — great job!

You struck paydirt! That is a beautiful job!

Looks great.

Do keep the young man's phone number -- and find out what different kinds of wood working tasks he does.

If his business has a web page with an opportunity for you to post a pic and positive opinion, consider doing that. .

Still moving back in. The furniture is mostly old family pieces with history.

I also agree that a very light pale blue ceiling would make a lot of sense after seeing your furnishings.

This is a historic Craftsman cottage built by my husband’s great-grandfather; their house in town is a historic landmark and was designed by a famous Chicago architect. It is a true, stick-built Craftsman with in-swing casement windows (preferred by Stickley) which was in nearly its original state when we got it in 2012. [You can see the addition (2nd bathroom and laundry room) as board & batten with double-hung windows.] We had to find a way to live in it (heat, light, space, etc.) while respecting the history we are trustee of. Craftsman cottages focus on melding with the landscape. This dark shingle in the woods surrounding is nearly the same as Stickley’s Craftsman Farm. The dark porch ceiling is period coloration and I felt comfortable exposing the floor’s wood and leaving it natural as keeping the Craftsman motif. If this were a new build imitating Craftsman or a cottage style, you might be able to get away with a light blue ceiling, but on a historic property it feels off. Haint blue is really a Southern tradition (our primary home is in Kentucky) and not as common up north. The furnishings are antiques and the aqua pillows and cushions need some updating post-reno. The table is my old kitchen table topped with chalkboard paint to keep the wee ones and their parents busy before dinner while watching the waves.. And besides, my 100 year-old artist mother-in-law likes it very much the way it is! (absolutely no arguing with that. . . or her)

so pretty! I'm glad you sanded it rather than painting.

Nancy - Kudos to you for respecting the historic design of the house while making it habitable for modern living. There seem to be too few people with that sensibility for history. The porch room looks wonderful (no blue ceiling!). I'm glad you are listening to your dear mother-in-law and hope she can enjoy the house with you for many more years.

Thank you! Great minds . . . and all that!😉