It can be tricky to renovate older houses. You’ll want to preserve some authentic elements, but still make sure that you end up with a modern home. This house in the Belgian town of Zomergem was modernised by adding a sleek interior with steel doors and by breaking out walls to create bigger and brighter rooms. The authentic wooden floors with herringbone pattern were preserved and reflect the character of the house.

The oak wood was treated with Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. To preserve the natural look of the wood, architect Thierry De Vos chose for the colour Smoke.