The Floor Was the Missing Piece in This 1931 Villa
This article is sponsored by Malibu Wide Plank.
These villas were built in 1931. By the 1980s, they'd been abandoned. I took them on in 2021 and brought them back to life.
But there was one thing I was never completely happy with: the floor.
The buildings aren't level anywhere, so the original planks had started separating and buckling.
Even on its best day, the floor was more functional than beautiful.
So I started asking myself: what if the floor could become a design feature rather than just a surface?
I wanted something timeless but distinctive, with plenty of movement and texture.
That's what led me to Malibu Wide Plank's French Oak Delano Tongue and Groove Herringbone Engineered Hardwood Flooring.
Malibu Wide Plank French Oak Delano Herringbone Engineered Hardwood Flooring
1. Choosing Herringbone for a 1931 Villa
Herringbone in a 1931 villa just felt like the right choice.
It's a pattern people have admired for centuries, symbolizing luxury and sophisticated craftsmanship.
I wanted something that felt timeless but still had its own presence, and herringbone gave the room exactly that.
The planks are premium French oak, so there's real character in the grain, and the color shifts from board to board.
The surface is finely wire brushed, so you can see that texture, and you can feel it underfoot.
The finish is super low gloss, with a soft matte look that feels modern and refined.
There are also eight coats of protective urethane, which matters in a house people will walk through for another hundred years.
2. Bringing the Pattern to Life
Then it was just about locking that V pattern together, piece by piece.
The process couldn't have been smoother or easier.
Watch the video above to see how we did it.
The difference was immediate.
The room feels dynamic now, elevated.
The pattern pulls your eye across the floor, and the whole space feels like it's in motion. Every angle reveals something new.
It looks custom designed because it is.
And Delano is such a beautiful neutral. It brightened everything!
The room feels more open, airier, and the light moves across this herringbone in a way the old floor never allowed.
3. Pulling the Whole Room Together
Then came my favorite part: styling it.
All the pieces I've been collecting, the furniture, the lighting, the textiles, all came together with the beautiful wallpaper and the beautiful green cabinet color to make a completely curated space.
The floor is the foundation that ties the whole room together, and it still brings flair of its own.
What was an ordinary, tired room now feels curated, sophisticated, full of character, and ready for our next guest.
It didn't just transform the floor. It transformed the entire space.
The Bottom Line
After 95 years, this room finally has the floor it deserves. I couldn't be happier with the results.
Malibu Wide Plank French Oak Delano Herringbone Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Comments
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The herringbone pattern really changes how the room reads. I like that the floor isn't just treated as a background element here, because the pattern gives the space some movement while the more neutral wood keeps it from competing too much with the wallpaper and green cabinet.
For an older property like this, I think that balance is especially important. A more dramatic floor could easily make the room feel overly busy, whereas this seems to add character without taking attention away from the other details.
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The herringbone pattern really changes the feel of the room. I especially like how the floor works with the green cabinet and wallpaper instead of competing with them. With a 1931 building, I’d also be curious how you handled the uneven areas underneath before installing the new flooring.
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