Polished concrete.  When Stephen first suggested it my vision was ‘car park’.  But he won me over (along with groovy pads on google images) and so we decided to go for it.  An eco friendly, low toxicity floor that will last for as long as the house gives it groovy ‘green’ credentials too; as well as the option to function as part of  our heating and cooling systems fo the house.

Plus, it just looks wicked cool.

For anyone interested in the finer details, our floor has been ground, polished and burnished.  This is a heat sealing process that gives a lovely gloss without using a heavy sealer.  After much debate we decided not to colour the concrete, all the colours looked either green or purple, so we stuck with the natural concrete.  I love the way the patches of aggregate come through, the variations in colour and tone and the way it reflects the light.  Right now it is very cool (which will be lovely in the heat of summer) but soon the radiant floor heating will warm it through, giving us a cosy floor to walk on all winter.

Now that we are fully in the swing of September, with the golden sun dipping that bit lower in the sky and setting that bit further west, our house is most often full of light.  As the day ends and twilight replaces sunshine, the floor darkens in colour and seems to shine even more.  In the hallway, where there is very little light, it is dark gray, but in the living room, by the windows, it is a light colour and shines like glass.

Out of the dust, bits of board and plaster, wires and pipes, our home is starting to emerge.  This unique place that is all our own.