Will I regret it in the future if I paint the floorboards in my hall?

[Wormshuffler]

I live in a 1950's house, when we first came to look around the house the main thing that sold it to me was the originnal floorboards in the hall. Since we have been here the heating has been changed and the floor has suffered lots of general wear and tear.
I have today painted the hall in a gorgeous colour F&B dovetail, it looks amazing! I can't stop looking at it!, but the varnished floor just doesn't match in the slightest here
I would like to paint in a pale greyey/off white colour, but am scared I will ruin what I feel is the main feature of the house.
Are there people on here who have painted floors in the past and regretted it now?

Shameless bumping

Can you put up a piccy of the hall and mismatched floor?

Generally, original features are best left alone.

It depends on the floor. We have an old house and in some rooms where the boards have been cut or bits replaced, painting would make them look a lot better.

that is a lovely colour though I have never seen lovely wooden floors not contrast nicely with wall colour.

If the floors have ishoos ie mismatched planks, or grotty bits, then painting them is a perfect option (I sometimes think of painting mine for this reason).

If the boards are beautiful I wouldn't touch them myself. (or sand and change the wax/varnish treatment).

Thanks for answering, I have posted a photo to my profile, it looks slightly darker than it actually is, but you do see the orangey look of the floor boards.

I would have them sanded and stained a more 'natural' colour, I know what you mean about the orange! We had this done at our last house and it looked great and farrow and ball colours tone really well with natural materials. I'm not sure how paint would hold up, especially in the hallway. HTH.

No, don't paint them.

It will make your hallway very cold indeed and be an absolute pain to keep clean. The wooden floorboards add warmth to the colour that you've used.

I'd paint the boards. What colour have you got in mind?

I painted some boards in Mahogany from F&B and loved it (very white walls though so not right shade for you). They took some upkeep and we had to repaint after two years but they did look fab, especially as I didn't mind scrapes on them - shabby chic style.

Nah, don't paint. It looks fine.

You'd be forever re-painting, and at sale, some would be put off painted boards, whereas no-one says "why didn't they paint the floor?"

If you had a grey floor, it would make your hall feel like a submarine. Too cold.

I would sand down the floor boards - borrow or buy an electric hand sander, or hire a floor sander.

Then clean really well with white spirits and then let it dry - then clean again with white spirits and then varnish with a much lighter if not almost clear varnish, then varnish again

if you paint a hall floor within 6 months you will have chipped paint marks that show a lot all over the door ways from the hall - which is not a good look.

the varnish will last a lot longer and although it may cost you to hire a sander, the varnish will cost around 20 quid and the hard labour will be free

Thanks very much for your imput, I think I am leaning towards either lime wood effect or just re-doing as it is. Maybe a runner would break up the orangey effect.

That orangeness is the old varnish. You can get much nicer varnishes/stains now that don't go orange. Don't paint it, sand and treat it.

I agree with last post, either used cheap varnish or it's old to make the floor look that orange, sand and wax, gives a nice matt sheen, rather than the shine of varnish. Waxed with a paint on neutral shade and buffed off, this was in our hall, looks great. Sander was hired for three days £45. Was a belt sander rather than a big floor sander. We had a small hand sander with multidirection head, black and decker and you can buy a fluffy head for buffing the wax.

Agree with sanding and revarnishing. It will be much paler.

Don't paint it. Agree, sand and re-varnish. If you have newer boards that don't match, you might be able to 'borrow' some from another room, and put new ones in there, so the ones in your hall are all the same age. We did this, taking a few from the bedroom to replace damaged ones int eh living room, before sanding.

I don't think I'd varnish the floor- I think oiled floors look much nicer. But yes, I'd sand those floor boards then oil the floor. I say 'I' would, but in honesty, I'd get someone in to do it.

I wouldn't paint it. In a high traffic area like the hall it will wear quite quickly so not good unless you're really into the shabby chic look.

I would sand it so it comes up in its original pale colour. I'd then either re-seal like that (look into sealants that won't go orange), or I would stain a darker colour that would look smart with the Dove Tail (lovely colour).