Pale, Scandinavian-style wood floors for Chelsea and Hudson Yards homes, built from low-VOC lyes, precolors and white or grey oils.
Want a white or grey floor in Chelsea? Call Joe Avila at (908) 232-6600 or book a virtual consultation.
Chelsea homes often look like the galleries around them: white walls, steel windows and art that needs a quiet floor. Hudson Yards towers add floor-to-ceiling glass and strong light. A pale wood floor suits both. We create these tones on site with eco-friendly, low-VOC pre-treatments, including lyes, reactive stains and precolors, as shown on our white color effects page.
How A Lye Treatment Works
A lye is a pre-treatment applied to freshly sanded wood before the finish. It lightens the wood and helps hold back the natural yellowing of oak, so the final color stays pale. The finish oil then sets the tone: white, extra white, grey or natural. Our range includes driftwood, softwood, wood and antique lyes, each paired with a color oil, diamond oil or master floor oil. Learn how the floor is prepared on our sanding process page.
The White Range
Our white options run from soft to almost Nordic. They include Driftwood Lye White and Extra White, Driftwood Lye White and Plus de Blanc, Precolor White and Extra White, Softwood Lye and Extra White, and Wood Lye White and Plus de Blanc, along with Plus de Blanc on its own. In a Chelsea loft with a lot of white plaster, a softer white keeps the floor from feeling cold. See every option on the white color effects page.
The Grey Range
Grey floors suit concrete, steel and the industrial bones of West Chelsea. Our grey color effects list more than forty combinations, from Driftwood Lye Grey and Castle Grey to Precolor Grey and Gris Beton, Wood Lye Grey and Gris Sable, and Antique Lye with Wood Lye Grey and Castle Grey. Softer greys read almost as weathered oak; deeper ones lean toward slate. Because each step can be adjusted, the floor can be matched to stone or cabinetry.
Want to see white and grey samples on your own floor? Book a virtual consultation with Joe Avila.
Lye And White Oil In Real Projects
Pale finishes appear across our projects. In a loft in Lower Manhattan, we finished the original factory wood with WOCA lye and Extra White Oil. In a private residence in Westchester, antique heart pine received a white lye and WOCA Extra White. In New Jersey homes, we have finished plainsawn five-inch oak in WOCA Extra White and a wide plank and herringbone foyer in WOCA Natural Oil Extra White. Each shows how the same family of finishes adapts to different woods.
Choosing The Right Tone
White and grey finishes change with the light, the species and the cut of the wood, so we never choose from a screen. Stain samples are laid out on the sanded floor before a color is selected. Rift and quartered white oak takes these finishes evenly, while plainsawn oak shows more grain through the color. If you prefer warmer tones, our custom color effects continue into light brown, red brown, dark brown and black. Pair a pale finish with herringbone for a classic Parisian look.
Ready to choose your finish? Speak with Joe Avila.
Quick Answers
How do you make a wood floor white?
We use low-VOC pre-treatments such as lyes and precolors, then a white or extra white oil finish.
What is a lye pre-treatment?
A treatment applied to freshly sanded wood before the finish to lighten it and set up a pale, even tone.
Do you offer grey floors too?
Yes. Our grey range includes more than forty lye, precolor and oil combinations.
Can I see the color before you finish?
Yes. Samples are laid out on your sanded floor before a final color is selected.
Begin Your Pale Floor With Joe Avila
Call (908) 232-6600, email joe@hugginsflooring.com, or book a virtual consultation. Explore herringbone, chevron, wide plank and parquet floors, or our sanding and refinishing and NWFA inspection services.
About The Author
Joe Avila is the founder of Huggins Wood Floor Specialist and leads New York City Wood Floors, a Huggins Wood Floor Specialist brand. He brings 26 years in wood flooring, is NWFA certified (CSI, CI, CWFI, CFS), and teaches AIA, IDCEC and ASID continuing-education courses. See his certifications.
Related Reading
Contact New York City Wood Floors
Email: joe@hugginsflooring.com
Phone Number: 908-232-6600
Address: 406B West Broad Street, Westfield, NJ, 07090
Leave a Reply