Dark walls need a warm floor.
North Window is a study in contrast that does not feel sharp. The walls absorb most of the day; the oak keeps a little of it underfoot. The room becomes quieter rather than smaller.
Books, a chair, a single table — each object has a reason to remain. The floor has enough variation to hold the room together when the windows turn blue, and enough warmth to make the dark feel welcoming.
How smoked oak gets its colour, and how to finish it, is in the smoked oak guide.
“A shadow is more interesting when there is somewhere warm to stand.”