It might only be the end of October but if you are serious about having wooden flooring installed in your home before Christmas now is the time to start looking.

Wooden flooring is one of those finishing touches which can bring a room to life but it’s not just a case of throwing a floor down at the last minute. Hardwood flooring needs adequate preparation and loving care spending on the project so you get the right type of floor and a perfect finish.

The trend at the moment is to go for darker shades of hardwood such as Merbau. Merbau hardwood flooring can make a gorgeous addition to just about any room in your home and the rich, warm colours work particularly well at this time of year when the leaves are reddening and falling from the trees.

Depending on how Merbau is finished the final wood colour can be altered, with lighter yellow tones sometimes visible. The orange-brown colour of the wood will also darken over time and can approach a red/brown colour after a number of years use. But it’s perhaps the wood graining that can have the greatest effect on how the finished floor looks being either straight or wavy.

When Merbau hardwood flooring is sanded the yellow flecks, which can be seen throughout the floor’s surface, can give a feeling of opulence and can give off a warmth which is perfect for the festive time of year.