White oak floors with a dated finish, refinished to a lighter Scandinavian tone
White oak floors worn through a full-home renovation were fully sanded and refinished with a white-tinted sealer system to achieve a lighter, consistent Scandinavian look across two levels.
Project Overview
Service Type
Home Type
Floor Type
Wood Species
Date Completed
Before Photos
White oak solid hardwood floors with grayed-out high-traffic areas, visible scratches throughout, and a dated finish tone that no longer matched the direction of the space.
After Photos
Refinished white oak solid hardwood floors with a lighter, even tone achieved through a white-tinted sealer system and a clean satin topcoat.
About the project
The homeowner was in the middle of a full interior renovation — ceilings had come down, everything was being repainted, and the floors needed to keep up. They were looking to go in a lighter, Scandinavian direction and already knew their floors were white oak. The goal was a finish that matched the new feel of the space.
After taking a closer look, we found the floors were ready for a full refinish. High-traffic areas had grayed out, and scratches were visible throughout both levels. The wood itself was in good shape, which was worth noting — white oak is exactly what people want right now, and there was no reason to replace it.
Based on that, a buff and coat wasn't the right call. It would have refreshed the surface but left the existing color in place, and the homeowner wanted something noticeably lighter. We recommended a full sand-down so we could start fresh, then built up the finish using a white-tinted sealer applied in two coats, followed by a satin topcoat. The tannin content in white oak can make white sealers tricky to apply, so we watched that closely — in this case, everything went on evenly.
The result was a consistently lighter floor across both levels of the house, including the landings at the base of each staircase. The dated quality of the old finish was gone. With the vaulted ceilings and the large windows in the space, the lighter color made the rooms feel more open. The floors came out looking like they belonged to the renovation, not like something that got left behind.
Finish & Materials
From the customer
A+ experience with Justin at New Glow. What I liked the most is he took time to sample some different stains & sealers to accomplish the Scandinavian look I was going for on my white oak floors. The other contractors I had bid this didn’t want to do that and/or were convinced they knew what was best for my house... I went for 90s orange to modern elegance. This company is owner/operator, so you’re getting a skilled craftsman who takes pride in his work, not a cheap subcrew. Despite the high level of craftsmanship, his price was on the lower end of the 4 bids I got on the floor. Super happy with his process and the result, and would recommend to anyone. Thank you!
This video shows a full hardwood floor refinishing project completed on white oak solid hardwood across two levels of a Long Lake home. The floors were sanded down to bare wood and finished with a white-tinted sealer system to achieve a lighter, Scandinavian-inspired look. Viewers will see the before condition, the finish process, and the final result across the main level and upper landings. The project was completed during winter while the home was unoccupied mid-renovation.
When we got here, the house was in the middle of a full renovation. Ceilings were out, walls were getting repainted—everything was in progress.
The floors were solid white oak across two levels, and they were due for a refinish. High-traffic areas had started to gray out, there were scratches throughout, and the existing finish made the whole space feel older than it needed to.
The homeowner had a clear direction—they wanted a lighter, more Scandinavian look and to let the white oak come through. So a buff and coat wasn’t going to get us there. We needed to sand everything down to bare wood and start fresh.
What you’re looking at now is a white-tinted sealer system. We did two coats of sealer with a whitener built in, and then a satin topcoat over that. White oak can be a little reactive because of the tannins, so we keep a close eye on it during application. This one went on clean.
We worked across both levels, including the landings at the base of each staircase. It was the middle of winter here in Minnesota, but the house was unoccupied during the renovation, so the timing worked well.
The lighter color did what it was supposed to do. With the vaulted ceilings and the amount of natural light, the floors feel like they belong to the space now—not something left over from before.
It’s always good to see a result like this come together. Everything looks consistent, the color sits right, and the floors feel like part of the renovation now.