When narrowing down options to buy our first home, my wife and I focused primarily on century-old homes. I grew up in an 100 year-old house built by my great great grandfather, and both of us have a heart for the charm of hand craftsmanship, unique floorplans, built-ins and yes, those precious original hardwood floors.

So when we moved into our 1890 home three months ago, refinishing those floors was one of our top priorities. Last week my Dad came up from Florida, and the two of us spent nearly four nonstop days sanding, staining, varnishing and touching up.

Here are the results:

Mainfloor Bedroom
Before:

Sanding:

After:

Living Room
Before:

Sanding:

After:

Kitchen
Before/Sanding:

Sanded:

Dad varnishing behind the refrigerator:

After:

Stairs/Hallway
After:

Bathroom Floor (“Greg the Plumber” Part 2)
Before:

After: