The owner of this London Riverside apartment wanted to upgrade the ceramic flooring in her open-plan living space with a natural engineered oak floor to create a warmer, more luxurious design, choosing Tundra Seashell planks.
Located within the prestigious Sugar Quays development overlooking Tower Bridge, this apartment benefits from exceptional views across the River Thames. New Homes Flooring South, a specialist flooring contractor predominantly serving the New Build sector across the South of England, were exhibiting at Ideal Home show when they first met the owner of the apartment.
“While we predominantly work with developers and housebuilders, we also work directly with homeowners, bringing our flooring expertise to private residential projects. This is the service we were showcasing at the Ideal Home Show.”
“We have been working with V4 Wood Flooring for a number of years now, always confident we are getting the highest quality engineered wood flooring for our projects, and our stand at the show featured a number of their floor designs.”
The owner of the apartment was at the show, seeking inspiration for an upgrade to elevate her apartments design to a more natural and luxurious feel. The property had ceramic tiles throughout the living spaces, and carpets in the bedrooms. Keen to secure a more natural, and long-lasting wood floor for the living spaces, she got chatting to the New Homes Flooring team at the show.
“We strongly believe that flooring is more than simply a structure beneath your feet. It’s a defining feature of a space, contributing style, comfort and character. This client shared that view and wanted to replace the existing hard tiles with something more natural.”
Whilst browsing the displays they had at the show, she was immediately drawn to the Tundra Seashell planks.
Our Tundra Plank collection features striking long boards with a lightly brushed European Oak top layer. The finely engineered planks are built with strength and elegance in mind, featuring a unique birch ply construction designed to deliver long-term structural stability, whilst maintaining the natural beauty of oak top surface.
The Seashell finish is created through a subtle blend of white oils buffed into the brushed oak surface. The result is a soft, contemporary tone that retains the appearance of an almost raw, untreated timber while enhancing the grain and natural character of the wood.
Several weeks after the show, the homeowner contacted New Homes Flooring South to arrange a site survey and quotation for the Tundra planks.
"Once we visited the apartment and provided the quote, we received approval almost immediately. The client wanted a seamless and stress-free transition from the existing ceramics to the new engineered wood floor, and requested a quick turnaround.”
The installation presented several technical challenges. As the apartment is part of a multi-residential development, the flooring had to comply with the building’s acoustic performance requirements. Careful coordination was also required with the building’s concierge team to manage deliveries, access, and logistics within the shared residential environment.
The team also had to carefully remove approximately 100 square metres of ceramic tiling without damaging the apartment or communal areas.
During the uplift process, an additional issue emerged when a significant damp patch was discovered beneath the existing flooring.
“When the ceramics were removed, we identified a severely damp area that needed to be addressed before installation could continue. We organised for a leak specialist to investigate and carry out the necessary tests to save the client time."
Once the issue had been resolved and clearance provided by the plumber, the installation could proceed. The new engineered oak floor was fully bonded to ensure maximum longevity and stability.
The transformation of the living space was immediate. Replacing the ceramic tiles with natural oak introduced warmth, texture and depth to the apartment’s interior. What once felt like a standard modern finish now conveys a sense of quiet luxury and natural elegance.
The wood floors blend seamlessly with the apartment’s wood panelling and kitchen cabinetry. This natural surface design connects with the stunning landscape outside, where views reaching across the River Thames can be enjoyed from the expansive window seats positioned at each end of the living space.
Instead of cold ceramics the room now feels warmer, calmer and more connected to its surroundings.
“Flooring makes a huge difference to a home. It’s constantly within view and plays a central role in how a space feels. Since working with V4, they’ve become one of our main sources of engineered wood flooring. What sets them apart isn’t just the quality of their products, but also the service behind them.
"It means we can advise, supply and install with complete confidence—and our client for this project was absolutely thrilled with the final result.”
Featured Flooring
Seashell
The Tundra Seashell Plank is created using a subtle blend of white oils which are buffed into each planks lightly brushed oak surface, giving the impression of a raw untreated oak. Tundra's elegant boards have a unique birch ply construction which gives them ultimate stability.
