I happen to really like the look of parquet floors. I would let them show but break it up a little with a sisal rug.

I think those floors are quite nice. A rug is always a good addition.

I am not sure what you mean when you say "dealing with it". You are very lucky to have found a place with parquet flooring, which is an absolute art piece. Enjoy your floors because they don’t make beautiful floors like these anymore. The wall color is ugly, do the white theme, it will work very well with such lovely flooring!!!!!!!!!!

The word derives from French parqueterie (from parquet). Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684, as parquet de menuiserie ("woodwork parquet"), to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.

Personally, I wouldn't spend money on flooring for a place I don't own. And honestly, I think if you got rid of that wall color, the space might look a lot less outdated and much more fresh and modern without even touching the floor. But, if you have your heart set on changing it, carpet tiles or rugs would probably be the way to go.

Is this original old parquet or the 70s and 80s version that has no character whatsoever?

Is this laminate wood or the real thing? If it is laminate, Its hard to tell in photos, but it would be more understandable why you disliked it so. I have laminate parquet all through the parlor floor of my house, which I am dying to get rid of. But since you are renting, I would deal with it for now, or find a cute area rug you can throw over it.

One thing about those parquet floors - they are real wood. They don't make 'em like that anymore. It's authentically vintage.

An area rug will cover it. Don't spend real money on a rental.

Also - it's your first apartment! Everyone's first apartment is a bit (or A LOT) crap. It's a rite of passage.

Agree with the previous posters that you should leave the floors alone. However, for those closet doors, you might be able to paint them white (ask your landlord) or cover them using a hanging rod and drapes.

Just be thankful it's not carpeting.

Curtain replacing closet doors sounds great (and in my experience isn't even a thing that landlords notice). And if I were you, yeah. I'd paint everything white. It might be one of those "better to ask forgiveness than permission" situations.

I

Um, he clearly doesn't like the parquet, and has asked for a solution. Why does everyone insist on telling him he is wrong?

For a super cost-effective solution, if you go to a carpet store you'll probably be able to get a big remnant for about $10-$30. If you go with an area rug, remember that you'll either need to be able to pick it up and shake it out or own a vacuum. It might be easier to get a floor mat (Urban Outfitters used to sell them) that you can sweep.

If your closet isn't working right, call your landlord! Don't be shy about it, it's their job to fix things.

Erinsummer, sometimes a dislike can become a like if you look at something differently. I used to dislike these same parquet hardwood tiles until I began associating them with mod 70s houses in my area. Now I would LOVE to have a place with these tiles.

They are still made, by the way. Armstrong alone makes it in 16 different colors, and you can buy it at Lowe's and Home Depot.

Sean asked for AT readers 'any super cost-effective solutions for dealing with it'. He didn't indicate if he liked/disliked it.

Dealing with it: do you mean, maintenance wise?

Cost-effective: don't remove it, or permanently cover it, this will lessen any issues with the Landlord. Carpet tiles, Rugs, these you can take with you too.

Suggestion: you are lucky to have parquet flooring, especially if it's the real deal. A few days after moving in, I realised my first apartment had decades old carpet and still I wasn't allowed to 'deal with it'. Look at french apartments with parquet flooring - wonderful examples out there.

DO: Paint the walls white and then maybe the flooring will appeal more to you then? Even for the small size, a pot plant could do wonders with all white and parquet flooring. Also just moving the furniture around to your own movements could do wonders. Goodluck.

I have that same parquet flooring in my home. The same style, anyway. Although for mine I know it is vintage and genuine oak. If it is the same in your case, all you have to do to "deal with it" is to sweep it with a damp microfiber cloth, and enjoy.
If it lacks varnish (lacquer or whatever is the term, I'm not native English speaker) and looks a little dull/without shine, you can buff it with some parquet wax.
In case you really dislike the parquet itself, than you can just cover it with some nice rug, and enjoy (again) in your first apartment.

Just keep them clean. They'll look great.

@Erinsummer, I think people—myself included—have a negative reaction not just to a preference, but to the tone of the question. The questioner doesn't even say that he doesn't like parquet; he just says there is parquet and he needs to "deal with it." The implication there is that we as readers will understand because we also dislike parquet, which I think is why there are a bunch of people who feel compelled to defend it. Personally, I'm in negotiations to buy my first apartment, and the beautiful original wood parquet floors were a big draw for the place I made an offer on. The questioner is mistaken if he thinks parquet is as universally reviled a feature as laminate or popcorn ceilings or whatever.

This is not the loveliest parquet I've ever seen, but it looks like wood to me, albeit heavily-sealed wood tile (which makes sense, in a rental). I would also paint the whole apartment white, which would change the palette and bring out the wood tones.

When I bought my condo a few years ago, I hated my parquet floors until I moved in and loved them immediately. I did have a large living room rug, but my dining room and kitchen had bare parquet floors.

I also don't understand what you mean by 'dealing with' the parquet floor. If you mean hide it because you consider it ugly, you could cover it with rugs. However, I agree with other commenters that it would be wise to just keep them nice and clean rather than spend your money on a rental, especially if you are a student.

Oh, also, the other thing that might make these floors seem like a liability is the way they clash with the cooler tone and different grain of the rolling closet doors. I would think it might be more cost-effective and easily reversible to address one's energies to the doors.

well, this style of parquet does seem to me to be a little bit dated- but if you're really a student you should be thankfull to have real wooden floors! I have some ugly vinyl, old and stained! And whats that about replacing wood with laminate? Why would you want to replace real wood with something that tries to imitate wood? If you prefer something softer you can always lay down a rug, which can also do a lot to make a not loved floor more tolerable but yeah, don't go to apartmenttheraphy and whine about being a student and "having to deal" with parquet!

Here's what I would do: Paint the walls with Benjamin Moore "Atrium White". Clean floors throughly and apply Scotts liquid gold. Buff with an electric Buffer. Take the broken doors off and put up unbleached muslin curtains. Use a cowhide or sisal rug or both for your floor and call it done. You will have a great neutral and polished background. It will feel good and look great.

Agree with the others -- why on earth would you want to "deal with" parquet flooring? You should embrace their vintage and craftsman quality and choose decor that complements, not hides, them.
And yeah -- this is your FIRST APARTMENT. You're still in college. It takes years and years to have the beautiful homes that are showcased here on AT. Start by developing your style and likes and dislikes and collect things you like when you see them.

I think part of the reason the parquet flooring doesn't look great in this space is because it seems to be competing or clashing with those hideous closet doors. I think definitely take those down and do a curtain/rod like you were thinking and that might make a world of difference. I like your idea of white furniture and think white updated pieces in the space without those closet doors might change your opinion on the flooring.

@LUNAWHITE, agreed, a 'pot plant' would spark up the room up quite a bit, and also provide some relaxation material, LOL. I think you meant potted plant, which would also be nice.

The walls do need white paint. The closet doors look like mahogany, so I would NOT paint those. If they can't be put back on track, then remove and store the doors and put up a curtain in a pattern with white plus a bold color. For the floors, a low cost rug is the way to go. Jute or sisal rugs are cheap, they come in several colors and they can be painted too. Search here on Apartment Therapy for painted rugs to get some ideas.

I think they are nice too but since you want to deal with them, and if the picture you posted is accurate, then a large ROUND rug might do the trick.
I agree with another post who said to hang muslum curtain for your closet, paint the walls white and you're good to go. Once that is done, I think you'll like your space alot more being that what I see is all white already.
But I would ask the landlord. Let them know that you will take everything back to how it was orginially when you move out.

Wow. This thread makes me feel better about my real hardwood parquet flooring! I too hate mined, (they are stained a bit darker). You guys are making me look at them in a different light.

typos.. gah!

OK, no judgement.But I'm just going to say that using laminate or anything like that is going to look kind of weird in terms of flow with the rest of the apt if you only have the budget to do your own space. I would agree with several commenters and get an area rug or two that your truly enjoy. You can take it with you when you leave, and if you find you don't need it later, you can sell it- not possible with laminate or VCT. Or, depending on your budget, FLOR tiles could work as well.
As for the closer, you can fix the doors and paint them (not everything has to be white though), some interesting curtains, or if you're neat enough do an open concept. Maybe even paint the trim an interesting color to contrast.

Sean here, the question asker

It is real wood.

It's not that I hate them, I just really wanted to mellow them out, I don't want to have too much contrast between the to-be white or light grey walls and the darker floors,

I've been looking at large area rugs in neutral colours, but as I am on a tight budget, I cannot seem to find anything, does anyone have any suggestions? (In Canada by the way...)

Thanks!

Oh, and I am not worried about our landlord....haha

Oh also,

and I think one of the reasons I would like less of the flooring showing is the doors!

So it is true, as some of you have been suggesting that if I focused my energy on a closet solution (I don't want to paint the doors, I think I would do a curtain), it may help

thanks for the suggestions! AND again, for the record, I do not hate Parquet - it runs everywhere in the apartment and I just didn't want it to be prominent in my room.

And I was not making any assumptions that everyone dislikes Parquet, I don't even dislike it!

Sean, homedecorators.com or overstock.com are good resources for low cost rugs. They also have some jute rugs at Ikea, Home Depot and Lowes stores.

Try cleaning the floor really well with Murphy's Oil Soap and, as suggested above, follow with some parquet wax. The floors won't look like new, but it will be an improvement. Get a rug, paint the walls and closet door and it will be a fine first apartment.

Congratulations and good luck with school!

Sean, when you pick your white paint watch for the undertones. even panting the walls white, if you pick one with undertones that match the tones in the flooring you can make it more harmonious and less clashy than it currently is. get your paint somewhere nice that has knowledgeable salespeople who can help you, don't just go to wal-mart. or research white paints online to find whether they are cool, warm, have pink/yellow/blue/whatever undertones.

Don't touch the floors except to clean and shine, BONA is a good product.. The walls aren't bad, but put up curtained closet then you will love the floors. Keep it simple. Remember less is more. Get yourself a green plant, that should cheer you up a bit.

PARNASSUS - I just knew that sentence wasn't to my satisfaction. Cheers.

SEAN - I've just taken another look at your pic, store those closet doors and hang a curtain in it's place. Please. My first curtains were handsewn and I wasn't even a student then. I hope you share your new space later.

We have parquet at home, and while we thought about doing a laminante overtop, I just can't reconcile myself to the idea of replacing real wood underfoot with something plasticy. At some point we're going to have them stripped and re-varnished. But, like others have said, I wouldn't do something so invasive (or expensive) in a rental.

I have a feeling parquet will gain the respect it deserves again any moment now-- just keep the floor clean and in good repair, and find a nice area rug you like the break up all that pattern. Are you near one of Canada's new Target stores? In college, I found a rug there I actually liked enough to still have it in my living room today. Or try Ikea. Or urban outfitters/ overstock.com/ ebay or local auctions/ estate sales/ flea markets/ antique shops/ craigslist near your location. I think the trick to decorating on a budget is persistence + luck. You don't need all the stuff in the world, just a few key things that you like-- and there are lots of resources for little money!

I hate parquet, too, so I feel your pain. I think your idea of curtains instead of doors is an excellent one (I did that in my first apartment with my husband because the closet doors wouldn't close in front of the washer and dryer.) It can really soften the space, too.

I'd cover the parquet with a rug. Craigslist can be a great resource for large, inexpensive rugs. Depending on your taste, Ikea has some really good options, too. We have a couple of large, fairly neutral rugs from Ikea that we put down to protect our hardwood from the dogs, each for under $100. They have really held up well over the last couple of years, and while they aren't statement pieces, they aren't garish so they just kind of blend into the room.

Someone suggested "muslum" curtains, a wobbly sort of spelling that teeters toward suggesting the fabric called "muslin" and, at the same time, hinting that these curtains might be devotees of an ancient faith known as the "Muslim" religion.
Should you decide to purchase the fabric, go to a good fabric store that stocks quality upholstery fabrics -- not a chain store -- and ask them to show you their muslins. Run a hand over the fabrics to feel the difference in the different blends. 100% cotton in a nice heavy weight will give you a much better look than a polyester blend in a light weight.
If you're searching for curtains of the Muslim faith (or any other), I haven't any information or guidance for you, but I wish you the best on your journey.

@CSC76

Target isn't in Canada, yet, I think they are coming here in 2013.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, the tone of the comments seems to be a lot more positive now, haha

I will make sure to post a before/after pic in about a month

Okay you have a million suggestions already but I wanted to weigh in! I happen to love those floors, but I can see how someone may not. Since you're in a rental, though, they have to stay. You already have some white furniture so I say go for the all white look with pops of color, totally doable on a budget. I am the master at making these curtains, they are so cheap and easy. I've done them for closets and windows.

Easy curtains: Get your white fabric (sometimes a straight sheet is cheaper than going to the fabric store) and cut to fit the space over your closet exactly. Most hardware stores have grommet sets for about $4 and you can pound grommets (metal rings that make holes in the fabric) into the top two corners of your material. Screw in small hook's on either side of the closet. The fabric will hang from those two hooks and you just remove one corner to expose whats inside. What I love about this idea is that you are able to pull the material as tight as you need to create a slick, clean surface. I feel like curtains on rods can seem too 'bunchy' in small spaces.

I hope I explained that well! I also tried to read the other suggestions to avoid being redundant but there were too many. :) Enjoy your charming little space!

Don't worry about the floor - once you put a rug on it, it won't be so noticeable. Instead, figure out what you can do that you can take with you when you move.

If you can paint the room white, that would be great -pretty easy and cheap and nothing for a landlord to object to. Then get either a textured white rug (such as a flokati) or find a nice bright graphic rug for that pop of color. Some nice bedding in a graphic with a white background - I'm imagining Marimekko bedding from Crate and Barrel, but that may not be your thing.

And, for the closet doors, if they are broken definitely take them off and replace them with curtains. This will also help with the floor, because they are the same color so it's dominating the room. And it also means that you could put a dresser in the closet and hang shorter stuff above it. In a small room, this can make a huge difference. You could do white curtains, a smaller graphic that works with the bedding, or a solid color chosen from the bedding or rug.

Add some nice artwork, and you have a nice room.

All of this (apart from the white walls) is stuff you can take with you.

Flooring - Check with the owner first. Otherwise, rug. And, you can take that with you when you leave.

Anyway, second year at University, I guess you should be getting a real up close look at floors... when you're passed out drunk. Otherwise, if you can paint the walls, do that on the cheap and live with it for the next two years (if grad school is in the plans,,, uh I ain't gotz no answer for you except more drinking!)

For real... keep up the studies.

P.S. wait til you ask questions for your own house. Double the thread size for sure. LOL!

Save the money for something more important, like retirement or a place of your own. Spending limited resources on this would be a waste.

Agree with all the posts that say if you change the closet doors, you'll feel differently about the floor. It will brighten up the space, and they won't feel so dominant. I also agree with IKEA for some less expensive neutral rug options. You won't need it to cover the entire room, so you can save money on a smaller sized one - the parquet will peek out under the rug, but it won't be overly distracting.

On a sidenote - I have parquet floors in my current rental apartment, and it was definitely one of the reasons I chose it. When some water damage ruined a portion of it and it had to be replaced, I realized how pricey it can be! Definitely wouldn't want to replace an expensive floor option like parquet with an inexpensive flooring like laminate - not good for the value of the home in the long run. I realize this place is a rental, so it's not your investment, but if I were the landlord, I would be a bit unhappy if the value of my place went down because of alterations by a tenant!