Georgina, you are most welcome. Yes, I saw that you said in your initial query that you had lacquered them and did not want to sand it all back, hence my suggestion for the least messy option (otherwise yes would be better to sand it all back etc etc like others have said but let's be practical not perfectionists). Yes a tinted lacquer, yes I'm sure you can buy it, I've mixed it myself but best to just buy one but beware not to go too far the other way and take tiny steps. Paint a bit that's going to be under a desk etc and leave it for days to dry and look at it in different light etc. It's not ideal, but I suggest you use the same clear lacqer and add a tiny bit of tinted one because you are painting on a darker colour already so experiment with small amounts of each, keeping track of how much you have put in. (I mix my own wall colours so have just learnt to give it a go in small portions). You also mention wanting a black and white rug, these colours will clash with the wood (colour theory) and make it look even more orange so best to use a colour that tones more. It's hard to tell the exact colour from the photos but go with warmer deeper colours which will then tone down the orange rather than clash with it and make it look cheap and more orange. So if you want to go dark then a rich chocolate brown with some creams, khaki and even a bit of burnt orange for example will make the orange in the floorboards recede.

I wanted an invisible tough non-yellowing sealant over a thinned white emulsion wash. I used the 2 part Bona ultra matt for heavy traffic in our shop. It has been brilliantly hard wearing and 4 years on it still looks great! Having designed and decorated for nearly 30 years I would highly recommend Bona as it is easy to use and the results are superb. The secret for me is in having an ultra clean dust free floor. It's a bit of a drag but definitely worth the trouble if you need high standard professional results ! Firstly, lightly sand the water-based whitewashed surface with fine paper, wash with water and microfibre cloths and vacuum. leave for an hour or 2 to let any airborne dust settle, vacuum again and apply first thin coat. Leave for an hour or so after it's touch dry, then very lightly sand with fine finishing grade paper and vacuum. Repeat this between each subsequent coat, (usually 3 thin coats) and apply within the time stated on the instructions so that each layer bonds chemically to the one below and doesn''t shear off. It's near impossible to avoid some signs of wear over time in high traffic areas but Bona is excellent. It's not cheap but as they say, you get what you pay for!

What about a timber merchants? It will be new wood but as you say that should be okay as you are going to paint them anyway. Or you could get a carpenter to buy, fit and paint the wood? Have you tried googling painting floorboards as there seems to be a lot of info out there?

I would expect your floorboards would sand up beautifully. Many companies will do sanding and replace boards with boards of a similar age. There are a wide range of different price points and skill levels, so it's worth shopping around a bit. Consider installing underfloor insulation *before* doing the floors. (We didn't do that in my previous house, and regretted it heartily every time a draft came through the boards.) I'd be wary of anything that didn't breathe (like celotex or kingspan) in a house of that age, but some companies will do rockwool, cellulose, or sheeps wool in little hammocks. I've done that in my current house and we really feel the difference when we walk around without shoes. Also consider whether you want to replace radiators or plumbing before doing the floors. Nothing is so annoying as making a radiator decision six months after doing the floors.