Surface Blog

Welcome to Surface, a blog by Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. Join us in discussion about hardwood flooring wood grains & styles, home decor, green building products, trends and more.

And now for something a bit different—Hickory wide plank floors combined with limestone tiles

Posted by Christine Halvorson

The interior design experts say there’s a trend afoot for “mixed media”—combining design elements that usually aren’t put together. To quote from Veranda Magazine: “Mixing materials is not a new concept, but it is certainly one that is gaining traction. Exhibiting a flair for the experimental, makers are moving away from the conventional with materials such as rusted iron, stone and untreated woods as they devise new ways to combine the handmade with the machine-made.”

Carlisle was happy to participate in this fun project from Veranda Magazine, which combined our 8-inch Hickory planks—which had been hand-crafted with a footworn look—with luxury bath tiles from the company Renaissance Tile & Bath. (That’s our Hickory in the photo to the left, supporting all those other mixed-media furnishings.)

The tiles are from the Renaissance Tile & Bath Winslow Series, and the style is called Sheridan Cream Honed Limestone. Here the Hickory is finished with Copper Mine stain and Carlisle’s Traditional Finish.

To the left is a sample of our footworn Hickory up-close:

So, what do you think of this mixed media? Something you would try in your home? We’d love to hear your comments; you can do so by clicking onto “COMMENTS” just below.

Posted on January 28, 2010 at 05:40 PM in Home Decor • (0) Comments
Grab it while you can: Florida home for sale with Carlisle Cherry floors

Posted by Christine Halvorson

We thought this was kind of fun to pass along. A real estate agent in Florida, Barbara Remington, is in the process of selling this home, built by Essian Construction. Richard Shassian of Essian sent this link to our Dan O’Neil, with whom he worked on the project. Take this virtual tour yourself. You can see all the rooms featuring Carlisle’s Cherry floors, all of them finished with a Tung oil.

Posted on January 26, 2010 at 08:18 PM in Home Building & Contracting • (0) Comments
Monday Morning Mailbag: In Angor Hills, CA, Eastern White Pine makes the grade

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Carlisle’s Jason Wolfe, working out of our West Hollywood Design Center, got a nice note from a customer of his who had installed 800 square feet of Carlisle’s Eastern White Pine. Half of the 10- to 17-inch-wide boards were crafted with one of our handmade surfaces, hit-or-miss, and the other half were left alone. Overall they were finished with a Vintage Brown stain and Tung oil. Here’s what customer Tracey Jeremiassen wrote to Jason:

So, months and months and months later, I am finally getting around to sending you some pictures of our fabulous floors. We could not be happier with them. They truly make our house what it is and people comment on them the second they walk through the doors. You were so awesome with us through the whole process and we cannot say enough good things about the Carlisle company. Hope all is well and happy new year! Tracey Jeremiassen

Posted on January 25, 2010 at 02:44 PM in Customer Stories • (0) Comments
Velvet and Linen—and wide plank floors for the bathroom

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Last year about this time, the folks over at the Velvet and Linen blog were asked whether it was a good idea to use hardwood floors in a bathroom. Blogger and interior design consultant Brooke Giannetti answered just as we would have—“Of course!”

Ms. Morelan points out that wood can add a feeling of warmth to what is otherwise a room with a lot of cold surfaces. We couldn’t agree more. To the left are two examples of Carlisle’s Heart Pine in a bathroom. The first one is installed over radiant heat. (See about installing our floors over radiant heat here.)

Go check out Ms. Giannetti’s blog post for a whole array of photos showing wood floors in bathrooms. (The floors aren’t necessarily ours.) The person who wrote to Ms. Giannetti ended up installing one of our Eastern White Pine floors in her bathroom.

Posted on January 22, 2010 at 05:10 PM in Hardwood Flooring • Home Decor • (0) Comments
Eastern White Pine—not as soft as you think

Posted by Christine Halvorson

You absolutely love the pumpkin-colored appearance of Old Growth Eastern White Pine flooring. You’re sold on the antique look of the wide planks. You are happily anticipating the mellowing patina of the Pine’s color as the years go by. But you have concerns about the “softer side” of installing a Pine floor:

Will it hold up to the daily rigors of your toddler and 6-year-old’s playtime?
What will happen to your Pine floor after several months of living under your 80-pound golden retriever?
How will it look after many years of muddy shoes, dropped forks and knives, furniture moving, and general everyday use?

Old Growth Eastern White Pine isn’t the hardest wood used in Carlisle flooring, but it is certainly the most original and authentic wood used to craft traditional wide plank floors.

It is the wood that is most cherished among homeowners seeking an antique look. If you are looking for a perfectly flawless floor year in and year out, you might want to go with a harder wood. But Old Growth Eastern White Pine flooring is for you if you value the traditions of the past, including your family’s own history told in the endearing “dings and dents” this Pine floor acquires over the years.

On the other hand, our Old Growth Eastern White Pine is harder than you might think. Each of our floors is made from Old Growth timber that is 100 or more years old and has been sawn from the center of the tree (the most dense part). It is then slowly air- and kiln-dried, which makes it extremely rugged and durable. Because Old Growth Eastern White Pine is such a resilient wood, it stands up to the expansion and contraction that comes with the changing seasons. This ability to adapt to change is one of the things that makes our Pine a durable, long-lasting floor. While you can sand the floor again after several years to remove signs of wear, we’ve found our clients just touch up the floor with Tung Oil after about five years.

Posted on January 21, 2010 at 08:33 PM in Customer Stories • (0) Comments