Surface Blog

Elegant White Pine floors in Lake Placid, New York

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

Matt Farhm of Farhm Fine Floors sent along these terrific photos of a Carlisle floor his company recently installed in Lake Placid, New York. Take a look! The 11-inch-wide planks are Eastern White Pine, finished with Bradford Umber stain and Tung Oil. The customer, Matt writes, is “very happy” with his new floor.

Posted on Apr 14, 2011 AT 09:21 AM in (0) Comments

Walnut flooring: A rare and spectacular choice

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

With a rich dark chocolate color, purplish overtones and complex swirling grain patterns, Walnut, whether stained or left natural, makes for a unique and eye-catching floor. Here are two that were recently installed, seen before and after finishing; thanks to sales and design consultant Kevin Crowder of our Denver showroom for sending along these photos!

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 AT 10:45 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (3) Comments

Carlisle floors: They’re not just for traditional homes

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

We’re proud of our history of creating floors to fit the old Colonial homes of founder Dale Carlisle’s New England, and equally proud that Carlisle floors are a terrific fit in contemporary homes as well. Dan O’Neill of our Los Angeles Design Center sent along these photos from a very happy customer whose modern home is now graced by Heirloom Ash floors.

The 9-inch-wide ash planks installed in the lobby and bedroom of the house were prefinished with Whitewashed Fence stain.

“We LOVE our wood floor,” the customer wrote. “I like walking on it without my socks on; it feels nice!”

Posted on Apr 11, 2011 AT 08:53 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (2) Comments

Virginia Realty blogger recommends Carlisle for historic renovations

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

Our friends in Virginia will be interested in a recent posting on the Blue Heron Realty blog. The company, which focuses on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, recently ran an item titled “10 Tips On Great Places To Buy Renovation Materials For Historic Homes In Virginia.”

We’re delighted to note that Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring is included as one of the “Great Places.”

Before offering her tips, the blogger walks readers through the process of looking for a historic house, falling in love with one, and determining what renovations are needed:

“We get a lot of calls from people who are just starting to think about the possibility of acquiring a historic home in Virginia, be it waterfront, in a quaint coastal town like Cape Charles or a home out in the country, maybe even on acreage along the Chesapeake Bay. At first blush, dealing with an old home may seem somewhat overwhelming, scary even. But then curiosity sets in, a Stage I desire to at least get out there and explore what’s for sale, see what homes are available at what price, investigate what architectural styles are most appealing to one’s own aesthetics — Colonial? Federal? America Four Square? Arts and Craft? Possibly the very popular Victorian style home, one of my personal favorites? Stage 2 involves falling in love with a particular home, seeing one’s self living and loving life there. Stage 3 involves the home inspection, a through review of the home from roof to crawl space to assess the condition of the home in preparation for Stage 4, which is the evaluation of the costs of the renovations that the inspection showed were necessary. Which brings us to the really fun part, Stage 5, which is the evaluation and pricing of the renovations that your aesthetics say are necessary.”

Click here to read the rest of the blog entry.

Carlisle has many happy customers in Virginia and the D.C. metropolitan area (visit our D.C. showroom!). We’re also happy to report that our floors fit well in historic, historical re-creations, and contemporary homes all over the country and beyond. People interested in authentic antique wood floors will want to check out our reclaimed floors,, which are recycled from antique buildings that have been dismantled.

Posted on Apr 07, 2011 AT 11:22 PM in Restoration Projects • (3) Comments

Wood floors really warm up a bathroom

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

Thinking about a new floor for your bathroom? Wood is a terrific choice, whether you’re interested in hardwood or pine. Here are some samples to whet your appetite:

Hit or Miss Eastern White Pine Bathroom, Taos, New Mexico

Antique Chestnut Bathroom, Keene, New Hampshire

Heart Pine Bathroom, Columbus, Georgia

Heart Pine Bathroom, Mount Desert Island, Maine

Posted on Apr 05, 2011 AT 10:10 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments