Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

Surface Blog

• Interior Design and Wide Plank Flooring:  Spotlight on Krista Stokes - Part I

  Posted by GuestBlogger

  By Albert Waitt 

  Krista Stokes is one of Maine's hippest designers and the proprietor of Favela Chic Salvage Boutique and Design.  She was of 14 professionals chosen to work at the exclusive Hidden Pond Resort in Kennebunkport, ME, where she created the "Lazy Days" cottage.  Her work there was pictured in the Boston Globe and chronicled throughout the region. 

  The Surface sat down with Krista to discuss aspects of decorating for spaces with wide plank flooring.  For the record, the interview was conducted in a public place.  It was also repeatedly (and pleasantly) interrupted by a number of Krista's clients who couldn't pass by without saying hello and talking about their homes.  It's clear that Krista has the makings of a fan club on the Maine coast.   And she has a philosophy when choosing flooring materials:   

  It's the Wood:

  Krista:  For me, it's the wood.  It's part of the earth.  When you walk into a room and see beautiful hardwood floor, it's a feeling that you get.  I love the light reflection of it.  I love the sound of hardwood.  It's a great way to give a space energy.  The wood has traveled long and hard.  Regardless of its history, whether it came out of an old farm in Ohio or a forest in Brazil, it's traveled. Just to bring that into the home means a great deal.

  Floors Tell Stories. 

  Krista:  I recently went through a big debate with some clients.  The wife really wanted a wide plank floor.  The husband wasn't thrilled.  They have a dog and he didn't want the dog's nails to scratch the floor.  I said, "Listen guys, it's life. Let life screw up your floors.   Don't get your floors and then want them to stay the way they are."  

  Floors all tell stories.  It's getting harder and harder for us to instill history with the next generation.  A lot of people want to leave a history for their children, but don't want to relinquish the control of modernity.

  But, it's okay.  Don't sweat it.  It's a floor. It's supposed to be walked on.  Kids are going to run across it.  It's supposed to have dogs' paws on it.  The wood has survived this long and it will survive much longer than us humans.  The first thing you notice when you walk into a room with a wide plank floor is, "Wow, what a great floor."  If you see where a child's toy car left a skid mark, then you might think, "Hey, what happened?"  It's family history.

  Posted on August 11, 2008 at 02:00 PM in Hardwood Flooring • Home Building & Contracting • Home Decor • (0) Comments

• “What a beautiful house - Does anyone actually live here?”

  Posted by GuestBlogger

  By Nancy Shohet West

  It was allegedly the Duchess of Windsor who said that no woman could be too rich or too thin. The Duchess probably did not do her own decorating, but if she did, she might well have added that no house could be too tidy or too elegant.

  A lot of homeowners would agree that there's no such thing as a too-perfect home. Don't we all want our abodes to look ready for the photographers from Architectural Digest to arrive at any time? Hardwood floors gleaming, fresh flowers perfectly arranged in their cut crystal vases, glossy magazines at just the right angle on the coffee table.

  Except that many of us who have attended upscale house tours or even realtors' open houses would concede that there is such a thing as a forebodingly beautiful house. Remember the grandmothers of previous generations who would put plastic slipcovers over the "good" furniture - making them completely unusable? Most interior designers agree that the tradition of museum-quality home décor is long gone. Just as many homes now forego formal dining rooms in favor of well-lit, welcoming kitchens with a center island around which hosts and guests alike can cluster, the trend in home décor is veering away from the too-perfect look.

  So suppose you already know how to do the hard part: the beautiful presentation. Your hardwood floors gleam with a burnished glow, your end tables stay clutter-free, and no one ever leaves coffee mugs or sports bottles in the foyer. (Really? Maybe you'd consider doing an on-site neatness training for my family. But I digress.) Now that you've accomplished that challenging goal, it's time to make your home look not just magnificent but also used and enjoyed - by a real live family. Below are a handful of decorators' tips:

  • Small rugs accent polished hardwood floors nicely, breaking up the perfect-ness with a splash of color and texture.  But you can also get color and texture by choosing a wide plank hardwood flooring style with so-called "imperfections." Note the knotholes and wavy lines in these examples (Chestnut and Heart Pine)  and how they keep the floor from looking overly formal.

  • Window treatments light enough to react to a passing breeze or circulating fan acknowledge nature in a way that cordoned swags do not. Curtains made of light, gauzy material, or lightweight blinds, make a room look much more "alive" than drapes so heavy that they never move. Good advice on choosing a window treatment is available here.

     

  • Oversized oil paintings can work well in a large formal room, but smaller drawings or artsy photos can be very effective in breaking up the formality. For example, in this picture, note how quickly the cluster of framed pictures draws the eye.

  • Use books as decorations. We've all seen the coffee tables with the perfectly arrayed copies of Town and Country or the tomes on Impressionism, but books such as favorite collections of poetry, memoirs and biographies, and travel guides look both pretty and "real" - as if someone has read and savored them, rather than just arranged them there.

  • Memorabilia: Too much of it can multiply into clutter, but placed carefully, it looks unique and clever. Favorite high-quality trophies or medals, vintage sports accessories, antique jewelry or purses, your grandfather's cigar box, your great-aunt's perfume bottle. The authenticity of well-loved objects will show through. And authenticity is ultimately the goal. Your home should reflect your personality, not your decorator's talents. So enjoy that beautiful home - and let your guests see that there are real people living inside!

  Posted on July 11, 2008 at 03:04 PM in Hardwood Flooring • Home Decor • (0) Comments

• Hardwood in the kitchen - not just hardwood floors!

  Posted by Lesley Anderson

  You may be surprised to find out that having a hardwood floor in a room that traditionally has tile, like a bathroom or kitchen, is actually quite common and perfectly safe and durable against water and other spills. (See our entry about kitchen hardwood flooring concerns) Perhaps you have a hardwood floor in your own kitchen. More and more homeowners are warming up to the cozy feeling of hardwood flooring throughout the home, even in less likely places, but it's also important to recognize the role that hardwood surfaces can have even beyond the surfaces you walk on.

  When people think of wood in the kitchen, they most likely think of cabinets. Granite countertops paired with luxurious wooden cabinets has been a growing trend with home and apartment renovations. It seems like when people see "granite countertops, cherry cabinets, stainless appliances!" in a listing, they're sold! But let's step back for a moment and have a look at a hardwood surface you probably wouldn't think of at first - hardwood countertops.

  Your first reaction is probably the same as mine was - won't that stain? Won't water get in there? Can I use it kind of like a built in cutting board? Then what happens if the slice marks trap bacteria? Ahh! Thankfully, this article has recognized that hardwood countertops are a viable option for the kitchen, and just reminds homeowners that the extra warmth requires just a little extra care to make sure it retains its luster for years to come. Sealing or oiling periodically will keep the counter in top shape, and it never hurts to use a cutting board instead of cutting directly on the counter (even though you can do that!) if you're concerned about scratches and dents. Though depending on your home's decor, you may view those scratches as a symbol of your kitchen being lived in and a place of memories, just as you would with a hardwood floor.   

  Other posts you may enjoy:

  Expressing Personal Style is the Latest Trend in Kitchen Design
  Conflicting information about hardwood floors...HELP!
  Installing hardwood floors in a bathroom 

  Posted on May 16, 2008 at 11:00 AM in Home Building & Contracting • Home Decor • (0) Comments

• Expressing Personal Style is the Latest Trend in Kitchen Design

  Posted by Sharon Bondie

  Can’t buy a home with the kitchen of your dreams…then remodel your current home and express your personal style in every design element! According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, business is booming for contractors and others in home improvement businesses. In fact, a recent study conducted by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates Americans will spend $160 billion on repairs and home improvements in 2007, a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year. The five most popular remodeling projects will be kitchens and bathrooms, additions, and changing the paint, floor and wall coverings.
  
  

  Posted on April 9, 2008 at 02:22 PM in Home Decor • (0) Comments

• Make Your Room Look Larger!

  Posted by MollyLeatherman

   

  

   

   Recently, I was reading Domino Magazine.  In the "Ask Dara" column a client was torn between "old-home charm and the low-maintenance appeal of newer structures."  She was hoping to get some recommendations to give a new home the character and style of an older home.  Dara Caponigro, style director of the magazine, suggested smaller "human sized rooms", 9' or 10' ceilings, and wide plank floors.  She writes, "You'll be surprised how this can completely change the quality of an interior".  (See the difference the wider boards make in the room above.) She also suggests staining floors a medium or dark color and installing baseboards and crown molding to complete the look.  Well said, Dara!   For more decorating tips, check out http://www.dominomag.com/

  Posted on March 25, 2008 at 01:45 PM in Home Decor • (0) Comments

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