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.

Monday Morning Mailbag: Family room in Maryland benefits from prefinished Antique Hickory

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Homeowner Bruce Silver sent along these photos of the floor just installed in the family room of his Maryland home. The floors are done in our prefinished Antique Hickory, in 3- to 8-inch widths. The final coating is Amber.

Here’s what Mr. Silver wrote to us when he sent the photos:

The whole family is really thrilled with the new family room Antique Hickory flooring. The wood itself is so rich and warm and full of character. The installation was expertly performed, right down to the specially crafted shoe molding Keith made from a couple of leftover planks.

Many thanks to Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring and to Valued Homes!

Got questions about Carlisle’s prefinished floors? Check them out here.

Posted on February 8, 2010 at 07:52 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments
Shuttercraft custom shutters for authentic renovations

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Carlisle floors are often being installed in old house renovations and for good reason. They can provide a timeless, authentic look that seems unattainable with other types of floors. Custom made wood shutters by family-run Shuttercraft, Inc in Connecticutt are used in old home renovations for the same reason. The company can customize its red cedar shutters for both interior and exterior use and deliver them either unfinished, primed, or fully painted. Shuttercraft shutters were used in four rooms of the White House to achieve an authentic look.

According to Colleen Murdock of Shuttercraft, many of her customers are renovating homes in historic districts and are trying to match the exterior look and color of shutters than might have been on these homes two centuries ago. An endless variety of cut-out patterns can be created as well. The photo below shows an old shutter with a cut-out that was matched to create an entirely new one.

Builders and contractors also come to Shuttercraft for customized shutters on new construction. The hinges and holdbacks can be customized and the shutter sized to fit non-standard windows and to be completely functional, not just decorative.

For more information, visit Shuttercraft, Inc online.

Posted on February 5, 2010 at 09:56 AM in Home Decor • Restoration Projects • (0) Comments
Hickory makes for a stunning kitchen floor in Vermont

Posted by Christine Halvorson

This remodeling project was done for a Vermont couple who loves to entertain and cook, and they also did the installation and finishing of the floors themselves. The kitchen designer was kind enough to send over these photographs of the remodeling. The kitchen shows Carlisle’s Hickory, done in a 50-50 blend of 6- and 12-inch widths and finished with an Amber stain. In the upstairs of this home, the customers also installed our Heart Pine.

Posted on February 1, 2010 at 07:20 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments
Near Newburyport, MA? Cooking classes for all at our partner, Jewett Farms Studio

Posted by Christine Halvorson
If you happen to live anywhere near the Newburyport, Massachusetts, area, you might want to check out these cooking classes, just announced by our partner Jewett Farms Studios. Jewett Farms Studios creates custom cabinetry, and our floors are displayed right along with fully equipped kitchens in their Newburyport digs. Once a month starting in February, attendees can learn Thai cooking, bread-making, the cuisine of northern Italy and cooking with seafood. Classes are taught by Chef Mary Reilly of The Savory Kitchen and are $90 with a 15 percent discount if you enroll in all four. Register by writing Elena Bachrach at Jewett Farms, or call 978-961-1538.
Posted on January 29, 2010 at 05:42 PM in News & Events • (0) Comments
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