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.

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
Carlisle partners with Crown Point Cabinetry again

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Carlisle partners with Crown Point Cabinetry, based in Claremont, New Hampshire—which is not too far from our Stoddard, New Hampshire headquarters. We often provide Crown Point with reclaimed wood for them to make into customized cabinets, and you’ll often see our floors under Crown Point cabinets when they are being shown at trade shows and such.

We wanted to share a few photos with you from a recent photo shoot for Crown Point Cabinets. Three different types of cabinets were used in this extensive remodeling project in Suffern, New York—and all of them are sitting upon Carlisle floors. The photos show the kitchen, the bar and a breakfast room, where Crown Point’s cabinets have been customized to have a look of a vintage sideboard. The kitchen cabinets are Quarter-sawn Oak, the bar features Mahogany and the breakfast room is done in Maple cabinets.

Christine Dunleavy, the designer from Crown Point, was the one responsible for meeting the customer’s specifications in this extensive project. It all looks great and we think the floors are the perfect complement, don’t you?

Read about our other partnerships here.

Posted on December 15, 2009 at 01:52 PM in Home Building & Contracting • Restoration Projects • (0) Comments
Carlisle’s prefinished hardwood floors save the day in massive renovation project

Posted by Christine Halvorson

By now, the renovations had proceeded nicely and there was a time crunch to finish the project. It was mid-August and they needed to begin installing by mid-September. Stephanie ultimately suggested McKeon go with Carlisle’s pre-finished option, where the boards would be finished in our own sample shop and delivered ready to install. She said they had some planks just delivered that were 1-inch wider than McKeon had originally settled on, but would offer it at the same price.

“The floor is just stunning. Gorgeous! It worked perfectly with all the other floors in our house, which was really three houses put together and attached to our new addition.”

“I really came to see the beauty of pre-finished as an option. It came and was ready to install, so we had a big savings in time and labor.”

In the end, McKeon writes, “I didn’t want to throw any of the scraps away, so I used them to create a display shelf above my kitchen cupboards. You can’t see them, they’re just holding decorative items—but I love knowing they are there.”

McKeon’s father was born in that farmhouse and had four siblings, all of whom are now scattered everywhere and each have had their own children, of course. Each year in June, his father staged a family reunion called Farm Fest and, again, each fall they gathered for what became known as Autumn Fest. McKeon’s deadline to get the renovations done became Autumn Fest on Columbus Day weekend, 2009.

Some neighbors down the road from the McKeon farmhouse were invited to come see the renovations. They were so impressed they may consider using Carlisle for renovations of their own. McKeon is ready to be a kind of coach to them if they do so. “I’m ready to take on another project and I would certainly use Carlisle again,” he said.

Read More…

Posted on December 10, 2009 at 11:43 AM in Restoration Projects • (0) Comments
Our friends at Classic Hardwood Floors

Posted by Megan Sprague

We've been working with Classic Hardwood Floors for over ten years now. Here's a nice letter from owner, Joe Boos.

Although it is my profession and can be challenging and stressful at times, I thoroughly enjoy being the owner/operator of Classic Hardwood Floors. In 1998 my brother Eric and I formed our business and had the best time of our life working together for 10 years. A person seriously could write a book about all of our experiences. We did have a few employees throughout the years, most notably our other two brothers and our father. Imagine a customers surprise after contracting us to work in their million dollar + houses based only on phone conversations and a written proposal; only to have a truckload of 18-24 year olds show up at their door on day one to install a beautiful, expensive wide plank floor. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked how old I am, when my dad or boss was showing up, or where is the guy I talked to on the phone. Of course the outstanding results continue to be a testament to the beauty of Carlisle’s wood and our commitment to perfection. Eric has recently moved on to bigger and better things (design consultant for this company called Carlisle Wide Plank Floors), however I still enjoy installing floors with my employees Jeff and Eddie.

Originally our business was a general wood floor operation (strip flooring, sand and poly, refinishing, etc). Thanks to the expertise and knowledge of so many at Carlisle we transformed into specializing in the installation and finishing of wide plank floors. Many quickly conclude they are one and the same, and although wide plank flooring contains many of the same aspects of “wood flooring”, in my opinion it is in a league of its own. You could liken it to the difference between arithmetic and algebra. A mathematician cannot learn algebra before the groundwork or basics are laid (arithmetic,etc). I feel as if we went from being nailers and sanders to craftsmen and artists. We went from installing and finishing floors that looked good to creating timepieces that make a house.

The first floor we did with Carlisle was a face nailed, stained, and tung oiled eastern white pine for John and Randee Malmberg. Randee could not find the floor she had seen in a magazine picture. No one in the area could. After extensive searching we stumbled upon Carlisle. Todd Waterman and Chris Sy were tireless in their efforts to insure we gave Randee the floor she wanted. Thank goodness they were! What a difference this floor was from what we were used to. No conventional sanding? No way! Face nail the face of the boards with antique square cut nails? No way! However, it turned out great and because of our commitment to quality and a number of referrals from Carlisle and the Malmbergs our wide plank career took off.

Since the Malmbergs we have installed and finished 111 wide plank floors for Carlisle. We have done many eastern white pine and heart pine, along with red and white oak, hickory, maple, ash, walnut, cherry, antique woods, saw kerf surface, hand scraped surface, barnboard, and many others that I am likely forgetting.

Among my favorites are the antique woods. The warmth and character in antique wood cannot be beat. One of my all time favorites is probably the antique sweetgum (an extremely rare antique wood with grain and color being similar to a mix of hickory and cherry) we installed in Lakeside, MI. Beautiful!

We also, because of being specialists, have had the privilege of working a large territory and discovering so many great places to visit, restaurants, and wonderful people. Carlisle floors have brought us to downtown Chicago, many of the suburbs, on the lake in Michigan, and rural Wisconsin, and many other places.

Over the past 10 years we have worked with so many great people at Carlisle. I truly view it a privilege and honor to be a part of crafting your beautiful floors and working with you guys. Without your help and support we would never had made it, and we sincerely thank you for everything! The relationships formed through the years are far more than simple business ties. We view you all as friends and family. So here is to 111 or more outstanding works of art!

THANK YOU!

Here's a few photos of floors that Classic Hardwood Floors' has installed over the years!

Birch

Hand Scraped White Oak with Stain

Posted on October 28, 2008 at 08:57 AM in Customer Stories • Green Building • Hardwood Flooring • Home Building & Contracting • Restoration Projects • (0) Comments
A Designer’s 1800’s Vintage Home

Posted by Megan Sprague

We received these photos from our clients in Pennsylvania. The homeowner is a designer and used our wide plank, 13-20" Eastern White Pine with signature Plymouth Pumpkin stain and authentic face nails for their historic restoration project!

Posted on October 13, 2008 at 09:17 AM in Home Decor • Restoration Projects • (0) Comments