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.

Unique, challenging Carlisle floor is satisfying to all involved

Posted by Christine Halvorson

A trip into our Chicago design showroom by an architect and his client a while back has led to an astonishing floor in the client's Florida home. The architect and customer decided to go with a very unique style and technique in our Carlisle floors--a White Oak wood that would be painted (yes, painted) with white paint. That white paint would then be scrubbed off, hand-sanded and then given a water-based top coat that provides a clear and matte finish. Sound like something you'd want to try? Well, this project of 2,000 square feet took about 450 person-hours to complete! Yet, we think you'll agree that the end result is pretty amazing.

Why would you start out painting that lovely wood, you may ask? Well, this process would allow for a little of the white paint to remain behind, in the "low-lying" areas of the wood grain, while the surface retained the natural oak color. The result is a nice, light white color. This is not the kind of thing that is done every day, but it's definitely what the customer wanted. The builder, Kelly at D.C. Twin Company in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, had not worked with us at Carlisle before and ended up sending us a nice note about her experience when the project was done:

"Hello! Okay, this is the most amazing floor and beams we have ever had privvy to do..It was very, very tricky, grueling and laborious work....These photos do not do justice for these richly casual, incredible floors. When we started on site, every carpenter, painter, and builder told us we could not do it...[the customer] is absolutely elated, surpassed her vision. In fact, she is having her custom-made rugs re-cut on-site so they don't cover her new floors! ... it was so worth the difficult work, and thank you again for giving us the opportunity, we are really really proud!"

Well, gosh. We're always happy when our customers are happy, but we're also really happy when we make a new friend among the home-building community! Thank you, D.C. Twin!

Posted on May 29, 2009 at 02:06 PM in Wood Grains & Styles • (0) Comments
Sometimes Carlisle floor projects evolve along the way

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Adam, from our Stoddard sales offices, sent along these photos one of his clients had sent of their project to install pre-finished floors in their kitchen. The floor was all 8-inch nominal widths, with a 50/50 mixture of our Two Grades. It was finished with Residential Amber Coat, with no eased edge or end-matching applied. The clients were Rona and Steven Goldfarb of West Orange, New Jersey, who had begun talking with Carlisle about their kitchen renovation last February. Adam reports they first were interested in the Chestnut chevron pattern, but as they talked, the project evolved into what you see in these photos. (Adam points out the Goldfarbs were some of the nicest people he's ever worked with!) The floor was milled down at our mill in Swanzey, New Hampshire, and Adam sends a shout-out to them for doing such a great job.

Posted on March 20, 2009 at 07:29 AM in Wood Grains & Styles • (0) Comments
Beautiful Ash for beauty products store Philosophy

Posted by Christine Halvorson

We got some great photos from Sarah Bergren of our Denver offices, showing us the finished product at a brand new Philosophy Cosmetics Store in Santa Monica, California. The store is one of some 35 to 40 Philosophy Cosmetics retail outlets that will be opening soon and many of them, under current plans, will be featuring Carlisle's 10-inch pre-finished premium Ash flooring, with a clear coat--as you see in these photos. It's a beautiful floor to set off the beauty products sold there, we think. Check out these photos from the Santa Monica Philosophy store. Another store will open soon in Newport Beach, CA, and we'll try to give you a peek at that one, too, and its great Carlisle floors when they're ready.

Posted on February 4, 2009 at 08:44 AM in Wood Grains & Styles • (0) Comments
DIY: Log Run Hickory Floors

Posted by Megan Sprague

Lauren Power of our New Hampshire design team received this photo and letter from her clients in Walpole, NH! The floor is unfinished… but GORGEOUS just the same. We hope to get some additional photos once the finish is applied!

Hi Lauren. Hope this email finds you and the baby in good health. Thought I would send you a small section of the floor. As of yesterday, it is all in. Moe and I are so pleased. It is absolutely beautiful!! Thank you so much for your time and your help through the process. We will never forget all you did. Are you all settled into your house?

Posted on November 12, 2008 at 03:27 PM in Customer Stories • DIY • Hardwood Flooring • Home Building & Contracting • Wood Grains & Styles • (0) Comments
Beautiful Walnut: Los Altos, California

Posted by Megan Sprague

Here's a nice letter and photos that Dan O'Neill of our West Hollywood Design Center received from his clients in Los Altos, California.

Hi Dan,
How are you doing? We moved into our place this past summer - the floor looks great and everyone that comes in admires how it looks.
Thanks,
Mike

Posted on November 7, 2008 at 11:40 AM in Customer Stories • Hardwood Flooring • Wood Grains & Styles • (1) Comments