Our goal before moving in the new house, was to knock out the messiest and stinkiest projects. Most of the changes and updates will be cosmetic, and happen over time, but some are just easier (and safer) done while the house is unoccupied.
Because of the whole magazine thing, we needed to stay in our former home after it sold…so that gave us a full month to update the kitchen, and replace the lower level floors. Both of which made a huge difference, but because of the dust and fumes, would have been near-impossible to do if we already lived there. So that was definitely a hidden blessing in the whole ‘ohemgee, we own 2 houses!’ stress-fest.
Of course our rockstar-contractor came through, and had the Kitchen mostly move-in ready a week ago, allowing the floor installers time and space to do their thing. And man did they do it well!
Aren’t they just stunning?! After a lot of shopping around, and educating ourselves on wood floors, we decided on glued-down engineered hardwood. They are real wood (not laminate flooring), but are produced with several layers of hardwood bonded together, so they are less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and temperature. They are also pre-finished, so the installation is fairly quick.
We used Lumber Liquidators for both the materials and installation, and could not be happier with the experience, or the results. The customer service was top-notch, too, which isn’t easy to come by in some of these industries. We had one small issue with the stairs, but they handled it cooly, and promptly made things right.
After trying out countless samples, we decided on this wide plank, distressed hickory, with dark finish. With kids and a dog, the distressed texture will fit better with our lifestyle, and any knicks can be colored with a stain stick, and blend right in. Glueing them down to the slab, as opposed to floating them, makes them feel more solid underfoot, and helps them to walk quieter.
Side note FYI: For rough pricing calculations, estimate another $6/square foot for installation and additional materials.
My camera battery died, and the charger was packed, so I had to snap these with my phone..but you can still see the impact the floors make. We carried them throughout the entire lower level…I’ll show you more soon.
Trim was added to the windows to make them more substancial. I’m not sure if I’ll paint it the color of the cabinets or the moldings. Thoughts?
The black-hole Lazy Susan was converted to deep shelves, and the door will be hinged, and open all the way out.
Oh! And thanks to many of your clever suggestions…we raised the tile on the little sliver of wall by the cabinets, so it matches the level of the tile behind the cooktop. Love it!
Through this renovation, I’ve learned just how important timing is….scheduling contractors, painters, window replacement, carpet removal, floor demo and installation is like a dance…and if you don’t coordinate them in the right sequence, everyone steps on each other’s toes…which ultimately costs you time and money. Same goes for making sure you’re ready with decisions and materials.
I’ve also learned just how much I love managing projects like this! Who needs help with a renovation?? I’m addicted!
Oh yeah baby! Things are looking FAB!!!!!
I literally just had those exact same floors put into my house a week ago. I love them! I do have to tell you that they do show dust really bad which kind of drives me crazy. It took me a while to figure out the best way to clean them and I think a steam mop has been working the best. Let me know if you have a better method after you have lived with them for a bit.
It is looking so good! I try to always put wide plank floors in my clients homes. I think it has such a high end look. And I love the pop of yellow in the kitchen! My husband wants to rip out our backsplash and I've said no for so long, I may change my mind now!
beautiful floors! it's amazing how different it makes the room look! xo jillian – cornflake dreams
What a transformation! I love the hardwoods you picked, so pretty! Do you mind sharing which wine fridge you picked? We're thinking of adding one to our existing cabinets by pulling one or two out and I love the sleek, clean look of yours.
We got this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vissani-17-in-Wide-90-cans-Beverage-Cooler-in-Stainless-Steel-HVBC31ST/203428829?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal1_rr-_-202575539-_-203428829-_-N
We haven't actually used it yet, but so far so good 😉 xo
The floors look beautiful!
So so gorgeous Cassie! Great choice on those floors! I can't wait to come over! 🙂
Seriously…I know this is about the floors but that tile was the best decision EVER! As the space comes together I love it more and more. We moved into a new-to-us home last year and I'm so glad we tackled the floors before the movers arrived. It totally changed the feel of the house and I didn't feel as twitchy about all the other little updates I wanted to make….I could relax and take my time with the rest. The flooring you chose is gorgeous! Hope you've had an amazing first week at home!
So gorgeous!!!
They are gorgeous! I didn't know you could do that with Corian countertops! Cool!
I love it! I can just see you guys whipping up some fun ice cream in that kitchen this spring!
Everything looks SO gorgeous! Loving the floors too. Can't wait to see more!!
It seems like it's coming along so quickly! Beautiful!
I wish you could hear me whistle at those floors! I'm sure regardless of the other things still to do, once the floors were done it felt finished! I'd give a little contrast with your window frames and paint them the color of the moldings.
It looks fantastic!! The dark color is perfect. And I love the tiles, too! Can't wait to see the finished product.
We have those exact floors!! They hide scratches well and I really don't notice much dust on them at all, but ours are bubbling up–we installed them ourselves though. If your contractor has any idea how to get air bubbles out for good, that would be awesome to learn! Also…I just keep looking at the backsplash!! I love the whole reno.
It looks great! I love wood floors. I wish my whole house had wood floors.
Love the floors!!! We have engineered hardwood from Lumber Liquidators too and we LOVE them. Annnddddd let me be honest, nobody could even touch the price. I think we did our entire 2800 sq. foot house for about $3,700. That was just materials as my hubby installed 🙂
Mindy
Love your floors! Exactly what I would choose. Glad to know your sources and whys.
you are GOOD!
HI Cassie! Very excited for you and your family and the kitchen…wow! I had dark wood (engineered) in our old house in CA. I read another post about dust…I don't know too much about dust in Texas (we just moved to Houston) but in CA, the dust wasn't bad, it was just trying to keep them shiny. Maybe yours won't need it because they are textured, but I used vinegar to clean mine. Two buckets, one with 1 gallon HOT water and 1/4 cup vinegar and a few drops essential oil, another with just HOT water. I used a good mop, cleaned it out with the plain water once I was done mopping a section, that way the vinegar water stayed clean. Then went over it with an old towel. Of course our home in CA was MUCH smaller…..good luck with moving! We are STILL unpacking!
Does the color have a tint of red? I'm loving the look and price, but I didn't want any red in my floors. Thanks! Looks amazing.
Hi Cassie,
I just found out that you know my friend Rhoda (Ms. Southern Hospitality). We have been friends for over twenty years. Love Her! I love you house, your blog, your choice of clothes. Hubby and I are moving to Austin next year. I would love to talk with you about helping me reno our little house in Sun City.
They look fabulous!! We used almost the exact same engineered hardwoods in our kitchen…just Brazilian Cherry instead. Lumber Liquidators was awesome, and you can't beat the price! 🙂
The floors look gorgeous, Cassie! Such a big thing done! Wow. I love that last shot of the kitchen. Woot woot!
The floors are beautiful Cassie! You have gotten so much done and how fun to follow along on your journey. I am so happy for you!
love!!!
Girl! The floors look so good!!!! I love them!
This looks incredible! And the kitchen gets so much natural light! <3
The kitchen looks amazing!!! Such a great choice on the bold tile backsplash! And it marries the wood floors perfectly:) Cant wait to see more of the new house!
Just Gorgeous cassie & I love the tile! XX jana
The floors are pretty! I really like your converted lazy susan. One day I'd like to do something similar with mine. It currently has two plastic shelves that aren't very sturdy so we keep the reusable plastic containers there. It's not a bad solution but not ideal.
How beautiful! I love how to went with the black and white patterned tile- classic but with personality!
my goodness friend… it looks IMPECCABLE! you've got the flair and that backsplash makes such a fun statement!
Wowza! I am in love with those floors! Great job. And, I hear ya…I'm a project manager (construction) by day, so it's definitely a skilled dance. Tough, but worth it in the end!
http://www.lee-lee-land.com
I love your butler's pantry! And the floors look fabulous!
Could you do a post on tips and things you learned about scheduling and managing a renovation? As someone who is looking to do a renovation, I'd be interested to learn what you did to be successful!
Congratulations on the new house. Love the tile!
I just can't get over the transformation so far! What a difference the floors make. Love'em!
they are beautiful!
LOVE the floors and your whole layout! This looks amazing!!
The whole thing makes me want to put my house on the market and find one to redo! Yowza it's gorgeous!
Hardwood flooring in your home make it worthy and precious but if you manage and fix it properly so it is possible..