{New House} We Have Floors!

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!

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

As far as more Kitchen progress goes, they sanded down the Corian counter-tops, buffing out scratches and stains, then resealed with a matte finish. I was shocked at the transformation that made…and the mess. 
Imagine a layer of baby powder sprinkled over every surface of the house..including my brand new floors! But we didn’t want to risk the counters getting mucked up during the floor install, so it had to be the last big chore. They also installed the drink fridge and pull-out drawers in the Butlers Pantry. 

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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?

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

The black-hole Lazy Susan was converted to deep shelves, and the door will be hinged, and open all the way out.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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!

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

There are still quite a few things to wrap up in the next week or two, but we were able to move in last weekend. Of course the Kitchen was the first place I unpacked. Here she is with our fridge in place, and a few signs of life.

Hi Sugarplum | Kitchen Renovation Progress

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!

Playing Catch Up? Start here:

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42 Comments

  1. Oh yeah baby! Things are looking FAB!!!!!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  2. Anonymous wrote:

    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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  3. 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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  4. Jillian wrote:

    beautiful floors! it's amazing how different it makes the room look! xo jillian – cornflake dreams

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  5. 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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  6. Deborah wrote:

    The floors look beautiful!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  7. So so gorgeous Cassie! Great choice on those floors! I can't wait to come over! šŸ™‚

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  8. 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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  9. So gorgeous!!!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  10. They are gorgeous! I didn't know you could do that with Corian countertops! Cool!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  11. I love it! I can just see you guys whipping up some fun ice cream in that kitchen this spring!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  12. Everything looks SO gorgeous! Loving the floors too. Can't wait to see more!!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  13. Stacey wrote:

    It seems like it's coming along so quickly! Beautiful!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  14. 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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  15. Lindsey wrote:

    It looks fantastic!! The dark color is perfect. And I love the tiles, too! Can't wait to see the finished product.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  16. 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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  17. hnousun wrote:

    It looks great! I love wood floors. I wish my whole house had wood floors.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  18. 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 šŸ™‚

    Mindy

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  19. Sallie wrote:

    Love your floors! Exactly what I would choose. Glad to know your sources and whys.
    you are GOOD!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  20. 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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  21. 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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  22. Judy Clark wrote:

    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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  23. 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! šŸ™‚

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  24. The floors look gorgeous, Cassie! Such a big thing done! Wow. I love that last shot of the kitchen. Woot woot!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  25. Allison wrote:

    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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  26. love!!!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  27. Girl! The floors look so good!!!! I love them!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  28. Shannon wrote:

    This looks incredible! And the kitchen gets so much natural light! <3

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  29. 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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  30. Just Gorgeous cassie & I love the tile! XX jana

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  31. Leslie wrote:

    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.

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  32. How beautiful! I love how to went with the black and white patterned tile- classic but with personality!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  33. Natasha wrote:

    my goodness friend… it looks IMPECCABLE! you've got the flair and that backsplash makes such a fun statement!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  34. 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

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  35. I love your butler's pantry! And the floors look fabulous!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  36. Maggie wrote:

    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!

    Posted 2.11.15 Reply
  37. I just can't get over the transformation so far! What a difference the floors make. Love'em!

    Posted 2.12.15 Reply
  38. mwimp wrote:

    they are beautiful!

    Posted 2.12.15 Reply
  39. LOVE the floors and your whole layout! This looks amazing!!

    Posted 2.12.15 Reply
  40. The whole thing makes me want to put my house on the market and find one to redo! Yowza it's gorgeous!

    Posted 2.13.15 Reply
  41. Hardwood flooring in your home make it worthy and precious but if you manage and fix it properly so it is possible..

    Posted 6.7.17 Reply