Flooring is a big deal in a house. Not only is it a significant purchase, but it is a longer term investment too. Most people don’t replace their flooring very often so you want to try and find something that will evolve with your style. I have partnered with Lumber Liquidators on this post to show you the flooring I chose as part of a design for a friend.
In times past I have gone to one of the big box stores for flooring. What a difference it is in options and price when you go to a store that specializes in flooring. Lumber Liquidators has thousands of options of hardwoods, laminates, bamboo, cork, vinyls, etc. Plus they have knowledgeable sales associates who specialize in just knowing the differences in flooring.
My friend loves the rustic farmhouse look (Hello, Fixer Upper!) so she was looking for a flooring that had gray tones plus wood tones in it. Having a variety of colors in your flooring allows you to play with wood tones in your decor and it also hides dirt well, a must to think through if you have kids and pets. Here is the flooring she originally had in her house.
She was so excited to get rid of her carpet in her living and dining room and just lay down all hard surfaces on her first level. Also if you have allergies carpet can hide all sorts of allergens as well! With 3 kids and a dog the flooring we chose was an amazing option. We decided on the Dream Home 10mm Boardwalk Oak. It has a nice matte finish with several variances of wood tones which helps hide dirt and pet hair.
Laying the flooring yourself is not for the weak of heart, especially 950 square feet of it with lots of corners and hallway. It saves you a ton of money to do it yourself and honestly this floor is easy to lay but it is like putting together a puzzle and takes time. Make sure you have a plan for the chaos, especially if you are ripping up your kitchen!
In the end the outcome was incredible. The gray and brown wood tones work so much better than the light honey. Plus we knocked down a wall between the kitchen and living room to open up that space more.
When you are choosing flooring for your house here is the filter I always use.
1. Does it hide dirt well?
Going for a high shine finish looks gorgeous if you want to wash it everyday. But I tend to go towards a matte finish with lots of grain because I don’t enjoy mopping. So think through your cleaning tendencies and make sure you have flooring that matches that.
2. Will it hold up?
Real hardwoods are beautiful and you have the option of always refinishing them if they get scratches in them. But with small kids, lots of traffic and animals we felt like a laminate surface would be best.
3. Resale value?
Does your neighborhood demand hardwood floors to sell the house? Will you get that investment back? This is definitely something to think through when you choose flooring. I also don’t want to be installing granite countertops and hardwoods and be the only person in my neighborhood to do that. While it probably will sell fast, most likely, being at the top of the market in your neighborhood doesn’t pay off.
4. What do you want?
Hey throw number 3 out of the window if it is something you can afford and you want! You definitely want to get what you want. So if that means you are the only one in your neighborhood with hardwood floors and granite but you plan on living in it long term and will enjoy it for years then go for it!
5. Easy to upkeep?
Always make sure to look into the recommend way to clean whatever flooring surface you purchase. Do you need special chemicals to keep it shiny? Are you willing to make the effort to keep it looking nice? These are some things I think about when choosing flooring.
And now everyone loves a good before and after.
Such a difference!
It looks amazing Beckie. You are so talented and really wish I could have some of it! 😉 Here’s to hopefully getting rid of all our golden oak in our house sigh!
Is there a post on how you knocked down the wall?? We’re considering doing that and I’d love to see someone else’s take. Thanks!
Love the look! I wonder if you might have an opinion to share on my flooring issue. We will be laying some form of hardwood/laminate/whatever in my office to replace the carpet soonish (by end of this year I hope -budget willing). I use and abuse a rolling chair and while I’ll be getting a new chair when we get the new floor it will still be a rolling chair (works best with the way the set up is in here). Any suggestions on flooring? The flooring guy at a local big box store said he wouldn’t even consider selling us real hardwood, but others that we’ve spoken with say we should go with a hardwood. Laminate hardwood has also been mentioned. Any thoughts?