Interior Design Styles and Hardwood Floors

Summary:  Different hardwoods can help define different design styles. Most people think that all hardwood is for traditional lifestyles. This is no longer the case! Design styles include Traditional, Contemporary, Modern, Rustic and Transitional.

Dear Rob:

I love the look of hardwood floors, but my design tastes are very modern, and I can’t help but wonder if hardwood is too traditional to work with everything else in my home.  What do you think?  Are there hardwood flooring choices that tend to work best in a modern home?

-Kim in Ohio

Dear Kim:

Different hardwoods can help define different design styles. Most people think that all hardwood is for traditional lifestyles. This is no longer the case! Design styles include Traditional, Contemporary, Modern, Rustic and Transitional. Other styles include Arts and Crafts, Asian, Cottage, Country, Eclectic, English Country, Mediterranean, Old World, Romantic, Southwestern, Tropical and Tuscan.

When thinking about a contemporary species of hardwood, the most popular is a natural maple with a clear finish coat. The more narrow the board, the more modern the look. Other contemporary hardwood species include teak, yellow birch and beech. This type of wood contributes to the clean lines and crisp look that contemporary design styles offer.

The most traditional hardwood species is oak. Red oak or white oak, it makes no difference. 2 ¼” wide hardwood is the most traditional, but other widths are also considered traditional. Other traditional hardwood species include: walnut, hickory, pecan, pine, Santos mahogany and Brazilian cherry. These woods are popular because they blend so well with woods used to make traditional furniture.

Handscraped hardwoods, no matter what the species can be labeled as traditional, rustic, cottage, country, English Country, Old World or Tuscan. Some could argue that a handscraped look would fit in with a contemporary look if found in an old loft. Heart Pine flooring falls into many of the same categories: traditional, rustic, cottage and country.

Exotic hardwood species like African Wenge, Merbau, Padauk and Jarrah do not fall into the same category just because they are all exotic woods. Typically, woods with less grain are considered more modern or contemporary. Woods with mild to medium grain are more traditional. On the same note, woods that are lighter in color are usually more contemporary and woods that are warmer, darker and richer are usually more traditional.

For those people that have eclectic homes, there are definitely no rules. Some rooms may even have different hardwood species under the same roof! That’s the beauty of it being eclectic. (The new term for this is often referred to as “evolved”).

If you have a traditional home, there is no reason why you can’t use a natural finished maple in your home. If you have a modern home, there is no rule that says that you can’t use a hickory floor. These suggestions are just what are typically selected.

Ultimately, the hardwood that appeals to you is the one that is right for your design style. You get to enjoy your selection every day so the choice should be what makes you happy.

-Rob

Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Summary: While hardwood floors can be a significant financial investment, benefits like durability, easy care, versatility and the increase in your home value make wood floors a sound choice for many homeowners.

Dear Rob:

I’m considering hardwood floors, but considering how they will cost, I’m worried that I’m going to have “buyer’s remorse” when everything is said and done. Can you please tell me more about the benefits of using hardwood flooring?

-Suzan in Colorado

Dear Suzan:

There are many benefits of hardwood flooring, and to many, its advantages far out weigh the few disadvantages. Hardwood is a financially a significant investment, but one that is often well worth it.

Hardwood is a long lasting and durable floor covering. You know when you purchase a hardwood floor that it will last as long as you live in the home and probably as last as long as the home does! Because they are so long lasting, hardwood floors can set the stage for the whole design scheme. It can be a great place to start the decorating process because it is a piece of the puzzle that will probably not change, unlike furniture and paint colors.

Despite their longevity, hardwood floors remain fairly versatile. When hardwood floors are sanded and refinished, you can take the opportunity to change the look of the floor by using a stain or changing your stain color to suite new decorating tastes. This option can change the whole look of your home. It is not an easy or inexpensive process, but it can give your floor a whole new look.

It doesn’t seem to matter what type of wood species you choose or what stain you choose to use, a hardwood floor always seems to make an area warm, rich and inviting. Even a light maple with a clear stain can make a contemporary setting warm and inviting.

Hardwood floors are one of the easiest floor coverings to maintain. As long as there are mats at each entrance to trap dirt before it reaches your floors, the floors are swept regularly and the right cleaners are used for stains and spills, maintaining a hardwood floor is a breeze.

There are many, many design choices when choosing hardwood flooring. You can get hardwood in a plank or a strip (narrow or wide), handscraped or traditional, pre-finished or site finished, beveled edges or non beveled, dark stains or light stains, warm stains or clear stains, species with a lot of grain or species with very little grain, character marks or smooth floors without character marks, etc. There is a hardwood floor choice for any design scheme.

Best of all, hardwood floors can also increase your homes value. Now that’s a real benefit!

If you are considering hardwood floors, keep these benefits in mind when comparing other types of floor covering. While these benefits may not suit your budget or your lifestyle and you may want to choose something else, those that do choose hardwood floors, are almost can guaranteed a long lasting, beautiful investment in their home.

-Rob

Mixing Multiple Floor Coverings in Your Home

Summary:  Different types of floor coverings can be mixed and matched within your home to accent and complement your decor, as long as you stick with basic design considerations. Read more

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