Welcome to our August blog that will take you on a visual journey of the fun, unique, and bold choices that can be created when selecting hardwood flooring stains and finishes. All the projects were completed by Artistic Floors by Design and each was tailored to the taste and final look the homeowner was desiring. Now you might not be ready to go as bold as these choices but it sure is fun to see the possibilities and versatility that hardwoods floors have!
Patterned Wood Finish:
This fun project is one of Joe’s unique masterpieces that was finished several years ago. It shows the versatility and endless patterns that can be made when installing wood flooring. Not only is the floor arranged and installed in a repeating pattern, a few varieties of wood were installed to change up the aesthetic. The end product is a completely unique blend of a modern floor color and sheen with a classic checkered pattern.
Wood Floor Texture – Tweed:
We like to call this style Textured Tweed, but its technical name is ceruse. This is a method of reversing the grain of the wood in the border, making what is naturally darker, the lighter component. We customized it with dye and added a wire-brushed Wenge (black wood) border oiled white for a unique, eye-catching impact.
Common red oak converted to a gray/brown finish:
We come across a lot of common grade red oak in our client’s homes. It is a great wood to work with because the possibilities of stain and finish choices are endless! Check out this project where we removed the existing finish and applied a beautiful silky sheen oil in a gray/brown tone. Yes, you could argue that this is a “Classic” look but it made our “Bold” blog feature since the refinished flooring showcases a big transformation.
Can’t decide on a finish? How about going with two:
We decided to apply two different types of finish on this homeowner’s second floor. The master bedroom stands out from the rest with a low-sheen, water-based polyurethane over hickory. The difference in color is dramatic but the difference in sheen and type of finish gives the floor even more of a unique aesthetic and makes the red oak border, carried out into their upstairs landing, look even more intentional.
Dark and Daring Floors:
Dark floors can be bold and beautiful but be careful going dark! Not hiring a professional can lead to streaky stain and mottled finish. And of course, dark shows a lot more dirt and debris. But if dark is your goal, rich brown is classically beautiful! We completely changed the look of these existing floors by hand scraping them and giving them a rich, timeworn oiled sheen.
Lighten Up A Little:
If you're sick of honey gold or orange tones, lighten up! They can be completely altered into a more transitional style, like these bleached red oak floors. The entire look is fresh, clean, light and airy!