Home Decor Category Archive
Rick Menard's clients of Connecticut emailed these photos of our wide pine floors... 10” to 15” widths with our custom Hit or Miss surface, and our signature Gingerbread stain.
Here's a note from Rick: Gary Brennan installed and finished the floors. Great job Stoddard mill & everyone. They just ordered another 1500 sf for additional rooms!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: November 3, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: 
| 
| 
| 
TrackBack (0)
Here's a nice letter that Adam Whitney, of our New York sales team, received today! This couple purchased our wide pine floors.
Hello Adam,
I hope this note finds you well.
Thank you for the kind note and the maple syrup. My wife and I go
through tons of the stuff, so it's much appreciated.
I am doing less and less construction apart from home projects, as "my
other job" as a magazine editor is taking more and more of my time (and
generating more of a fulltime income). I still sing the praises of
Carlisle any chance I get, especially when folks visit our outbuilding
where the pine flooring looks great (and works great) over our radiant
flooring.
Thank you and I will be in touch about any future projects. Best, Brian
--
Brian Halweil
Editor, Edible East End
edibleeastend.com
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 31, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
This is a nice letter and photo from Peter Switzer's client! They used our wide pine floors in their Chestnut Oak Lodge.
This is a photo from their website of the lodge.
Hello Peter,
Since you were involved in our project, it's with great pleasure that I can now proudly announce to you that our log cabin in the beautiful Shenandoah valley of Virginia is complete and ready for service! WOOHOO!
I know you’ve been hearing me talk about it for a long time now (like 3 years – who knew it would take so long!?!), so I wanted to make sure I filled you in on the finished product.
Please see this link for all the details: www.chestnutoaklodge.com
Yes, this cabin has its own web site (and blog!) because we have decided to rent it out for vacation rentals so others can enjoy it as much as we do. We have also added links to your company since we are so fond of you.
Thanks for sticking by me through this project – if you have ideas about what I should do next, please let me know. I am looking forward to the next one!
Talk to you soon,
Jeff A. Dunkelberger
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 28, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Decor, Regions
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: wide plank floors
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Bill from Warmboard stopped by for a visit during the Log and Timber Show! We have partnered with Warmboard in the past on events and email marketing as our products are a great fit together. Bill works with the girls from our DC office, Janel and Hannah.
Here's a radiant heat panel that Warmboard let us borrow during the show!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:44 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Megan Sprague, Regions
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: chantilly show, relationships, subfloor radiant heat
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
We exhibited at the Log and Timber show over the weekend in Chantilly, Virginia! It was a neat show and we had the chance to meet with many people.
Before the show started, one of our preferred installers, Aaron Penney installed our wide plank Eastern White Pine and Heart Pine floors.
Here's a photo of Aaron putting the Antique Cut nails into the Eastern White Pine floor.
Once the show started, visitors stopped by the booth to look at our beautiful solid wide plank floors. Here's a photo of Janel from our
DC Design Center chatting with one of our guests! They're talking about our
hand scraped hickory floors.
Here's a few close up shots of the booth in between visitors stopping by.
Here's a nice shot of our wide pine floor, this has our signature Gingerbread stain!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:10 AM
Filed under: Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Megan Sprague, Regions, True Hardwood Story
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: DC area, events, floors over radiant heat, timber frame homes
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Here's a note from Lauren Power of our Midwest Sales team:
Thought you might like to take a look at this amazing PREFINISHED floor
we made for homeowners in PA.
It's a mix of 4-8" 'country' White Oak and all 8" 'country' rift and
quarter sawn white oak with gingerbread stain!
The best news is that the builder is now needing about 2000 SF of
prefinished Cherry for another home he's working on. This is a builder
who was VERY hesitant about our terms and didn't want to pay for the
floor before he saw it. I guess we proved ourselves the first time
around- thank you to everyone involved in crafting this beauty!
Enjoy
LP
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 21, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Laura Leier of our Denver Sales team sent in these photos of her DIY project, prefinished wide plank Red Pine!
See her notes and photos below!
Here are some pictures of Our New England Red Pine prefinished with a cherry stain 8-12” wide. The install would go much faster if we did not have so much help but it fits together perfectly. The only trick with really long wood is when squaring the ends you have to really push down on the boards to keep it flat and flush with the fence on the saw. Additionally, we have not experienced any “regional contraction” in the wood. All of the boards have remained the same width and it has been in Colorado since May! This will be a huge selling tool for me when I am selling pre finished in more arid climates where this tends to occur more often!
Thank you to the mill and prefinsihing for making us such a beautiful floor that every neighbor has stopped in to covet!
Laura and family
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 12:40 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: DIY, red pine, wide wood over concrete
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Lynne Rafuse of our New England sales team received this email and photos from her client Bruce of Walpole, New Hampshire!
Lynne- Just a note to let you know that the floor is finished. The floor looks like I expected it to, and there is a consistency of finish on the knots as well as the rest of the planks.
I am attaching a few pictures of the floor, although the rooms still need door and window casings and mopboards. The radiators seen under the windows can now be hooked up too. There are other features to be added to the fireplace (mantle) and a wall of bookshelves to finish the look in one of the rooms. I'll send you those pics when the job is finalized.
Thanks, Bruce
--
Bruce Blanchette
Visual Artist
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 12:11 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Decor, Regions
View or post your comments here (1)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: home rennovation in new hampshire, tung oil finish, wide plank pine floors
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
An email from Shanon of our New England Sales staff:
Good Morning -
Here are some amazing shots of our Hit or Miss Eastern White Pine wide plank floors
stained Gingerbread in a new home in Hollis, New Hampshire. This was a
customer that came to us loving the milled barnwood
and for budget reasons had to "compromise" - but I'd say this is far
from a compromise. Great job to the stoddard guys for another amazing
floor.
Enjoy!
Here's the nice letter and photos from her clients in Hollis, New Hampshire!
Hi Shanon,
We finally finished the last tung oil coats on the floor and it looks
BEAUTIFUL!!! So many people (including the town inspector!), have fallen in love with our Carlisle wide plank floor. I thought you might like to see a few pictures of the final product. I don't have the greatest camera -but you'll get the idea! We are moving in this week and will enjoy these floors for many years to come.
Thanks so much for all your help - you all have been wonderful to work with!
Fondly,
Wendy
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 20, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Lisa and Keith Hatch purchased their Brown Maple floor (with hand scraped edges) earlier this year. They received the floor and proceeded to stain it with one of our custom stains, to match a sample that we had sent them. After a few rounds of the stain, it was turning out way too light.
Sales Manager Kevin Crowder remembers, "They were having trouble getting the same dark color on their floor that we had sent them in the sample. They called me with their concerns and I took good care of them. I paid them to have it sanded back down to raw wood. Once they did that it took the stain darker as the photos show."
Lisa and Keith are very happy with their floors! See this note that Lisa sent earlier this year:
Hi Kevin,
Our floors turned out great! It was a pleasure working with you and the rest of the Carlisle Wide Plank Floor staff. I will certainly recommend your company to others interested in exceptional wood floors.
I’ve attached pictures. I apologize for not sending these photos sooner. If you need additional ones, please let me know!
Many thanks again for everything!
Lisa and Keith Hatch
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 17, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
View or post your comments here (1)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: dark floors, hand scraped edge, maple stained
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Over the years, we've partnered with Deltec Homes of Asheville, NC on many projects. One of the largest was the sponsorship of an Extreme Makeover Home Edition Home in New Orleans last year!
We received this letter and photos from David Ide of Deltec Homes this week. Our floors are featured in their model home!
Glen,
I need some more Carlisle literature to put on display. We have handed out all that I had left over from my parade from last year. We have had so many people asking about the floors, they are truly the highlight of the house.
I have attached some photos for you. I can’t tell you how happy we are with how the floor came out.
David Ide
Director of Customer Relations
Deltec Homes, Inc.
69 Bingham Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
1-800-368-7401
www.deltechomes.com
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:58 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Mark Nichols of our New England sales team, visited with his clients Elena and Lynn of Jewett Farms. We highlighted Jewett Farms last week on the blog with their newest studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts having Carlisle floors throughout. Lynn and Elena got the grand tour of Carlisle and nestled in at our design center and sample shop to talk about wood.
Here's Mark, Elena and Lynn chatting about the tight grain in this slice of Heart Pine.
This is the letter that Elena sent us following their visit:
Yesterday my colleague Lynn and I traveled from northern Massachusetts into the beautiful woods of New Hampshire – we lucked out and enjoyed a beautiful New England fall day. Our company, Jewett Farms, has become an exclusive partner with Carlisle and is distributing its wide plank floors from our new design studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was very gratifying and educational to visit the Stoddard operation. We gained useful knowledge about the species, craft, and artistry of Carlisle flooring – so much of the language used to describe the work there resonated for us: it is the same language we use about the craft and art of our cabinetry. We were reminded each step along the way about the very special fit that seems to exist between Jewett Farms & Co. and Carlisle.
On a personal note, when I returned to my home in Massachusetts I realized I did not have my wallet and knew that I may have left it at Fiddleheads Cafe. I did not remember, in my panic, the full name of the Café so called Carlisle and explained my situation. Pat answered the phone – not only did she find me the contact information for the Café but offered, if my wallet was found there, to pick it up for me and send it back to me overnight. Previously I had remarked more than once about the friendly, courteous, and professional voices on the phone when I call Carlisle and Pat’s effort to ease my anxiety was above and beyond and much appreciated.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 15, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Megan Sprague, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
View or post your comments here (1)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: customer visit, jewett farms
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
We received these photos from our clients in Pennsylvania. The homeowner is a designer and used our wide plank, 13-20" Eastern White Pine with signature Plymouth Pumpkin stain and authentic face nails for their historic restoration project!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 13, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Filed under: Home Decor, Megan Sprague, Regions, Restoration Projects
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: 1800s vintage home, historic restoration, pennsylvania, pine with plymouth pumpkin
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Hannah Greeley of our Georgetown, DC design center sent me this note and photos!!
So, I had a customer that wanted me to meet him at a new house because he LOVED the walnut floors they had and he wanted to match them... so I took a drive out and as soon as I walked in the door, I KNEW they were our floors, absolutely gorgeous!! Turns out after some digging, these ARE our floors and even sweetened the deal to my customer after knowing that!
Thanks to the mill for these gorgeous floors and to Glen for selling these particular floors that the customer can’t stop raving about, we got the sale!
I wanted to share the pictures I shot with everyone (sorry, not the best lighting) but I can’t stop staring at these pictures, absolute beauty!
Thanks to all! Enjoy!
-Hannah
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 8, 2008 at 3:51 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Regions, True Hardwood Story
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: hannah's client, milled to match, walnut
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Crystal Knowles of our sales staff received these photos from her clients on Long Island. They own a 100-year old waterfront home and chose our wide plank Eastern White pine with Handscraped Edges and dark brown stain. Also, the floor is installed over radiant heat!
Enjoy!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 2, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: 100 year old waterfront home, hand scraped edges, long island, radiant heat, sleigh bed, stained pine, white, wide pine
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
We've recently partnered with Jewett Farms & Co where they have used our floors throughout their Newburyport, MA studio. We're happy to be working with them and wanted to share this letter and photos with you from Elena at Jewett Farms Studio.
Dear Mark,
Jewett Farms & Co. headquartered in York, Maine was founded in 1999 with the vision of establishing a cabinet shop that would celebrate the traditional woodworking art and craft of New England. Our focus is on furniture-grade period cabinetry and furniture custom-designed and built for each client and the unique homes they live in. Jewett Farms Studio, our second design studio and showroom, recently opened in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Jewett Farms & Co’s partnership with Carlisle Wide Plank Floors is a natural and organic fit. The synergy that is created between the two companies produces an unrivaled value to our clients and partners. We exclusively work with Carlisle and the reason is simple, our clients expect and deserve the best from Jewett Farms & Co.
Elena
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:44 AM
Filed under: Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: hand crafted cabinets, hand crafted floors, MA, Maine, Newburybort, relationships, York
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
By Albert Waitt
Krista Stokes is one of Maine's hippest designers and the proprietor of Favela Chic Salvage Boutique and Design. She was of 14 professionals chosen to work at the exclusive Hidden Pond Resort in Kennebunkport, ME, where she created the "Lazy Days" cottage. Her work there was pictured in the Boston Globe and chronicled throughout New England.
The Floor
No Knock on Wood
Krista: Go for the hardwood, wide plank floor because of "the feel" of it. And the way it sounds. The feeling of wood is what I go for-everything else is secondary. You can do anything you want with it. It's a really versatile tool. You're not pigeon-holed into anything.
Taking Wide Planks One Step Beyond
Krista: I love going into a place that has a floor laid in an unexpected way. It gives people a chance to make the statement: "You know, I actually thought about my floor." Anytime you can say that in your home in a nice and easy way, it's great design.
For example, you can always take what one would expect a hardwood floor to be and change it. This ranch I'm doing now is really long. It already goes on forever. So instead of doing the floors lengthwise, we said let's cut the room in half and lay the planks short-wise. You enter through the French doors and on the other side of the room is York Harbor. The floor takes the distance of your eye and shortens it. Now you walk in the door and the wood takes your eye outside to the harbor because the floor is pointing you that way.
If I were a Carpenter:
Krista: Carpenters can lay your planks at an angle, do an original design, a compass rose, or parquet your floor. You can do anything you want. The sky's the limit if you can find somebody who likes to work with wood for wood's sake or craft's sake.
The Décor
Come Together:
Krista: Hardwood flooring is the most versatile thing in your house. It will do whatever you want it to. It's all about the décor.
You can take the same heart pine wide plank floor and:
Put a chrome table, with chrome and black leather seats, on that floor. Paint the wall bright red and hang motorcycle parts on it. Place a juke box in the corner. If you like that sort of thing, you'll be thinking, "Sweet." You've got a floor that is perfect for the room.
Then take all that away, and hang ship wheels on the wall. Place an old farmer's table in the center of the room, and put up a fireplace mantle with a boat on it. And wow, the floor's perfect for that room.
Clear those pieces out and bring in some Angela Adams elements like an area rug or print, an espresso nut dark wood table with white leather chairs, and a bowl of fruit and a side board. Now you're contemporary and funky, yet traditional. And the floor is still perfect.
As long as you are following other rules that balance out your design and balance out the objective of what you want the room to feel like, you're going to be successful with a wide plank floor. Everything adds up to create the atmosphere you want.
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: August 12, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Filed under: Guest, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: Angela Adams, contemporary home design, decor, design elements, Favela Chic, floor use, hardwood flooring, home design, Krista Stokes, Maine homes, vintage home design, wide plank flooring, wood floors
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
By Albert Waitt
Krista Stokes is one of Maine's hippest designers and the proprietor of Favela Chic Salvage Boutique and Design. She was of 14 professionals chosen to work at the exclusive Hidden Pond Resort in Kennebunkport, ME, where she created the "Lazy Days" cottage. Her work there was pictured in the Boston Globe and chronicled throughout the region.
The Surface sat down with Krista to discuss aspects of decorating for spaces with wide plank flooring. For the record, the interview was conducted in a public place. It was also repeatedly (and pleasantly) interrupted by a number of Krista's clients who couldn't pass by without saying hello and talking about their homes. It's clear that Krista has the makings of a fan club on the Maine coast. And she has a philosophy when choosing flooring materials:
It's the Wood:
Krista: For me, it's the wood. It's part of the earth. When you walk into a room and see beautiful hardwood floor, it's a feeling that you get. I love the light reflection of it. I love the sound of hardwood. It's a great way to give a space energy. The wood has traveled long and hard. Regardless of its history, whether it came out of an old farm in Ohio or a forest in Brazil, it's traveled. Just to bring that into the home means a great deal.
Floors Tell Stories.
Krista: I recently went through a big debate with some clients. The wife really wanted a wide plank floor. The husband wasn't thrilled. They have a dog and he didn't want the dog's nails to scratch the floor. I said, "Listen guys, it's life. Let life screw up your floors. Don't get your floors and then want them to stay the way they are."
Floors all tell stories. It's getting harder and harder for us to instill history with the next generation. A lot of people want to leave a history for their children, but don't want to relinquish the control of modernity.
But, it's okay. Don't sweat it. It's a floor. It's supposed to be walked on. Kids are going to run across it. It's supposed to have dogs' paws on it. The wood has survived this long and it will survive much longer than us humans. The first thing you notice when you walk into a room with a wide plank floor is, "Wow, what a great floor." If you see where a child's toy car left a skid mark, then you might think, "Hey, what happened?" It's family history.
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: August 11, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Filed under: Guest, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: decor, family history, Favela Chic, floor use, home design, Krista Stokes, Maine homes, wide plank hardwood floor
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
By Nancy Shohet West
It was allegedly the Duchess of Windsor who said that no woman could be too rich or too thin. The Duchess probably did not do her own decorating, but if she did, she might well have added that no house could be too tidy or too elegant.
A lot of homeowners would agree that there's no such thing as a too-perfect home. Don't we all want our abodes to look ready for the photographers from Architectural Digest to arrive at any time? Hardwood floors gleaming, fresh flowers perfectly arranged in their cut crystal vases, glossy magazines at just the right angle on the coffee table.
Except that many of us who have attended upscale house tours or even realtors' open houses would concede that there is such a thing as a forebodingly beautiful house. Remember the grandmothers of previous generations who would put plastic slipcovers over the "good" furniture - making them completely unusable? Most interior designers agree that the tradition of museum-quality home décor is long gone. Just as many homes now forego formal dining rooms in favor of well-lit, welcoming kitchens with a center island around which hosts and guests alike can cluster, the trend in home décor is veering away from the too-perfect look.
So suppose you already know how to do the hard part: the beautiful presentation. Your hardwood floors gleam with a burnished glow, your end tables stay clutter-free, and no one ever leaves coffee mugs or sports bottles in the foyer. (Really? Maybe you'd consider doing an on-site neatness training for my family. But I digress.) Now that you've accomplished that challenging goal, it's time to make your home look not just magnificent but also used and enjoyed - by a real live family. Below are a handful of decorators' tips:
-
Small rugs accent polished hardwood floors nicely, breaking up the perfect-ness with a splash of color and texture. But you can also get color and texture by choosing a wide plank hardwood flooring style with so-called "imperfections." Note the knotholes and wavy lines in these examples (Chestnut and Heart Pine) and how they keep the floor from looking overly formal.
-
Window treatments light enough to react to a passing breeze or circulating fan acknowledge nature in a way that cordoned swags do not. Curtains made of light, gauzy material, or lightweight blinds, make a room look much more "alive" than drapes so heavy that they never move. Good advice on choosing a window treatment is available here.
-
Oversized oil paintings can work well in a large formal room, but smaller drawings or artsy photos can be very effective in breaking up the formality. For example, in this picture, note how quickly the cluster of framed pictures draws the eye.
-
Use books as decorations. We've all seen the coffee tables with the perfectly arrayed copies of Town and Country or the tomes on Impressionism, but books such as favorite collections of poetry, memoirs and biographies, and travel guides look both pretty and "real" - as if someone has read and savored them, rather than just arranged them there.
-
Memorabilia: Too much of it can multiply into clutter, but placed carefully, it looks unique and clever. Favorite high-quality trophies or medals, vintage sports accessories, antique jewelry or purses, your grandfather's cigar box, your great-aunt's perfume bottle. The authenticity of well-loved objects will show through. And authenticity is ultimately the goal. Your home should reflect your personality, not your decorator's talents. So enjoy that beautiful home - and let your guests see that there are real people living inside!
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: July 11, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Filed under: Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: Decoration, Hardwood Floors, Home, Home Atmosphere, Interior Design, Wide Plank Flooring
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
You may be surprised to find out that having a hardwood floor in a room that traditionally has tile, like a bathroom or kitchen, is actually quite common and perfectly safe and durable against water and other spills. (See our entry about kitchen hardwood flooring concerns) Perhaps you have a hardwood floor in your own kitchen. More and more homeowners are warming up to the cozy feeling of hardwood flooring throughout the home, even in less likely places, but it's also important to recognize the role that hardwood surfaces can have even beyond the surfaces you walk on.
When people think of wood in the kitchen, they most likely think of cabinets. Granite countertops paired with luxurious wooden cabinets has been a growing trend with home and apartment renovations. It seems like when people see "granite countertops, cherry cabinets, stainless appliances!" in a listing, they're sold! But let's step back for a moment and have a look at a hardwood surface you probably wouldn't think of at first - hardwood countertops.
Your first reaction is probably the same as mine was - won't that stain? Won't water get in there? Can I use it kind of like a built in cutting board? Then what happens if the slice marks trap bacteria? Ahh! Thankfully, this article has recognized that hardwood countertops are a viable option for the kitchen, and just reminds homeowners that the extra warmth requires just a little extra care to make sure it retains its luster for years to come. Sealing or oiling periodically will keep the counter in top shape, and it never hurts to use a cutting board instead of cutting directly on the counter (even though you can do that!) if you're concerned about scratches and dents. Though depending on your home's decor, you may view those scratches as a symbol of your kitchen being lived in and a place of memories, just as you would with a hardwood floor.
Other posts you may enjoy:
Expressing Personal Style is the Latest Trend in Kitchen Design
Conflicting information about hardwood floors...HELP!
Installing hardwood floors in a bathroom
Author's Name: Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: May 16, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Filed under: Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: hardwood countertops, hardwood in the kitchen, how to care for hardwood countertops, kitchen countertops, wooden countertops
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Can’t buy a home with the kitchen of your dreams…then remodel your current home and express your personal style in every design element! According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, business is booming for contractors and others in home improvement businesses. In fact, a recent study conducted by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates Americans will spend $160 billion on repairs and home improvements in 2007, a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year. The five most popular remodeling projects will be kitchens and bathrooms, additions, and changing the paint, floor and wall coverings.
Continue reading "Expressing Personal Style is the Latest Trend in Kitchen Design" »
Author's Name: Sharon Bondie
Posted Date: April 9, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Filed under: Home Decor, Sharon Bondie
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Recently, I was reading Domino Magazine. In the "Ask Dara" column a client was torn between "old-home charm and the low-maintenance appeal of newer structures." She was hoping to get some recommendations to give a new home the character and style of an older home. Dara Caponigro, style director of the magazine, suggested smaller "human sized rooms", 9' or 10' ceilings, and wide plank floors. She writes, "You'll be surprised how this can completely change the quality of an interior". (See the difference the wider boards make in the room above.) She also suggests staining floors a medium or dark color and installing baseboards and crown molding to complete the look. Well said, Dara! For more decorating tips, check out http://www.dominomag.com/
Author's Name: Molly Leatherman
Posted Date: March 25, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Filed under: Home Decor, Molly Leatherman
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, creative decorating ideas, hardwood floors, home decor, How to make rooms look larger, unique floors
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
China. Wal-Mart. Mass Produced. These are just a few words that come to mind when I think of most products on the market today. Now, I love Ikea as much as the next recent college grad, but when I am lucky enough to have my own home, I know I will choose something that will hold its value and be a joy to live on everyday. Something unique. Something like a Carlisle Wide Plank Hardwood Floor - designed to bring out the beauty of my home and last for generations.
I have a soft spot in my heart for unique handcrafts. For many summers I worked as a camp counselor in Western North Carolina and one of the activities I taught was called Folklore: The Simple Crafts of Yesteryear. The campers made candles, soap, yarn dolls, and other crafts that boys and girls would have enjoyed in generations past. There is nothing better than seeing a child's pride for the toy she crafted with her own hands. I now see my job at Carlisle as an extension of that love for personalized, unique objects. Every inch of your solid wood floor will be meticulously examined by our expert sawyers who maximize the beauty of each board and select boards specifically for the floor you have envisioned.
Do you want a lot of character? Great, we will pick boards to achieve that look. Are you going for a clean, modern look? Perfect, we can pick out boards for that project, too!
As you explore all the options for your solid hardwood floors on the Carlisle website I am sure you will come up with questions so please don't hesitate to call us. We love talking about our unique wide plank floors!
Author's Name: Molly Leatherman
Posted Date: March 3, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Filed under: Home Decor, Molly Leatherman
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: carlisle wide plank floors, hand crafted, hardwood floors, molly leatherman, summer camp
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
Popular home decor and home improvement blog Apartment Therapy has offered a fun entry about getting more tactile in the home. The Article cites several textures that are becoming popular. The use of wicker in home decor is on its way back in for sure. Mixing it with other textures is the thing to do. Consider combining it with hardwood floors. The great thing about hardwood floors is that they can support any decor. As trends come and go, hardwoods are here forever. Wide planks boards are very popular and unusual. They create a very free flow look in your floor not a choppy look that can fight with your decor.
Author's Name: Sharon Bondie
Posted Date: January 22, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Filed under: Home Decor, Sharon Bondie
View or post your comments here (0)
BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: Apartment Therapy, Hardwood flooring, Home Decor, natural elements, Textures, wicker, wide plank boards
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)
