True Hardwood Story - Bringing New England to Lake Keowee, SC
It's a warm, sunny day in Seneca, South Carolina. The gentle breeze is wafting off of Lake Keowee and the air is thick with the sound of birds, the rustling leaves, and...the landscapers? Are they cutting down that tree over the walkway?! Ronda Ringo just finished a conference call when I gave her a call, and amidst the hustle and bustle of her daily life as a Solutions Principal for EMC Software, she now feared that her yard was going to be treeless. Thankfully, everything was under control, and I got to learn of the fateful way that Ronda and Carlisle Wide Plank Floors were united.
Outside of her day job, Ronda loves interior design. Over the years, she's assembled an extensive portfolio of things that have caught her eye - carpet samples, paint colors, design ideas, and supply companies. A long-time subscriber of Coastal Living magazine, Ronda had seen an advertisement for Carlisle Wide Plank Floors years ago, and knew that was what she wanted to have in her home someday. She tucked the clipping into her portfolio without too much thought at the time. When it came time for her to design her own home from scratch years later, the light went on and she remembered that little clipping as she discussed her flooring options with her contractor.
She was told that a 3 ½" oak floor would be affordable and look great in her home, but she knew it wasn't right for her. "I even looked at Home Depot and saw their five inch planks for the same price," she said, "but I didn't fall in love. And then I found out, we can go even wider!" She wanted a floor that offered variable width planks, exposed nails, and something that would really resonate with the traditional New England style she wanted her new home to have.
Thinking that the wider planks she had in mind were out of her price range, she reluctantly found herself at a tile store in Atlanta, Georgia. She mentioned to someone that she had really wanted a Carlisle Wide Plank Floor but felt she had to sacrifice and look elsewhere, and that's when one of our very own bloggers, Sharon Bondie, happened to be in the very same store and chimed in, "I work at Carlisle! Let's see what we can do for you!" The rest, as you can guess, is history! Sharon not only found a way to help Ronda find a wide plank floor she could afford, she also stepped right in as part of Ronda's building team, coordinating information to the builders and contractors and making sure everybody was informed and excited to be installing a brand new Eastern White Pine Carlisle floor. "I just really liked how they hold your hand", said Ronda, reflecting on her experience with Carlisle. "A lot of the time I would say, 'Sharon, can you call my builder? I don't want to be the go-between.' and she would! It was so much easier on me."
Looking over the pictures that Ronda provided me, it's clear that a lot of care and collaboration went into installing a beautiful floor in her home. She even has the Eastern White Pine in her kitchen. Since her home's floorplan is so open, she wanted it to really flow and feature the wood wherever possible. "It provides more warmth to the home", she said, "Tile can be too sterile. You lose the authenticity of what the home's supposed to do."
The one thing she would change? The softness of the wood. The Eastern White Pine was an affordable solution for her but she has to be careful. "If you can afford it, I'd say go with the harder floor. I've dropped a few knives and made a few dents!" she laughed. "I just have to have better protection on the chair bottoms. I actually worry more about people with high heels!" I guess the policy will just have to be 'leave your shoes at the door' in her home, but with such a beautiful house on the water, I think it'd be hard not to want to take your shoes off and sit by the window. Even with the inevitable dents and scratches that come from a lived in home, Ronda is very happy with her Carlisle floor. "Building a custom home is hard work," she said, "but it's wearing nice."
Author's Name: Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: April 17, 2008 at 2:25 PM
Filed under: True Hardwood Story
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Tags: carlisle customer, customer feedback, eastern white pine, eastern white pine floor, hardwood flooring, hardwood flooring customer interview, hardwood floors, true hardwood story, wide plank flooring, wood floors
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Comments
Leaving shoes by the door is an excellent thing to do. It protects every kind of flooring.
I wish more people in the UK would take their shoes off at the door.
I dedicated an whole blog to this subject that you might want to take a look at.
Posted by Matthew C on April 21, 2008 5:34 PM