In residential luxury homes, hardwood flooring has been a top flooring choice for my clients. Hardwood adds value to your home and is certainly a timeless, beautiful design element. It often covers a lot of square footage of the home, and it instantly transforms residential remodeling projects. There are a few important things that you need to consider when choosing your hardwood flooring. Here are my top tips for choosing your optimal hardwood flooring:
1. Customer Expectations
Hardwood flooring means you need maintenance. It is a natural material and will NOT be care free. You cannot let water sit on it for a long time; water always ruins wood. You will need a special hardwood floor cleaner. You must consider the wear and tear your children and pets will impose on your hardwood floors. (Big dogs especially have a hard time walking on hardwood floors. They slip and slide a lot.) You have to know your own lifestyle. Because it is an organic, natural material, it will not look uniform. This is why I love hardwood: It is organic, and presents a dynamic look. I discuss these hardwood expectations with clients.
2. Hardwood Species
There are many types of wood species available. Before you dive into the aesthetics of a particular hardwood, you need to select the species first. Notice that each wood has a character, just like humans. Some species are very light sensitive, and some stain easily. Some flooring outlets even sell what they consider “soft” wood. Imagine you picked soft wood based on its aesthetics; your flooring would be antique in no time! Don’t waste your money. Consider real hardwood by checking the Janka Hardness Scale.
Janka Hardness Chart from Build Direct
3. Aesthetics: The look of the wood
Certain wood has distinctive grains, and strong natural color. These characteristics of natural wood will give you a more rustic look. If you like a more streamlined look, you need to avoid those. Size of the Plank: If you choose small plank hardwood—and if your layout is patterned and complicated—it will look busy in a small room. The larger the plank, the bigger the space looks. Color: A dark floor will show more dust than a lighter floor. Darker wood looks more traditional and gives you a warm look. Lighter colored wood floors work better in more modern spaces. I personally like wire brushed wood in wide plank flooring. It produces the best of both worlds: It’s already wire brushed and imperfect, creating a rustic look. The wide plank and color of your choice modernizes the look. You can have it all with your hardwood flooring!
*Featured image by Yoko Oda Interior Design LLC
Happy Renovating!
Yoko Oda is a San Francisco Bay Area-based interior designer, of Yoko Oda Design LLC. Yoko loves to incorporate hardwood flooring for her designs and provide design advice and inspiration on her web site.
