I’ve always wondered if people would be more adventurous with their floors if they knew all the options available to them. Like most of you, I’ve seen countless homes and have also watched tends come and go. The majority of my customer want a floor that will work well with their house and furniture. Most home-owners are presented the same ideas and same kinds of floors most hardwood flooring contractors or general contractors recommend. Again, usually they are going by what the customer is describing as their ideal floor. I have the feeling that a lot of home-owners would be more excited about their hardwood floors if they knew how to make them really personalized and unique.
To be clear, I’m not talking about high-cost hardwood flooring nor exotic species of wood that nobody else or can afford. I’m talking about little details and differences that are available to home-owners who would like to add personal touches to their hardwood floors. Here are a couple of ideas that won’t break the bank but can make a hardwood floor look extraordinary:
Metal Transitions and Borders
These can add a very sophisticated touch to any hardwood flooring job. The metal inserts could be used as a border around the perimeter of a room or as transition pieces at doorways between he hardwood floor and another type of hard surface floor. The metal is available indifferent colors that can pick up from hues in the wood. The contrast between wood and metal gives a very rustic-modern feel and can work well in just about any home.
Random Width Boards
I’m surprised that more people don’t go with random widths when installing a new hardwood floor. Even if you’re going with a run of the mill prefinished hardwood you could always make it more interesting by mixing up the size of the boards. You could do 3 1/4″ next to a 5″. If you’re doing site-finished flooring you could do 3 1/4″, 4″ and 5″ or go even wider than that depending on what would look good in the rooms. Either way, I think random width flooring gives a floor a very custom look as it’s just not all that common out there.
Stone Trim and Transitions
Much like metal, stone can make for a very sophisticated and elegant addition to a hardwood flooring job. You can find stone products that have similar grain patterns to the wood floor as well as complimenting it tone-wise. It probably would be expensive to do the whole house, but a mud-room or other specialty/utility room could get a stone base to match or compliment the wood floor. Lots of possibilities, just need a little vision.
