Wood Flooring 101
Flooring lives among the elements upon which good design is built. They do some heavy lifting in determining direction and tone so choosing them feels like it should sit atop the style decision pile.
Options abound for flooring but we are going to focus on the reigning king of them all: WOOD. We love the look of hardwood and its versatility: it can be clean and modern, rustic and worn, elegant and sophisticated all depending on the width of the board, layout and finish. But not all wood flooring options are created equally.
SOLID HARDWOOD FLOORING
Hardwood is a catch all as not all woods are actually hard. I know. And hardness does not equal strength – are you spinning yet? The hardest of woods are super dense and therefore, can actually be brittle. What you really want is a mid-range hardwood for just the right amount of flex and give without a compromise on durability.
Emily’s Favorite: “These two-toned stained hardwood floors had me at HELLO – especially the stunning harlequin pattern. They set the whole tone for this uber cool house and are definately the heros in this entryway.”
Designer: Lisa Tharp Photo: Michael J. Lee
OAK is your best bet for flooring. Its middle of the road hardness and rock star endurance, as well as the breadth of offering (white, red, black and a partridge in a pear tree) make it an easy choice. It can be cut in a multitude of ways: plain sawn which shows the flamed grain, quarter sawn turns the grain and is more linear while rift sawn, the most elite of the cuts, is more linear still. AND it also takes stain well so you can achieve a look that will inspire any interior. Anything goes with oak.
ENGINEERED HARDWOOD
Nature and science nailed it with engineered flooring. It offers all of the benefits of traditional hardwood except it comes with a side of secret sauce: stability.
Engineered hardwood IS hardwood but only the very top veneer or layer is the wood of your choice. Beneath the grain are cheaper layers of plywood pressed together creating stability that hardwood can’t offer. And by stability, I mean how much ‘movement’ you will see in the floor. Cooler temps and lower humidity in Canadian winters can warp a hardwood floor. In contrast, the summer can see your floors swell. You will not see the movement in an engineered floor as you would a traditional hardwood floor. Not ever.
And it still offers the flexibility to refinish albeit not indefinitely. The veneer, depending on thickness, can be sanded anywhere from three to ten times so in the event of dents, scratches, damage or just wanting a new look in a space, the option is there.
Catherine's Favorite: “I am loving the softness and quiet of these white oak engineered floors. I’m really drawn to soothing and peaceful spaces at the moment and feel that natural white oak floors are the perfect backdrop.”
Designer and Photo: Morris & James
RECLAIMED WOOD
The ultimate in recycling, reclaimed floors had a minute in the early 2000s and they still have a solid place in good design. They instantly deliver character and deep patina to a floor that only time can accomplish – just know what you are getting. They are reclaimed. They have been at the bottom of a river or on the side of someone’s barn or under someone else’s footsteps for generations. These will not be uniform in colour or finish and that is their charm. Also, a cautionary tale on using softer reclaimed woods like pine or hemlock: dragging dining chairs, skidding dogs’ nails and anything heavy will ding them up but ultimately (in our opinion) add to their ‘charm’.
Stephanie’s Favorite: “I'm a sucker for reclaimed, wide plank flooring with lots of character. The space has to suit it, but when it does...WOW! I did them in my own home, which is a Victorian, and the warmth and interest that it brings to my rooms is so beautiful.”
Soho House, 40 Greek Street
Michele’s Favorite: “These oak floors laid in a chevron pattern make me feel like I am in the Paris pied à terre I don’t yet own. The layout gives it this classicism while the matte finish and tone give it some modernity. Old and new. OUI! OUI!!”
Design: Dylan Farrell Photo: Prue Ruscoe
We are just scratching the proverbial surface in the world of wood flooring here. A finished floor has more questions to ask and needs more answers before a direction can be fully baked. What should the width of the boards be and how they should be laid out? What colour and finish can they be and how does that contribute to an overall design story? Stay tuned for Part II of our Wood Flooring 101 coming soon!
