For every check off the house building list, there are approximately 1,500 unfinished tasks and decisions to make.
And floors were a huge decision when it comes to finishing this house. While we were pretty certain we’d go with carpet upstairs for comfort and noise buffering, Ryan and I have had many discussions about the best choice of flooring for the main living space, where we’ll likely spend the majority of our time.
Because the main living space is an open living/kitchen/dining room space, we both wanted the flooring to visually flow. And we both determined we wanted a wood-look, after living in two homes with original wood floors. We discussed everything from prefinished wood, to engineered wood, to luxury vinyl, to wood-look tile …
But in the end, we both agreed that installing unfinished wood floors and finishing them was really the best choice for us.
Why we chose wood:
- The wood floors feel more authentic to an old farmhouse. I mean, we’d imagine that this is what a farmhouse would have installed 100 years ago.
- There is longevity and flexibility in hardwood floors – they can truly last forever when done right. And they can be refinished and redone multiple times.
- You can get exactly the look you want by choosing the best wood and finish for the job.
- Ryan’s had a lot of experience finishing floors, so it’s something we can do ourselves.
- It’s a bit more labor intensive to install and finish the floors in place, but can also be more cost-effective.
So, wood it was. Then it was time to narrow down the look we were going for. I scoured Pinterest for flooring I loved and read lots of information about types of flooring and finishes.
A few inspiration images:
What we wanted:
- Lighter tones (no battling with cleaning up dark floors).
- Wide-plank.
- Rustic feel – knots, imperfections, and scars.
We ordered five or six samples from Lumber Liquidators to check out the wood and widths – including oak, pine and hickory planks. This gave us a chance to check them out and even try potential finishes on the wood.
Once we received them, Ryan and I agreed that pine was our choice – we loved the white pine and the yellow pine and ended up choosing the yellow pine (almost 9 inch planks) because it tends to be a bit more durable. Plus, we both liked the graining and yellow tones in the wood.
One major note about pine that I’m sure some of you will bring up – it’s a soft wood. Which means that we’re expecting to see dings and scratches over time. It’s par for the course. We may even try to ding it up right away to add some patina.
We have had original pine floors in our last two houses and were more than happy with how the floors wore over time. The wood tones deepen and the imperfections just add to character. The floors in our first kitchen were definitely swoon-worthy.
The floors have arrived and are waiting patiently in our garage for us to prime and paint all the walls. So, by my estimate, Ryan will be laying floors by Saturday. (Kidding. But hopefully in the next week or two.)
Once we get them in, I’ll be back to share the process and discuss our finishing options. (I *think* we’ve decided on the finish.)
Thanks to Lumber Liquidators for providing flooring for our main living space in our new home. And thank you for supporting sponsors who make projects like this possible.
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Stacey says
Now that you’ve “lived with” these floors for awhile, what are your thoughts? Thanks 😊
Kim Woodward says
We still really love them! Planning an update this summer when we have a chance to add another touchup of oil.
The pine does “show” scratches and dents, and with a child and dogs, scratches and dings have happened. But I LOVE the light color and no one would really notice unless you got up close and the sun was shining the right way. The dings and scratches just sort of look like they’ve always been there. They are super low maintenance – I just dust mop and then mop with a little water for a “deeper” clean. They always look good and hide a wealth of things. So, I am really happy we went with them.
Bailey says
Lighter tones and wood planks are what we’re thinking too, although we’ll probably go with something a little less maintenance. It sounds like y’all are on track with the farmhouse vibe — can’t wait to see more!!
Bailey says
and by wood I mean wide… #lovewhenImessupcomments
Gretchen says
Exciting! And, yes, I think wood is definitely the right choice for your house :). We had pine floors in a rental once, and I worried about them a lot because we had a dog. With nails. But if it had been my own house, I think I would have just embraced the scratches.
G Lainey says
Can’take wait to see the finished product.
Emily @ imperfect says
I love a good classic hardwood floor! It’s going to be beautiful!
Ashley @ Domestic Imperfection says
Love your inspiration pics and the floor you choose! Adam and I are in the same stage and have been looking into flooring pretty hardcore lately. We decided on a rustic pine floor as well, a wide solid plank that we would finish ourselves (sound familiar?!). Then last we finally concluded that we can’t, since we are on a slab and the 1.5 inch thickness it would take to put solid wood in our house won’t work. So engineered it is….which turns out is REALLY hard to find in a rustic pine (and if you do, it’s like 10-15 bucks a square foot). The search continues! Love watching your house come together!
Kim Woodward says
Gah. It can never be easy! Good luck finding your perfect wood. 😉
Megan says
Eek! We’re getting to such an exciting stage! While it’s always fun to watch walls go up and exterior being finished up, it’s the inside finishings that start to make it feel like a home. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next couple months!