As we built our home, I was super involved. The flooring was no exception. You’ll think I’m nuts, but when I ordered wood floor samples I would place them next to our dog that sheds in an attempt to blend with his coat. We don’t allow our dogs on our furniture so they lay on the floors all day. I swear the vacuuming is never ending so if I miss a day or two it won’t be horribly noticeable. These are just a few things I considered when choosing a lighter wood floor.
Jasper Hardwood – European Brushed Oak Collection | Hallway Pendant Light
One of the reasons we chose lighter hardwood floors was because I wanted a brighter, lighter space versus a darker look. I still love the look of dark floors, especially with light walls and loads of white trim everywhere! In this case, it just doesn’t work for our household because they show dog hair.
I knew I wanted a wider plank but decided not to do the 7” wide plank because my builder advised against it for buckling reasons. I did a little research and although I think it would have been fine (I did not find a lot of supporting evidence) we ultimately decided to go with the 4 3/8” because I actually preferred that look and it was also my husband’s preference (see I listen to his design opinions haha).
Upholstered Dining Chairs | Wood Bead Chandelier
Our floors are are the Jasper Titanium Gray in the 4 3/8” plank. The name, “Titanium Gray” did scare me. I was not interested in having gray flooring, despite the current trend of “everything gray”. I wanted a classic look that will last for years to come, so I ordered free samples. Then I ordered more with my husband’s name. Also, my coworker’s name and had all of them delivered to my office so that I had several pieces to lay together. #crazy This was to give me a better idea of the overall look. One 6×6 plank is not enough for me to make a choice for my entire house! I needed to lay them down in a mini floor pattern so I could obsessively stare at them make a calm informed decision.
Chandelier | White Chairs | Cabinetry Hardware
When it comes to making a decision regarding flooring, don’t follow what you think is trendy! Hardwoods are expensive and bought with the intention of being longterm. Choose something that works with your lifestyle, the architecture of your home and what just makes you happy!
Suggestion: Make an attempt to destroy samples to see how they hold up to real life. I left water on them overnight, poured a little wine, banged the heel of a stiletto on to them…you get the idea. However, I still loved them and they were hands down the winner despite ordering about 12 other color samples. There is some gray in them but overall they’re just a lighter, blonder wood. They are not glossy, as I didn’t want glossy floors this time around. I chose a matte finish this time (they are supposedly protected with a wax). We love them and probably receive more compliments on our floors than anything else.
Let me know what you prefer and why! Light or dark hardwoods?
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