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Exotic
Wood
Exotic woods are available
in a variety of colors and can
add an entirely new look to
any room. Want something with
a pinkish-red hue to enhance
your décor? Consider Bubinga
from Africa. Is rustic more
your style? Take a look at Australian
Cypress, which is harder than
domestic knotty pine. Is purple
your passion? Purpleheart from
Mexico will age to a deep purple
or purplish brown. Want something
sleek and dark? Wenge from Africa,
will age to a very deep brown,
almost black, color. With exotic
wood species, the possibilities
are endless.
Stain
Existing wood floors
can receive an entirely new
look, affordably, with custom
stains. Looking for a contemporary
style? Light colored stains
can give new life to an old
wood floor. Want something more
traditional? Consider restaining
your wood floors to a warm,
medium-toned color. Thinking
about a more formal décor? Dark
stains can give your floors
a stately new look. No matter
what your existing wood floor,
chances are that you can achieve
an entirely new look with custom
stains.
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Specialty
Design Elements
With advances in the industry over the
past few decades, customizing your wood
floor is easier, and more affordable,
than ever before. You can create a one-of-a-kind
look with simple upgrades such as borders,
medallions, hand-distressing, painted
floors, mixed media and exotic wood species.
Borders
Borders create a frame effect in a particular
room or area, and usually contrast to
the main area of the room. For example,
a simple installation of a medium colored
wood such as strip white oak might include
a border outlining the room in a contrasting
darker species of wood such as Brazilian
cherry. The possibilities are endless,
and are not limited to wood only. Borders
can incorporate multiple wood species,
stone, marble, brass, stainless steel,
nickel and other metals.
Medallions
Medallions usually are installed in the
main field of the floor, typically in
areas such as foyers. Medallions can incorporate
multiple wood species, and other mixed
media, such as stone, metal and leather.
Factory finished medallions can be routed
into existing floors with minimal disruption.
For more customized looks, such as a family
crest, a professional wood flooring installer
can work with you to select the species
and colors that will best meet your needs.
Hand-Distressing
Hand-distressing wood floors offers a
unique look and antiqued appearance that
appeals to many homeowners. Hand-scraping,
which is labor-intensive and time-consuming,
is the most-common distressing technique.
Using tools such as chisels, planes, wire
brushes, awls, ice picks and grinders,
the installer will work with the wood
to achieve a worn and distressed look.
The end result will be a new floor that
looks beautifully antiqued.
Painted
Floors
A little paint can transform an ordinary
wood floor into something unique. For
example, a painted border can transform
your floor into a work of art reflecting
your personal style – country, formal,
or even patterns like free-flowing vines.
For more dramatic painted design elements,
consider creating an Oriental rug effect,
or even marble. Your only limit is your
imagination.
Mixed
Media
You can create a one-of-a-kind
floor by mixing wood with other materials
such as stone, tile, slate, marble, metal,
and even leather. For example, highlighting
a marble foyer with wood makes a dramatic
entryway, while incorporating brushed
nickel accents into your kitchen wood
floor could accent your professional series
appliances.
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