sponsored by Mohawk Flooring
As I write this, I’m tucked into a small corner of our living and gathering room, working amid boxes, tools and the steady sounds of construction. It’s a chaotic scene, but a good one—new floors are a sign the house is moving closer to finished. Our dog Jack is confused by all the activity and shifting furniture, but he’s adapting.
Right now all our furniture is displaced as contractors prepare to install new hardwood in the entry, kitchen and family room. Boxes of flooring have been delivered to acclimate to our home’s temperature, and crews are removing the existing flooring and carpet to make way for the new boards. It’s an exciting milestone: the final details of our renovation are finally coming together.
Installing new flooring in several rooms at once can feel daunting. We tidy one room and then fill it with items from the next room to keep the project moving. I can’t wait for the day when everything is finished and uncluttered, but for now the temporary mess is part of the process.
Many readers have told me they want new wood floors but feel overwhelmed by the choices and logistics. There are lots of considerations: style, material, whether to do multiple rooms at once, where to transition flooring in open plans, and the cost and disruption of moving furniture, removing old floors and reinstalling everything. It’s a lot, but the end result is usually worth the effort.
After the busy past few years, I was ready to update our home. Projects often start messy and end up beautiful, and I trust this will too. Because many of you asked about our choices, I want to share details about the process so it’s easier for anyone considering similar work.
To choose our new floors, my daughter and I visited the Nielsen Brothers showroom in Auburn, WA. The team there let us view many options, answer questions and offer professional guidance. Their input was very helpful as we weighed materials, finishes and installation details.
Our project had a few complications: existing sections of flooring couldn’t remain due to the kitchen remodel, and the previous floors were engineered wood while our new choice is solid hardwood. That made blending old and new flooring impractical in some areas. Considering the home’s small, connected rooms, we decided consistency across rooms would be the best look. We’re glad to have experienced contractors handling the installation.
TIP: Ask lots of questions when working with contractors. They know practical details that can save you time and money, and different perspectives from store reps, installers and contractors can help you avoid costly mistakes. I ask many questions and learn a lot that way.
After Nielsen Brothers measured our space and we approved the estimate, the work began. The damaged kitchen flooring was removed this week, the family room carpet will come up next, and new prefinished Hickory hardwood from Mohawk will be installed throughout the entry and adjoining rooms. I’m excited to see it all finished.
We chose 3 1/2-inch wide prefinished Hickory hardwood from Mohawk. Five-inch boards were available, but given the scale of our rooms, the narrower boards were recommended so the flooring wouldn’t overwhelm the space. Choosing prefinished boards also avoids the messy, smelly job of finishing onsite after installation, which is a big convenience.
Living in the Pacific Northwest means many gray days, so we chose a floor tone that reflects light and brings warmth. Hickory offers multi-tonal character, with tones ranging from blonde to darker grain, which adds visual interest and cozy warmth during darker months.
I love the natural character real wood brings to a home. If solid hardwood isn’t the right fit for your budget or lifestyle, modern laminates also offer convincing wood looks and can be a practical alternative.
I’ll share more about caring for our Hickory floors in a future post. If you have questions about the process so far, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll answer what I can.
For those who have taken on major remodeling projects, was the result worth the disruption? What recent home improvements have you completed?
I’m partnering with the “Mohawk Floors Me, as Told by Bloggers” program and received hardwood flooring as part of the project. As always, all opinions, experiences and photos are my own.