Shopping for Hardwood Floors (day 1)

2012…the year I’ve decided to take the plunge and do some remodeling! I’ve been wanting to put in new hard wood for years. My main motivation is to get rid of the UGLY carpet in our living and dining rooms. But I’ve also always wanted a darker/deeper brown floor. I am NOT a fan of the washed out red/cherry floors that we currently have. (see ugly carpet here and our current hardwood here.

So, my first stop this morning was to Dan Higgins Warehouse. Wow, I was soooo overwhelmed. They have so many choices and the warehouse walls and floors are covered with different colors/styles/brands. But they made it so much easier for me with an hour long presentation of products.. I felt like I took HARDWOOD FLOORS 101!

Here are my main requirements…
1. I want to go dark, but am not sure if I want a chocolate-y brown or something with redtones coming through.
2. I want something that will hold up well…the strongest possible wood. Two toddlers will be dropping and throwing toys on the floors. I also have a 65 lb german shepherd that loves to run and play and will definitely contribute her share of scratches!
3. I prefer something that is as budget friendly as possible…is that really possible when putting in wood?

So, based on my needs & my likes they suggested an oak wood with lots of texture and pattern coming through the finish. Texture & pattern will hide flaws, be less likely to show dirt, and really just come with “character!”

I took home 2 samples that I really love to see how they’d look in my home during day & night. I was also drawn to the re-engineeered wood. I thought it wood be friendlier on the budget but it was not! SOOOO surprised at that. The other drawback about it is that it cannot be sanded down and refinished in another color like the real hardwood can. I want this option because we will sell the house someday and it gives the new owners flexibility in case they do not like the color that I pick.

After my morning at Dan Higgins, I went to Home Depot. NO ONE in the flooring dept. offered to help me so I simply grabbed the 3 tiny samples you see above and headed out!

BTW, the one that I am leaning toward right now is the wider, 5 inch planks that you see on the left side of the photo above. It is a Johnson floor, Oak handscraped, color Chesnut. The sample on the right with the narrow planks is my FAVORITE COLOR/TEXTURE. It is by Shaw and called Mineral Bluff. Unfortunately it does not come in wider plank (BOO!!)