Flooring

2018 Hardwood Flooring Trends

January 10, 2018

European White Oak in wide plank has been a staple of my designs. It’s the light organic look that instantly refreshes a tired space. But while it is still a look to keep, I am loving some new wood flooring trends. A rich layering of mixed woods in a space creates depth and interest and your floors can help you get this look.

For 2018, I am thinking about playing with wood tone, size, and pattern. Light colored beams and accents? Go warm on the floor with a medium tone wood. Want to make a statement in the entry or set a room apart? Break the line of your hardwood and install a parquet floor in a herringbone pattern. Take a look at the spaces below and see some of the hardwood flooring looks we are loving now.

Keep it Clean and Bright: Light Tone Wide Plank

Kaemingk Design

Thea Home

Warm things Up: Moving toward Medium Toned Wood

Even though I think light colored oak is a beautiful timeless look, I am liking the warmth that medium toned wood brings to a space. It’s especially a look to consider in an all white home where a slightly darker, warmer wood will create beautiful contrast.

Laura Helmick

Play with Scale: Narrow Strip Hardwood

Narrow hardwood is a classic look, revived from the 40’s and 50’s. I am loving it in Patti Wagner’s kitchen remodel where the narrow floor lines contrast with the chunkier wood of the island.

Patti Wagner

Decorative Wood Patterns

Parquet flooring is a high-end look that brings Old World European charm to a space. To run it through an entire home might be too expensive or even too busy, but it’s a perfect way to set apart an individual room.

Nicole Davis Interiors, photo: Alyssa Rosenheck

Blakes London

The Fox Group

Mixed Material Pattern: Wood + Cement Tile

I love warm natural wood paired with cool gray (we highlighted the look in this Perfect Pairings post). Mixing your wood planks with cement tile makes a beautiful statement. Creating your own pattern, like Joanna Gaines did in this entry, personalizes your home.

Joanna Gaines

I love seeing how design evolves and thinking about the trends I want to add to my spaces. Tomorrow we are sharing another trending kitchen look that you will love. Make sure to check back.

Happy Wednesday!

Xxo
Becki

hardwood flooring trends

Pros and Cons: Kitchen Flooring

June 14, 2017

I’ve been browsing kitchen flooring inspiration for an upcoming project. In most my kitchens, I go for a wide-plank oak and use it throughout the home for a seamless transition between each room. But there are downsides to wood flooring in the kitchen and other beautiful options to consider. Take a look at these beautiful inspiration shots and read about the pros and cons of choosing tile, concrete, or wood kitchen floors before you start your own kitchen refresh.

Tile

Jen Cavorsi

Christopher Knight Interiors and Fox Force Five Construction

how to style your kitchen for spring BeckI Owens

Becki Owens Lucia Project

Kitchen Design Network

Emily Henderson

Navy brass modern rustic and white kitchen

Matters of Space

Via Room for Tuesday

DISC Interiors

PROS

Tile in the kitchen is a lot of fun because there are so many different options in material, color, and shape that you can use to get the look you are after. I am loving the lux look of natural stone tile, the statement that patterned tiles make, or the warmth and ease of a faux-wood ceramic tile. Tile can accommodate many different budgets. And maybe most importantly, most tile is incredibly low maintenance, keeping out water and stains with little effort on your part.

CONS

For those that love to cook and spend lots of time in the kitchen, hard tile is less comfortable to stand on. It can be cold to walk across, carries more sound, and it is unforgiving of dropped ceramics dishes. Also, some of the most beautiful tile floorings you might have fallen in love with on Pinterest are high end and can be very expensive.

Concrete

deVOL for Kempshott Road Home

Heather Bullard

Veneer Designs

Paper House Project

Scott and Scott Architects

PROS

Sealed concrete floors are low maintenance, easy to clean and very durable. They can be very cost effective and can be a good way to get a cool look on a small budget. Concrete looks good in many different style spaces from farmhouse to modern.

CONS

Concrete is hard on the feet and like tile, unforgiving of dropped breakables. Although you can add radiant heat under newly poured concrete to cozy it up, this is an added expense. Over time, with the natural settling of your home, concrete can develop cracks.

Wood

Blakes London

modern coastal kitchen becki owens estillo

Becki Owens Estillo Project

heber house kitchen project Becki Owens

Becki Owens and Jamie Bellessa Heber House Project Kitchen

las palmas kitchen becki owens

Becki Owens Las Palmas Project

black, white and brass kitchen makeover

Becki Owens Ledgewood Project

PROS

Wood flooring is classic and beautiful. Depending on your tastes, there are many different species and colors of wood for you to choose from. It looks beautiful in straight planks, or in a parquet pattern like herringbone or chevron. In an open-concept design, having hardwood flooring run throughout the space creates a seamless transition throughout the rooms and can make the kitchen area feel larger. Hardwood is the softest of the three flooring options, and so is much more comfortable to stand and cook on. It is also the warmest option. As long as you care for your wood floors, they can last the lifetime of your home.

CONS

Wood flooring can be expensive, although an engineered wood can be used if you are on a budget. Wood floors are higher maintenance and will need periodic refinishing. Any flooding or water spills that are not dealt with promptly will warp and ruin the wood.

So many beautiful options! Which do you like best?

Thanks for stopping by!

Xxo
Becki

pros and cons of different kitchen flooring

10 Amazing Inspirations for Concrete Flooring

August 15, 2016

Although concrete floors are usually associated with austere modern design, I like them best when paired with warm woods, cozy rugs, and colorful vintage textiles. Concrete is sustainable, affordable, easy to clean, and can pair with modern, rustic, and traditional styles. These 10 spaces are beautiful examples of designing with concrete flooring.

concrete floor inspiration

Design By: Heather Bullard

Before and After: Dark Floral Bathroom

October 14, 2015

Sometimes a little bad luck can result in something fabulous. A recent flood in my client’s home presented an opportunity to give a small powder room a fresh new facelift. Today, I want to reveal the before and after pictures of this bold and beautiful bathroom.

Before

before and after dark floral wallpaper powder room becki owens

After

before and after dark floral wallpaper powder room becki owens

When I saw the small space, I knew right away what I wanted to do. I had been dying to use this amazing, large-scale, floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman and was waiting for the perfect space to incorporate it. It’s bold and elegant blooms give the space an updated, yet timeless wow factor.

before and after dark floral wallpaper powder room becki owens
One reason I love this wallpaper design, is it pairs beautifully with other organic elements, in this case warm woods. The flooring needed to be completely replaced. I decided on a European white oak, Canewood. A versatile hardwood in medium tone. (You can view more of my favorite hardwood selections here.)

To give the space some modern glamour, I chose a regency style rattan mirror. It makes a sophisticated statement while lifting the color of the space. In the end, I loved how the mix of the rich florals and warm woods came together in this space.

dark floral wallpaper bathroom becki Owens

This project however small, was a favorite. It’s was fun to use this unique, artistic wallpaper to create a space with modern style. Right now, you can receive 20% off the rattan mirror used in this powder room. It has been a longtime favorite of mine, and works beautifully in several spaces. Pick it up at Serena and Lily’s Friends and Family Sale going on thru tomorrow evening. You can see all my favorite picks from the sale below. I hope you enjoyed the before and after pics of my recent bathroom project. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Xxo
Becki

Best of Blog: Hardwood Flooring

August 31, 2015

In several of my designs I’ve installed hardwood flooring. The new wood floors have transformed the spaces, creating a clean, updated look . Today, I want to highlight a couple of examples where I replaced cement or tile with hardwood. In these two projects I used some of my favorite hardwood flooring picks, a warmer and a cooler option.

Manoir Gray

Becki Owens Manoir Gray hardwood flooring

For this project I wanted a gray, cooler toned, hardwood to replace cement flooring. This home has a more modern feel. Manoir Gray hardwood was the perfect choice for clean, smooth flooring. The space still has a minimal feel, but a warmer, richer feel than cement.

TIP: This floor has a natural oil finish. Natural oil finishes can be maintained without re-sanding. By cleansing with special soaps and treating the floors with oil every 3-5 years you can erase the signs of wear and tear. Natural oil finishes are especially popular in European countries and are becoming more commonly used here.

Canewood

In the Alta South Project, I decided to installed a wood with a slightly warmer tone. The spaces in this home are more modern and needed a durable, family-friendly flooring throughout. Canewood from DM Flooring was the perfect fit. The medium color of this hardwood is an excellent option if you are worried about signs of daily dirt and traffic. For the dining room of this home, a beautiful herringbone pattern was installed to make the space stand out and slightly more formal. I love how the warmth of the wood is subtle, but creates an inviting contrast to the all white kitchen.

Tip: This flooring has a urethane finish. This finish acts as a protective layer, preventing the natural wood from being scratched and worn. After time, as the coating is scratched, the floor can be re-sanded to look like new. This is done only every 10-12 years. Products to maintain and clean urethane finishes tend to be cheaper than oil ones.

There are few hardwoods that are my go tos for when I’m making flooring choices. To make it easy, I’ve created a resource guide of my favorites for you to use when you are searching for the perfect floors. See below for my favorite picks. For more information, you can also view my post on selecting hardwood flooring. Have a wonderful Monday!!

Xxo
Becki

hardwood floors guide becki owens