A few years ago, we had all of the tile that ran down our hallways, kitchen, and one bathroom removed and replaced with wide plank French oak hardwoods. It was a real game changer in terms of updating the look, quality, and feel of our home, not to mention the fact that it was much easier to clean than tile and grout.

After a year or so of that, we decided that we should extend the hardwoods into the living room, which was carpet. Lucky for us, the same product that we had installed before was still available and they were able to remove the carpet and replace with the hardwoods in a very seamless way by creating a lovely transitional piece. It looks like it was always supposed to be that way.

Flash forward to this past year when we had a small dinner gathering in our dining room. After our guests left, my husband said that the dining chairs were just too hard to slide on the carpet in our dining room. He was right! Once you managed to get your chair in, it was very hard to get the chair away from the table. No wonder our guests always stay so long visiting after dinner; they can’t get out:)

A call to the flooring guy again, and we were once again in luck. This beautiful wood was still available and we could easily transition the flooring into that room as well. I’m sorry to say that in looking at previous dining room posts, I had trouble finding one that showed much of the previous carpet, but suffice to say it was time to say goodbye to the gold waffle weave carpet, and hello the more hardwoods. So, we ordered the product and waited a bit longer than usual due to supply chain issues since COVID. Finally, the wood arrived and was installed two days ago.

Oh, the beauty. Oh, the continuity. Oh, the fresh, new feel. And the fact that the chairs can glide across the floors is a real added bonus. The funny thing is, it actually makes the dining room and adjacent areas feel bigger. I think that is because multiple flooring styles make your eye stop at the doorway, whereas this is a continual flow from kitchen through the hallway, into the dining room, and out the other side to the entry. Whatever the reason, it just works.

The other great thing about a project like this is that it’s a great opportunity to do a deep clean on a room. From curtain rods to credenza, from table and chairs to the crystal in the hutch, it all got a thorough cleaning and dusting. Boy, it feels so good see every surface sparkle.

One tip I would suggest when removing all contents of a china hutch is to take a picture of each shelf so you can reassemble it easily after cleaning. While I didn’t place everything in exactly the same place and culled down a few items to get rid of, for the most part this proved to be a very helpful tool. And when your hutch has a mirrored back, you can photo-bomb your own pictures as an added bonus!

For right now, even though the wood is exactly the same style, brand and color as the previous flooring, it reads a shade lighter. This happened with the previous installs, so I know that over time the oak will develop a warmer patina and be a great match. Overall, we couldn’t be more pleased with the final outcome and how quickly the installer was able to get it done. I think I see a dinner party in my future!

So that’s what’s been happening around here this week. How are you all doing?

Good tidings,

Diane