Houston, we have liftoff! We made a big kitchen purchase. We ordered the floor! Wait, we should back up. We originally hoped to find hardwood floors running all the way under the linoleum in the kitchen (after finding out that it ran under the fireplace side of the room here)…
… but we removed the transition between the kitchen and the office on the other side of the room to find… booo!… plywood. So no refinishing for us. Gotta start from scratch.
But there were a few limitations off the bat. We learned from the previous owners that the kitchen floors couldn’t handle tile (they would need to be reinforced/leveled from underneath = $$$), so tile was out. Even laying down new hardwood worried us since it’s thick and heavy and not as flexible as some other options. So based on the limitations, we honed in on these three options (any of which we hoped to install ourselves if we chose it):
- cork
- floating wood laminate like Pergo
- vinyl or linoleum/marmoleum
At first we loved the idea of laying some sort of sleek eco-friendly linoleum in some chic tone-on-tone stripes. Candice Olsen does it sometimes, but I couldn’t find any online pics. And I’m sure it sounds really tacky but I promise it looked really good and that lady spends five thousand dollars on sconces so she’s not exactly about compromising when it comes to form. But after checking out a ton of local places /online stores we just couldn’t find anything that we liked. And we didn’t want to give off that “we upgraded the whole kitchen but forgot to update the floors effect” (which is a pretty embarrassing result if you do, in fact, upgrade the floors but no one can tell).
So we were happy to move on from the whole striped linoleum thing. We also realized that we prefer when our floors fall back and let other things be the star (like the wall paint, textiles on the chairs & windows, light fixtures, art & accessories – etc). Next was the possibility of: 1) a Pergo type wood-look click floor or 2) cork (since it was substantially lighter than hardwood and even bamboo). So we looked at a bunch of options in both materials and zeroed in on two options that we liked best.
One was a whitewashed Pergo from Lowe’s (for $3 a square foot called “Driftwood Pine”) that looked so much like the hardwoods we already had in the house, except whitewashed – which could have been a fun choice for the kitchen. The planks were the same size as the existing ones and it still had warm wood tones underneath so it would almost look like we had the same hardwood running through the kitchen that we had in the office, dining room, and bedrooms, but decided to whitewash them in the kitchen.
The other option was a rich mocha cork from Lumber Liquidators (called “Porto” by Libson Cork) that was on super sale for $3.26 a square foot. Which is an awesome price since cork usually starts around $4 or $5 a square foot and can go all the way up to $10+.
We realized we might have initially been attracted to the whitewashed Pergo because it’s similar in tone to the existing vinyl flooring in our kitchen (so our eyes are just used to seeing that tone underfoot), but once we paint the cabinets white and add stainless appliances and make a bunch of other upgrades, we realized that we might appreciate a warmer toned floor (so the whole room wouldn’t be white and gray). Boom, option one was effectively eliminated. Buh-bye graywashed Pergo.
The funny thing was that when we checked out nearly all of the inspiration kitchens that I pinned on Pinterest, they all had one thing in common: rich dark floors. Talk about subliminal messages. Can’t believe we didn’t pick up on that sooner. They were actually similar in tone to the mocha hardwood ones that we added to our first kitchen, which we still miss on the daily. Oh and it bears mentioning that while some folks prefer lighter wood for shows-less-dust reasoning, we never had any issues with that (or keeping them clean in general) since they weren’t super dark/ebony, just deep enough to be called “mocha.”
Decision made. Mocha cork it is! Especially since we planned to refinish the existing hardwoods in a similar tone for an even more seamless whole-house feeling down the line. But before pulling the cork trigger we googled around for cork pros and cons – just to be thorough. We learned it’s warm, quiet, naturally fire & water & bacteria resistant, soft underfoot (for less dish breakage and sore knees from standing), and eco friendly. The cons were that the finish could be scratched (like hardwoods) and it could be dented over time by heavy appliances or furniture if you don’t put those felt feet on them (like hardwoods). But if scratched or dented it could be sanded down and even restained and resealed (yup, you guessed it – like hardwoods). So it didn’t sound too out of our league since we’re definitely not strangers to oak flooring, which is apparently pretty similar.
But because we’re neurotic, we took it one step crazier further. We emailed four people we know and love who have cork and asked them to be brutally honest with us and tell us what they hate and if they’d recommend it and what they’d change and all the bad stuff. Well, not a complaint among them. Everyone said they loved their cork and would make the same choice again. Whew. So we (finally) went for it.
We put in an order for 265 square feet of it to cover the entire 25′ kitchen and adjoined laundry room (and account for about 10% of extra cork, just in case of a catastrophe cork-tastrophe). Of course I haggled with the Lumber Liquidators guy to get $15 off our $863 cork order (down to $848, baby). Haha. Every penny helps. It’s definitely not a drop in the bucket, but we’re excited to install it ourselves (it should be pretty simple since it’s click + lock and doesn’t call for any adhesive). The awesome thing is that refinishing hardwoods usually runs around $3-4 a square foot around here, and our new floors were $3.26 a square foot – so we’re psyched that new cork floors are about the same price as refinishing what we wished we had found under that old linoleum. In the words of Clara: yoi! (that’s how she says yay).
The only ironic thing: installing the floor is one of the last things we’ll be tackling (floors usually go down last so they don’t get dinged up by demo or painting or appliance installing) but the price was right so we pounced! For anyone wondering what we have to get done before cork-ing things up, here’s a brief rundown:
- Switch out/alter some of the existing cabinets & relocate some appliances
- Order/install new appliances (since we have some bisque mixed with black going on)
- Open the doorway between the dining room & kitchen (still working on permits/contractors)
- Create a peninsula out of secondhand, built, or purchased cabinetry
- Upgrade the counters (possibly with some DIY concrete ones if the floor can support them)
- Redo the backsplash (we have something pretty fun planned… more on that later)
- Paint the old and new cabinets white, so they look nice and seamless
- Add some open shelving (that’ll go along with our fun TBA backsplash idea)
- Completely upgrade the lighting (goodbye florescent tube lights!)
So yeah… we might not have after kitchen pictures for you until 2013. Just kidding. But maybe not. Have you guys purchased flooring lately? Gone crazy for cork? Or whitewashed wood (or faux wood)? Or realized that there’s a subliminal common thread among all of the kitchens you’ve been pinning on Pinterest? It was kind of hilarious when we noticed they all had nearly identical floors.
Rachel says
Oh, mylanta! My husband and I have been redoing our WHOLE house because of a water leak and we went with dark brown snap lock wood planks. I was really leaning towards the cork but wood won out. I can’t wait to see yall’s floors! (I’d post a link but this home remodeling has taken over the blog, it’s everywhere!)
Paige @ Final Clothes-Out says
Aww, man! I forgot that floors are one of the last things to be finished in a reno. I’m eager to see if the installation is really as easy as people say.
Great color choice! I’m also a fan of dark floors in kitchens.
Anne G. says
So psyched you picked cork! We decided on cork just last week, and we didn’t even do all the research you did. We’d just heard through the grapevine that it was awesome, and we love the idea of being eco-friendly. So, that was enough to sell us. Now, if only we could find a sale like you did! We may have to wait a few months to get a good price.
Daniella says
On more thing! We used layers of roofing felt to level any dips in the floor. We used duck tape to tape it down…we just didn’t want to mess with any leveling compound and wait for it to dry etc. Also, if you’re flooring has cork underneath, then you don’t need an underlayment, just a vapor barrier. I also suggest, if you have any weird cuts, like to go around the corner of a cabinet,buy a jigsaw, we got ours from wal-mart and it worked perfectly.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Bet says
The cork is BEAUTIFUL! Can’t wait to see the finished result. I’m having “floor envy”. ;-)
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
Yay! You went with cork!! We did cork in our upstairs hallway/laundry room and installed it ourselves about a year ago. You can check it here:
http://tellerallaboutit.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/airing-our-dirty-laundry-chapter-4-pop-the-cork/
It did require about 4 coats of poly to seal’er up but it looks great. It does get dinged with a dog – der! But I know before we move we can just give it a quick sand down and re-poly and it’ll just add to the charm and appeal of cork.
Good luck!
Lindsay from Tell’er All About It
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
jess says
I can’t wait to watch the kitchen reno unfold! We didn’t consider cork during our whole-house renovation… but chose slate tile in the kitchen and bath. I love the rustic look against our industrial-like kitchen. It doesn’t show dirt, crumbs, etc to easily either. I’ll have to send you a picture though of our kitchen- we have the white cabinet fever too :-)
Jennifer says
We just purchased flooring too 848 square feet of it! For our basement remodel, take 2! We chose a vinyl flooring product, similar to laminate with a click and lock installation process. It’s the Trafficmaster Allure Ultra, sold at Home Depot. It’s supposed to be 100% waterproof, and since we’re installing it in our basement (which is our main living area, and we are recently concrete-covering-floorless down there)it makes sense.
Here’s whywe’re floor-covering-less: http://mylifeasitisjoh.blogspot.com/2011/09/basement-living-room-long-pic-heavy.html
The cork looks beautiful! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man – it’s going to look so great eventually!
xo,
s
Kim at Yellow Brick Home says
Ooh, can’t wait to see how this all turns out! I’m having a hard time picturing everything together, but I know you two will rock it.
Constance says
Great look! Do you happen to know how cork does with high-heals? We are shoeless in our house, but have had visitors with these beauties that have damaged softer floors (like how you mention furnature w/o felt feet could do, etc). Is this a non-issue with cork?
YoungHouseLove says
We have heard that a stiletto can do some damage (some folks we asked said they didn’t cause any marks and others did- perhaps due to differences in the type of cork or amount of sealer). We definitely plan to seal them and also have a shoeless house so we hope it’ll all be great!
xo,
s
Katie@Paisley Print Shoes says
I LOVE that you referenced Candace Olson! She is amazing. I think your floors will look GREAT!!
Alison says
As a random aside…are you aware your first nursery is on BHG’s website under “Cute Kids Rooms”? It’s the first one.
http://www.bhg.com/rooms/nursery/gender-neutral-nursery-makeover/?sssdmh=dm17.552531&esrc=nwdc100511i&email=1526509786
Alison says
And actually now that I look…the whole “article” is about it.
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!
xo,
s
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
GreenInOC says
I have cork in my entire house except for my laundry room. In the bathroom I have cork mosaic tiles. The rest is seamless cork planks with a built in padding to which I had an additional 1/2 cork padding put down. If I were to do it again, I’d go for 3/4″ or 1″ padding. I LOVE my floors, except…
I was out of town and my fridge broke. I came home to ruined floors in my kitchen. Major bummer. My fridge was super expensive and only a couple of months out of warranty so don’t assume that new appliances will save you!
I’ve lived with the ruined cork in my kitchen for a couple of years. I, not being handy, will have to pay someone to pull up the planks and relay the floor in that area.
When I read you fridge post after you lost power during Hurricane Irene, my first thought was “good thing they don’t have cork floors in the kitchen!”
I love the give of the floor, especially in the kitchen since I like to cook.
Before I relay the flooring in the kitchen, I’m going to look into a fridge pan – kind of like they have for washing machines. I imagine that it won’t be super attractive but the $$$ of replacing the floors is super ugly!!
I would most definitely stay away from cork in the laundry room (in case you were thinking of extending it since the 2 rooms are joined).
After installing the cork, I insist that people take off their shoes in the house and keep a wet/dry vac handy for times that you are there and there are problems. It’s also a good idea to extend the floor all they way under your dishwasher – if the floor under there is only partial, if you have a small leak in your dishwasher, the damage will spread really fast if it doesn’t have to work it’s way down the seams of the plank.
I know I probably sound like a total Debbie Downer and I really don’t want to because I love my cork so much I’ve slept with it (I’ve slept on the floor!)!!! If I had to do it again I might go with Marmoleum in the kitchen but then again I might not because cork looks fantastic, it’s soft, it’s wonderful for sound, etc..
One more thing (ala Steve Jobs!), make sure you buy 3 or 4 cases of extra cork to have on hand for repairs – matching the cork from different lots is pretty impossible and since you can’t refinish them you’ll be happy you did!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips! We happily bought some extra cork in case of cork-tastrophies! Har-har. So sorry about your fridge leak!
xo,
s
Maggie Rose says
So fun to make the first big purchase! Makes it real :) I don’t know anyone with cork floors (that I know of) so I’m curious to see yours come together. We (as renters) have the black and white peel & stick checkerboard tiles… SO much better than the yellowy faux brick vinyl kitchen floors of our last rental ;)
eileen marie says
I love that driftwood flooring! But I can see your point about not wanting a completely washed-out look in the kitchen -I think the dark floor will look great once it’s down. I admit, I don’t like the look of the cork sample, but you never disappoint, so I’m already convinced it will look amazing. I think it’s nice to see the contrast & evolution of your style in the new house vs. the old.
JoAnna says
We put cork (from lumber liquidators) in our kitchen and love it! The dog loves it too and we haven’t had any wear issues from our doggie doo. It is quiet to walk on, we had a party and someone apparently dropped a knife into our floor which left a mark but it would have marked just about anything.
A word to the wise, while we installed it we noticed that it was a 2 person job because sometimes the pieces needed to have pressure in opposite corners to help the cork fit nicely together… had we not be about to fall over from sleep deprivation we might have noticed this 2-3 hours earlier and saved some headache but even with that they went together pretty quickly.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip JoAnna!
xo,
s
Kate M says
You’ll love the cork! My parents redid their kitchen with it two years ago and it’s fantastic. My mother has had arthritis for decades and she says her legs/joints hurt a lot less after standing on the cork for a while. Not that you two probably need to worry about arthritis right now, but every little bit helps :) It’ll be nicer for Clara to play on, too!
Terisia says
When you checked out the cork, did you learn anything about how it holds up to dogs, especially big dogs? I once read that a dog’s nails can damage it. But that was just one thing, maybe one brand. Here’s hoping cork will work for me (and my big dogs)!
Thank you,
Terisia
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have had a ton of folks with dogs (even big ones) who say that it still looks awesome, feel free to scroll back through the comments for that info!
xo,
s
Jonel says
I can’t wait until you tackle the kitchen floor! I wanted to use cork for my sunroom but I kind of hesitant with DIY aspect…plus it is not level in some parts so that scares me as well…
Kelly says
My 1945 era house has asbestos tiling in 1/2 the basement that looks really similar to the cork you chose! Now I’m envisioning finishing the rest of the basement w/ cork, since asbestos abatement isn’t in the budget. Thank you for the idea!
seansmom says
I have allergies, so five years ago, when we built our new house, we opted for laminate floors instead of carpeting(the budget didn’t allow for real hardwood) AND I laid ALL the flooring by MYSELF! Six rooms later I can vouch for the fact that click and lock flooring is easy to do! It’s like that stenciling…it takes a bit of time, but the effort is DEFINITELY worth it!
justy says
Cheers for the cork! I’ve wanted a cork floor ever since seeing them in the Conran “House” and “Kitchen” books so many eons ago. I find Pergo to be too clattery and hard- cork, soft and quiet.
Lauren @ chezerbey says
We love the cork flooring we installed in our house last year, but we did learn a lot of valuable lessons before and after it went in, so definitely let me know if you have any questions.
We were going to go with the click-together plank, but switched to a glue-down tile product since we ended up installing a new plywood subfloor. (If anyone’s interested in a step-by-step of that process, here’s our post from last year: http://chezerbey.com/2010/10/17/installing-cork-flooring/)
My only complaint is that it is already scratched from dog claws and there are several divots in one area from a chair leg that was missing its felt pad. But we’re calling it patina! =) Some of that might be attributed to the finish though. We did a wax finish which is softer than poly, but it’s a buildable finish (meaning you just keep adding to it over the years, making it more durable). We also chose it b/c unlike a poly finish, you can spot repair w/o having to redo the whole floor. But like others have said, it’s feels good underfoot, is warmer than even a wood floor (due to all the air pockets in the cellular structure of cork), is just fine with spills and is easy to clean.
I think with any flooring, people (myself included) want it to be some miracle product b/c it’s usually an expensive purchase and has such a presence in the home, but in reality – it gets walked on, spilled on and otherwise abused on a daily basis so the best advice might be to just accept that it will show some wear and tear before other things will.
Amy says
Congrats on the big decision! My husband and I are so excited you picked cork — we just ordered Lumber Liquidators cork in Dali, so we are stoked to see you taste-making Petersiks make the same choice. :o)
We’re renovating our own mid-century modern masterpiece, and we love the idea of picking furnishings that go with the era without looking strictly retro. Cork fits the bill! Check out this ad, via Mid Century Home Style: http://www.midcenturyhomestyle.com/inside/living-room/1950s/gallery/page04.htm
Thanks, as always, for sharing your efforts!
YoungHouseLove says
So much fun!!
xo,
s
Kate says
Doesn’t the sunroom have the same flooring as the kitchen currently has? Have you thought about going ahead and replacing it too, or is that a way-down-the-line project?
I can’t wait to see how the cork looks. We’re going to convert our screened in porch into a sunroom, and I really wanted to put down hardwoods like we have in the rest of the house, but I know it will be expensive and risky over concrete. I’ve considered cork, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it blends with your exisiting flooring.
YoungHouseLove says
That actually has real tile (it was added on in the 90s) so we probably will replace that someday, but maybe not with cork- not sure what we’ll do in there yet!
xo,
s
Becky says
I held my breath while reading this – please God don’t let them pick Pergo! It was in our house when we moved in last year and we couldn’t get it out fast enough. Because it floats it’s very noisy when you walk on it. AND dogs can’t seem to get any traction on it and will slide all around. We were able to have tile, but yay also for cork!!!
Cher says
I work in a very popular library and we have cork floors in our lobby/checkout area. It looks great, even 8 years after it was installed, and while we get the occasional dent/scratch/mark it is easily sanded down and refinished.
Considering we have about 1,500 people walk through the lobby each day, I think it will stand up to use and abuse of your four-person family, even if your number increase!
Also, if you’re looking for a good wood (for cabinets, trim, tables, etc) to set it off, try bamboo. We used it for our “grand staircase” and besides actually BEING eco-friendly, it really LOOKS “green.”
Micha says
Dark wood (or cork) floors in a white kitchen are “THE BOMB”! Love it :o) We were lucky that the heart pine floors original to our almost 100 y/o house were in decent shape under the nasty Linoleum so we had them refinished. Looooove my dark wood floors :o) although if you have pets and kids, there’ll be lotsa sweepin’ in the future. But at least you’ll be sweeping sweet floors ;o)
Abby says
Can I make a guess about the backsplash? Tile to the ceiling with the open cabinets/shelves. I would die…I saw a photo of that look recently (well, it was behind the stove hood) and I just loooved it!!
YoungHouseLove says
Ya never know……
xo,
s
melanie says
We’ve been dreaming of cork floors in the kitchen for two years now. Your post might just give us the push to look for good sales and not just dream about it!
My question is, how exactly do you go about haggling prices? Do you just flat out ask for a discount for no specific reason, or do you look for a reason? Do you have a standard “flow” of how you negotiate?
YoungHouseLove says
I always say one thing: “is that your best price?” – then I wait. It’s hard not to hem and haw, but if you ask that question and just shut up for a second sometimes they’ll think for a moment and say “well, I can knock $50 off” or “well I can throw in the underlayment at a discount” or “ok, I can do 5% off for you.” Just ask and see where it goes!
xo,
s
Jen C says
Surprised you chose cork. We chose cork for our kitchen remodel three years ago because we liked the look and that it was eco-friendly. We had it installed in our kitchen and have regretted it ever since. Our experience is that it really shouldn’t get wet (even though it is sealed). After a short time you will notice that the seams of each tile will bubble due to contact with water. Im not talking about flooding type water…I mean typical mopping of a kitchen floor. In addition, we’ve noticed that it doesn’t hold up well to the damage that our cats and two toddlers put on a floor. I really hope that things have changed and that it works out for you.
erin says
I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED YOU GUYS CHOSE CORK. because it’s going down in my kitchen too, for some of the same reasons as yours (specifically, floor joists can’t handle tile, not feeling Pergo, and cork comes in a color that’s consistent with the adjacent hardwoods.)
so I am watching with bated breath and hoping it’s not TOO long before you get to the install and all the deets….
Sarah says
It’s gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it installed!
So I noticed with all your inspiration pics, there’s also a lot of natural light going on, which your current one doesn’t have. Do you think you’d consider a skylight or track lights? I think my only hesitation with the dark color of the flooring would be the current lighting issue. But I’m sure you’ve got something figured out! You never seem to disappoint!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’ve definitely dreamed about adding skylights down the line! Although we’re hoping once we paint the cabinets and open the door to the dining room (which has a huge picture window) it’ll be nice and bright!
xo,
s
Sue C. says
I’m excited to see what you do with both the cork and the concrete counters. I’ve been interested in both as kitchen materials for some time, but I am a renter and not yet an owner. I’ll just live vicariously through you guys. And thanks for answering my newbie decorating question!
Martha says
We have the same cork in our kitchen – it is beautiful and still looks great more than two years after installation. We were a little paranoid about water getting into the seams where the planks meet, so we went over the floor with two layers of polyurethane immediately after it was installed. Good luck! Look forward to seeing it on the floor.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s exactly what we plan to do! Yay. Glad to hear that two years later it’s still looking great!
xo,
s
Carole says
I like the dark cork. We just renovated our kitchen. We have dark walnut cabinets and light cream floor. …just the opposite. :-) Although, we have no window coverings. I happen to notice and like the green roman blind and curtains in the fourth picture you posted (green and yellow pattern). Do you know where the picture comes from and (I may be pushing my luck, but..) where I could buy the curtains or fabric?
c
YoungHouseLove says
You can check out the bottom of the post for the source for each of those inspiration photos – hope it helps!
xo
s
Ingrid says
We have cork and truly love it in our kitchen. It is a lot easier on you feet and legs while you are cooking than wood or other surfaces. Great choice, I can’t wait to see it! Ours is the click together and is has a protective coat on it so you don’t need to worry about water or spills. I have two girls and made sure of that! We have a really bright kitchen (full of windows) and did notice a slight fade where my rug was but not a big deal. I took it out and it has evened out. You will love it!
julie says
I was just wondering if you had considered engineered hardwood and why you may have rejected it. It seems like it would have the hardwood look without the weight of solid hardwood. I know you already bought the cork (which looks great), just wondering your thought process
YoungHouseLove says
We just didn’t see anything we liked (and worried it would sound different than the hardwoods that would be next to it in some of the rooms- so someone walking could “feel” or “hear” the difference). We also like that cork can be refinished like the hardwoods way down the line if need be!
xo,
s
Firesparx says
My new kitchen is pretty much like your first inspirational photo. I did the same thing: I looked at all the inspirational photos I kept from magazines and noticed they were all white shaker cabinets, black counters and a rich dark wood floor. (Back in my day there wasn’t this brilliant thing called “Pinterest”. We had to read magazines in person, rip out the pages and make inspirational binders. You kids have it too easy/awesome). I ended up going with a beautiful Hickory engineered hardwood that I just love.
However, My mother has a cork floor in her kitchen. It looks amazing, and hides dirt very well (too well actually, I think she forgets to sweep…) It’s so comfy to stand on and dropped dishes practically bounce. Downside is that I’ve noticed wearing underneath their kitchen chairs. Now her floor is going on 6 years old (my stylish mom is always ahead of the design trends) so maybe the newer floors are tougher.
Marcie says
Can’t wait to see it! We have the same coloured oak cabinets and trim everywhere in our house as you currently have in your kitchen. We have been having such a hard time trying to figure out what colour flooring would go with it. Once you get the cork flooring, could you possibly put a few pieces down in front of your cabinets before you paint them so that we can see how they would look? That would be awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Sure, I’ll try to remember to squeeze that in!
xo,
s
threadbndr says
I love the cork; it’s so close in color/feel to the third inspiration photo down.
Technical question = how do you handle the transitions between the cork and the hardwoods? You’re going to have three big, open doorways in this room. How is that going to work?
I’m probably going to go with a retro lino in my kitchen. There are hardwoods underneath, but they are in VERY bad shape and not really salvagable without insane amounts of work. I’m going for a retro look in my kitchen and lino will work well, I think. But cork is now on my radar. A dark reddish toned one that will blend in with the dining room (once I get those floor re-finished) would be nice….
Joining you with the ‘painting cabinets white’ gig – maybe by next summer.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll just treat them the same way we handled the big doorways in the old house- with as cohesive and not-annoying transitions as possible. They’ll probably all be oak since there are oak hardwoods and oak parquet in all of the adjoined rooms. And we’ll try to keep them as flush as possible!
xo,
s
Carrie f says
Yeah! Love cork and it is so pretty. We installed it in a lot of high end houses in az and the clients always loved it. We even put that exact same pattern and color in a high traffic childrens home and it held up great. I helped install and stain it and it was actually kind of fun! I think you will love it! So excited that you are officially beginning the kitchen journey!
-Carrie & Finn
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s so awesome to hear (that you used the same pattern and color in a high traffic children’s home)! Can’t wait to stomp around on it with Clara!
xo,
s
Brittnee says
Sherry and John, I love you guys, buuuuut..I don’t like the cork color AT ALL. It looks more like clay swirled into black mud than mocha. Could it be the photos doing that?
YoungHouseLove says
Might just be your monitor (colors look different in all computers, etc) or the picture. In person it’s nothing like clay or mud! Haha. We love it! It’s extremely similar in tone to the wood floors we had in our first kitchen except the texture is… like cork!
xo,
s
Ann says
We loved our upgrade of sub-floor plus carpet to sub-floor plus pergo. We chose a lovely honey brown that makes the rooms seem warm and cozy. The click and lock application was easy once we got the hang of it, but the cutting took a toll on our knees (since we placed the saw on the floor for easy access). Next time, we will leave the saw on a stand and not kneel the whole time.
Hillary M. says
We put cork in our entire second floor last year and haven’t regretted it once. It’s not cold in the morning (even in the middle of a chilly Canadian winter), and we can’t hear the cat thumping from one room to the next anymore. He sounded more like a 250 pound human before! If the previous owner hadn’t already put new hardwood in the first floor, I’d be happily renovating again. So excited for you to see/hear/feel the difference it will make in your own house.
YoungHouseLove says
I never knew I’d be so excited to “hear” the difference of cork, but suddenly I can’t wait!! Haha.
xo,
s
Molly says
While trying to decide to paint or re-stain our kitchen cabinets, I took a look at my Pinterest kitchens and discovered everything I pinned had painted white cabinets. I’m considering that a done deal.
Margaret says
We have cork in our kitchen and love it! Especially loved it when I dropped a glass measuring cup on it the other day and… nothing happened! It will also be great for Clara when she plays there- my two boys (3yr and 6yr) pretend they are penguins and slide down the two steps into the kitchen and have a super soft cork landing! Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!
xo,
s
Ginny says
Did anyone you consulted about the cork flooring have dogs? We are looking to replace some flooring in our den but we have 3 big dogs (45-55 lbs each), so we need something to stand up to all the scratchy toenails. We can’t do tile and were looking at cork and bamboo, so I’m curious how it holds up in dog-friendly household. I’m sure you won’t have much of a problem with Burger, but I know our dogs are hard on our floors. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, two people did (and one set are very big dogs!). We also have commenters who have big dogs who have said they still look great! I think it’s the same as hardwoods (you might notice small scratches in the sealer if you get down on the floor, but it’s nothing too noticeable and they don’t gouge out the cork or anything if it’s sealed).
xo,
s
eileen says
I put cork floors in my kitchen when I remodeled 12 years ago. My mother remembered them from the 60s when they were used extensively in Eichler homes in Palo Alto. Back then, they were high maintenance and needed to be waxed, etc. Now they are covered in some urethane finish. I love my floors as they match the oak wood floors in the rest of the house beautifully and plates and glasses don’t break when dropped as they would on tile or wood. The only downside is that knives stick and I gouged a spot when moving the refrigerator. Lucky you that there are so many new styles available now. One more benefit, the kitchen smelled like a wine cellar when I installed them!
Kellie says
We’re redoing our kitchen sometime in the next year or so, but plan on getting things gradually so that we don’t have to spend a ton at once. I took a hint from you guys and went to the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore to look for more cabinets. They didn’t have any that matched our existing cabinets, but they did have some awesome floor tile for just $1/sq ft. Sold! Thanks for the point in that direction!
What do you think about painting cabinets a color? Ours are currently white + major grunge, and I want something with a little more depth since the floor is light. Inspiration: http://pinterest.com/pin/274591356/ and http://pinterest.com/pin/274582035/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh I love those inspiration kitchens! Do it! And send us pics!
xo,
s