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.
Sarah says
My mom replaced the dingy carpet in our living room this summer with Pergo. It looks really nice and it seems like it’s pretty durable. We had it professionally installed because my mom didn’t want to have to do it ourselves (I think he had to use some glue on it, as well). We got it replaced in the beginning of July, and spent the rest of that month and most of August trying to find rugs and pillows that look nice. I loved it because I got to soothe my pent-up interior decorating itch (from being a college student and living on campus).
I was surprised that you looked into getting light-colored floors because it seems to me that the majority of your flooring choices (especially in your old house) have been dark. But I agree that they do make the whole house more cohesive, and that people should be looking at all the other awesome stuff going on in your house, not just the floor. :)
laxsupermom says
Love that whitewashed pergo, but I looooove me some cork. I’m especially excited that you picked the cork, because now I can say we have cork floors like John & Sherry, only the biggest names in DIY blogdom. So Yay!
I just realized I don’t have any good pics of our cork floors on my blog. There’s glimpses around and behind my son here, but none of the actual floor. Suffice it to say, that it wears beautifully and holds up to the abuse of a busy household with boys who sometimes forget to take off their muddy cleats when running in for a snack. It hides dirt like crazy when I’m too busy to tackle it, but cleans like a dream with my steam mop. Can’t say enough good things about cork. Looking forward to seeing it installed in your kitchen.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s such a cool cork pattern! Love it!
xo,
s
laxsupermom says
Thanks! I had ordered the tiles in Cocoa and Praline, planning on doing a traditional checkerboard, but when I got them, I started playing with them, and came up with the larger pattern. Luckily I had ordered just enough overage to create the pattern.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an amaaaazing result!
xo,
s
Nina says
Have you considered concrete resurfacing for your counters? My in-laws recently had this done in their house over old laminate counters – it looks great, was quick and is an alternative for houses that have pier and beam or floors that can’t support the weight of full concrete slabs on their counters. They choose a really shiny finish on theirs but there are probably different options. I don’t know much about it but I’m guessing some Googling could net you some info if you don’t already know about them. If not, I could get some more info from them and let you know. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Jessica C. says
We’re updating our entire 1975 home to get ready for foster parenting (hoping to adopt as well) and just bought “hand scraped” Golden Teak laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators (about 900 sq.ft.) to go everywhere except in the bathrooms and kitchen. It took me a long time to pick out floors since I always had my heart set on real hardwood–but we just couldn’t afford it, and our 2 young dogs would probably make it look like a hamster’s chewing block after a very short time.
The golden teak looks really natural and it’s as red as it looks in the picture. http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=6582
I have not installed them yet (bought them before I started all my work just like you, heh). I’m actually really nervous about installing them myself. Never done it before and the learning curve alone will probably make it take 5 times longer to install–which won’t have me thinking “FUN!”
How can I avoid wasting time and materials, but not spend $1,500-$2,000 to have someone else install it?? We don’t have anyone (dads, etc.) to help us with this kind of stuff and I could use all the advice and resources I can get!
We’re already in the hole, which I didn’t want to happen :-/
Anyone who loves to teach and lives in So Cal, contact me! I need to learn–like, everything!
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have advice or help to offer Jessica C?
xo,
s
Beatrice says
@JessicaC – the flooring is usually the LAST thing done in a renovation due to otherwise a nightmare in trying to protect it. You mention that you bought it before all the work?
But at any rate, youtube is a wealth of information, but it is a two-person job for sure. You might ask friends, neighbors, check your/any church, even Lowes/HD for a recommendation for a ‘handy man’ who would be willing to help you for an hourly rate (or something you could barter). That way you could do as much prep, and follow up as you could, and just use him when you really needed him and keep costs to a minimum.
GreenInOC says
@Jessica – where in southern California? If you are in south OC, I know of a wonderful handyman who you could hire for advice and the toughs spots.
NatalieM. says
I know you didn’t pick the white wash pine but did you find that sample instore at lowes or did you have to order it? we are looking to white wash our bathroom floors.
YoungHouseLove says
That was a sample from the store that we “signed out.” It was in their flooring section hanging on a wall you could sort of flip though. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lori says
We put a light cork with swirls of grey in our whole basement. It is perfect! It absorbs heat, looks fantastic, and super easy to install. Excellent choice!
Tux says
I don’t know if someone’s already asked this in the comments and I was just too lazy to read through- but here goes-
I’m just wondering about the weight of concrete countertops vs the weight of tiled floors…
If you are certain that your floors won’t support the weight are you certain that your concrete countertops will be a safe bet?
I love the look of concrete and think it’ll be an amazing project (I’ve been following you on pinterest too) but the thought just occurred to me and I’m wondering if it’s occurred to you also….
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, not sure at all about the counters yet! Haha. Concrete is lighter than granite so the fact that we already have granite in half of the kitchen and it’s ok means we can put concrete there without worrying but since we’re adding a peninsula (with more counters over there) we still have to consult a few experts to be sure that’s ok – or come up with an alternative if they don’t.
xo,
s
Shareen says
We have cork in our kitchen/dining area and love it. Not only is it so warm and inviting, but it is much more comfortable to stand on for long periods than a “hard” hardwood or tile. It has a little bit of cushion to it…the things you realize after making dinners and standing doing dishes!
The only downfall would be that same softness…it can show indents (from where I stood on a footstool to change a lightbulb for example) – but the organic pattern of the cork hides it for the most part.
Enjoy your cozy floors!
Liz says
Ooooooh, this is so exciting! So when the flooring arrives it would be awesome to see a whole bunch of it layed out so we can all see what it looks like, uhhhhhh if it’s not too much trouble, of course. We had 600 square feet of hardwood flooring (Lumber Liquidators on clearance…had to pounce) in boxes stashed in our family room for 2 years before it got installed.
Alisa says
Oh how I would love cork floors, however, they’re just not in our budget right now. We inherited maroon shag carpeting in all the bedrooms (I know you’re jealous) and a horrible patterned carpet in the laundry room (because that’s practical) and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new floors. We bought a peel and stick for the laundry room (they look like wood and had good reviews) since I really wanted vinyl in case of any water issues. We are only getting enough laminate oak planks for one of the bedrooms (the baby’s) because of time restraints, but I read that they don’t have off-gassing issues which is what won me over. I’m excited to see how your floors turn out! You’re getting me hooked on dark floors (just not maroon shag carpeting!)..
Stephanie says
Love it! We saved most of the hardwood floors in our 100 year old house, but they are too far gone in the laundry area. I’m hoping to convince my husband cork would rock. :)Folding diapers with that underfoot sounds much nicer than hard tile.
Chelsea Fussell says
Lumber Liquidators cork is great! The styles they offer are amazing and last a long time! Cork is not only nice to look at and feel, it is a sounds barrier, eco-friendly, water resistent, and perfect for a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or even a nursery! Lumber Liquidators has great prices on all flooring but cork is my favorite!
Susan says
We have bamboo floors throughout our house but I love the cork floors we put in the kitchen! The cork is much softer underfoot than either wood or tile. it’s been down for 10 years and still looks great. i’ve seen old houses with cork floors over 100 years old. My only advice, make sure your subfloor is a “smooth” as you can get it. Small lumps and bumps will show.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! And I love that yours has been down for ten years (!) and still looks great. Isn’t it amazing to hear about homes that have it for 100 years? Crazy.
xo,
s
Jordan G @ The Happy Homebodies says
We put resilient vinyl throughout our entire house, and we love it! We get a lot of compliments on our “beautiful wood floors,” which is always funny. Plus it was so cheap- 79 cents per square foot.
http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=6964&categoryId=499§ionId=473&subCategoryId=0
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that looks really convincing. Love it!
xo,
s
Beatrice says
My sister has this, you really cannot tell without feeling it. It’s awesome!
Destiny says
Just wanted to give a nod to your choice to go with the cork. When my husband I I remodled our kitchen a couple of years ago we put down cork (I think it might be VanGogh from Lumber Liquidators) and we LOVE it! We like it so much I’ve even considered putting it down in the rest of the house. Hope you love it as much as we do. Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from the same line as ours! So funny! They also sell Dali and ours is Porto. So glad you still love it years later!
xo,
s
Rhuned says
Hi Sherry,
Have you guys ever considered using those locking style vinyl planks? If yes, what swayed your decision to cork over those?
Also, will you be installing a transitional strip between the hardwood you have now and the new cork tiles? I’m curious about the seamlessity (is that a even a word? haha)
YoungHouseLove says
We looked at some of those but just didn’t see a color/design that we liked more than cork. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah Keller says
Lumber Liquidators is the best! We got solid bamboo flooring for about $2 a square foot for our entire house (http://modernranch.blogspot.com/2011/09/hard-grass-flooring.html). Thinking about going with cork for our basement…can’t wait to see how it turns out in your kitchen, good choice!!!
Gina says
Ooh! I am SO excited to see your cork floor! The previous owners of our house upgraded the whole kitchen but forgot the floors. I am really interested in replacing our light colored, worn out linoleum with a warm colored cork flooring to compliment our white cabinets/black granite, but my husband is on the tile bandwagon. We’re a ways off from this project, so I’m pulling for your finished project to inspire him towards cork :) No pressure, or anything. lol.
Joanne says
My husband and his brothers laid a cork floor in our kitchen, eat-in area and living room. We love the texture, colour and depth. It still looks new 1-1/2 years later. Everyone that visits the house loves it!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear how well it has worn for everyone!
xo,
s
Emily says
Love, love, love the cork! That was my choice.
priscilla says
The cork is beautiful and can’t wait to see it installed. It will look fantastice with white cabinets etc.
My brother is a contractor, and the reason tile cannot be installed on all floors, is that the subfloor joists must first be a certain size and supported by certain spans. Then the subfloor (either plywood or diagonally laid pieces of wood) must be 3/4 inch thick (I think that was his measurement, required by the building code. Many homes have the joists and then 1/2 inch subfloors, so they can’t hold the weight of tile. Big expanses of tile floors were not done much before the 1980’s so older homes rarely are set up for that, other than the small bathroom areas.
marci lambert says
i had a dark cork in my old kitchen and i LOVED it! it always felt great to walk on; it was never cold. and it looked lovely. we did have a 20lb dog but her nails never scratched it. however, a couple of teen girls were in the kitchen once wearing stiletto boots and after they left i noticed some gouges in the floor (they were bored, leaning on the counters which put all the weight on those tiny little spikes). we didn’t do anything to them and over time they seemed to be less noticeable. so just beware teens in stilettos. for many reasons.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I love that the dog wasn’t responsible – it was the teenagers! We have a no shoes in the house rule that we’ll have to be sure to enforce when it comes to teens in spiky heeled shoes! Haha.
xo,
s
Tanja @ Postmodern Hostess says
We put cork in our kitchen, and we are pretty happy with it. I did a whole rundown on pros and cons here (bonus: cute chihuahua pictures appear in the post too).
Just a caution (okay, a BIG caution): the scratches and dents are for real, and are way easier to come by than even scratches in our bamboo floors. If you put the floors in before the appliances go in, be crazy-type-A careful, definitely use the foam feet, and don’t let appliances sit, even for more than a minute, on any flooring where you don’t want permanent dents showing.
As for day-to-day scratches, nada so far! Other than the extra caution during installation, we’re find the floors super low-maintenance. Wish we’d glued ’em down, though!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! Great info!
xo,
s
LPM says
We actually just completely re-did our kitchen from the the studs out! After much searching and looking, I went with a tiger striped bamboo. I am the exact opposite of you guys, I have white cabinets, subway tile back splash and black counter tops, so I wanted a statement on the floor. Absolutely love it!
Jill says
Interesting choice on the cork. I will be looking into that for the next kitchen renovation I will be doing in a couple of months. We have a historic craftsman house that I am working on renovating myself since my husband had to relocate to another state for his new job. The funny thing is we have been working to turn our house back into a single family home but because of the relocation we are turning it back into a duplex! So I have twice the work to do, but I also get to design two separate kitchens, baths, etc.. I bought two different types of flooring for the upstairs apartment. One is by Glacier Peaks and the other one is St. James Collection. By far the St. James collection is much much much better than the Glacier Peaks. Both have their own unique sounds when you walk on them, not bad but the St. James is much thicker and just seems better constructed. I bought the St. James from Lumber Liquidators and my mom talked them down to 1.39 a sq ft since we bought what they had left (which was way more than I needed, but if I bought what I needed I would have spent way more!) Thanks for the ideas on cork!
Pamela says
Hi Sherry,
I think your cork decision is a fabulous one! I researched cork a couple of years ago (dark color fo-sho!) and was so impressed with its many qualities. In reading about it, people said that they grew up with cork floors (1950’s/1960’s) and that the original floors are still in place today & look great. It’s supposed to be self-healing if it is cut, which is really cool & unique (what other flooring material can make that claim?).
The only drawback for me was that it does fade in sunlight (very dark colors, anyway), and that’s literally the only reason I felt it wouldn’t work since my kitchen gets a ton of sunlight. I was sooo disappointed (I wanted a very dark chocolate color with subtle pattern), but for your kitchen, it sounds like the ideal choice! Can’t wait to see it installed with your other upgrades! I haven’t settled on a flooring yet & would love to know if your friends (or readers) have had any issues with their (very dark color) cork fading with sunlight exposure? I’d happily reconsider the choice if I knew similar real-world situations were fine. I just think cork is sooo beautiful & timeless. Thanks so much!
Caroline says
Good luck with the tear-out! We just replaced the kitchen floor in our late ’50s bungalow with ceramic and our super patient floor installers had to rip NINE layers out. Multiple sub floors, layers of vinyl, carpet, hardwood and a false alarm asbestos tile scare. A fast introduction to home ownership!
Brittany says
I had cork in a kitchen and I LOVED it! You are going to be so happy with it. I went with it because my floors were really irregular and it had some flexibility to it. But I loved the shock absorption of it too. I have bamboo now and I gotta say that after a day of cooking/cleaning, I feel the impact of being on such a hard floor. The cork was a wonderful choice and you got a great price! Congrats!
Jill says
Oh snappity snap snap.. snaaaaap. I freakin love the cork floors! I am SOOOOO stoked for yall. I want cork in my kitchen. We have fugly linoleum that has been there ohh round abouts 25 years. I can’t wait to hear how easy it is to install. Can we fast forward to 2013??? :) Congrats on the great price and your new purchase! Now let’s move on to the next one…. cabinets?
Kirsten says
I’ve got boxes and boxes of slate just waiting for the kitchen reno. Of course, I’ve had them for over a year and the kitchen has yet to be started…….But hey, I couldn’t pass up a good deal!
Claire says
that’s so cool! i hope it turns out well. i’m sure we’ll see it :)
kate says
Did you see your pull string pinata DIY was mentioned on Tori Spelling’s blog? I don’t know how I know this, I did not go to there ;\ haha!
http://www.torispelling.com/post/diy-pull-string-pinata
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that crazy?! So excited!
xo,
s
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints says
love dark floors. it’s going to look great. i’m looking for counter stools. it’s so hard to find just the right look.
Christie says
The choice of the natural surface is the best! Love cork. (I also love marmoleum … had it in my last house and thought its great.)
I can’t wait to see your kitchen … nothing updates a house like a transformed kitchen. Have fun!
Pam C says
Didn’t realize I was holding my breath until after I read you were going with the cork. Laminate is dull – dead looking and sounds like plastic. You’ll be very happy with the cork.
mayaliana says
I’ve used cork in the kitchen as both flooring and as backsplash (with an extra poly-coat) it’s gorgeous. Seven years later, despite a lot of abuse, it still looks perfect.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s awesome!
xo,
s
Martha says
Have you thought about using your extra cabinets from the office desk project to make your peninsula? I don’t know what the back of those cabinets looks like, but I’m sure John could figure something out!
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly they’re way too squat (they weren’t from a kitchen, they were hotel night stands- so they’re about eight inches too short and we only have two of them. I have other plans for them though!
xo,
s
Stacie M. says
Good call on not doing the lino stripes. My husband was a floor installer for years. He talked me into doing lino in our Seattle house and I hated it. It was kind of dangerous too. For some reason my dry feet and the floor didn’t get along. It was slippery.
I love cork! We had it in an office that I worked at in downtown Seattle. They did a two toned checkerboard pattern. It was comfortable, provided good sound quality and it looked so cool!
Elina says
We couldn’t believe our luck when we found oak hardwood flooring from our local Home Hardware’s yearly garage sale for $1 a square foot!! They even had enough to redo our whole house! Gotta love a steal of a deal!!
GreenInOC says
For those worried about dogs & cork – cork holds up pretty darn well! Here’s a video from last year with one of my foster dogs, Milo, and you can see lots of the floor which was about 5 years old then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owNu5S2Im1o&feature=related
Here’s another one with 2 puppies playing, the light isn’t so great in this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpMbPq5pcz4&feature=related
This one has nothing to do with the floors but it makes me laugh!!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0yHRGry84Q&feature=related
I do have one spot from a 50lb. dog that would run around the house and spin to turn around in one spot over and over. After a while there was some damage inflicted there but I’m not sure if that same damage wouldn’t have occurred with bamboo or hardwood.
Also, lesson learned here, do NOT use casters on cork. I now have a wooden (actually bamboo) roll up chair mat under my desk chair.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- thanks so much for including those videos for anyone with dogs! Love it!
xo,
s
Trisha says
This is a random suggestion.
I really liked some of the kitchens you showed and pinned. Some of the link sites are blocked at work to go ahead and Pin on my own. This is where the suggestion comes in: in your About section or the ;) wink section (or somewhere else it may make better sense), can you put a link to find you on pintrest? Sometimes trying to search for you is difficult on their site. I ‘follow’ you but I think pintrest changed some of their navigation so I am unable to find you ‘quickly.’
Thanks, you guys always make my day!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh we actually have a sidebar button that leads to my pinterest page! It’s the one that says “Inspiration” with the pinterest logo on the bottom (it’s a little further down the page). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Trisha says
Homer simpson ‘D’oh’ hehe
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- no worries!
xo,
s
Willa Jean Harner says
That cork is a terrific choice! Good for you two. In my last house, we inherited cork in the entryway, and liked it so much that we put (sealed) cork in the bathroom when it came time to redo that room. And we loved it for being quiet, water-resistant, and relatively soft underfoot. Given the opportunity, I would have put it in the kitchen and family room, too, but we moved to another state instead! Mocha floors inspire me, too.
Good luck with the thousand and one decisions you’ll need to make before that kitchen is finished!!
Billie McIntosh says
I love cork. In our 2nd house that was one of the few remodels we did. Removed carpeting from two kids bedrooms and a HUGE playroom and installed cork. The playroom was actually a converted garage (by the previous owners) so the floor was cement. The cork kept it very warm and this was in Canada. I would put down cork again in a heartbeat. It is warm, easy to clean and quiet underfoot. Enjoy it!
Rachel says
Cork was definitely the right choice over laminate. I *always* prefer a natural material, and I think you will too!
Incidentally, my kitchen to-d- list looks almost exactly like yours (minus the structural changes like the doorway and peninsula). Now if only my husband was home to work on it full-time, and my income was dependent on my finishing it, maybe it would get some SOMETIME THIS CENTURY!
Shane says
Wow! Beautiful choice! I can’t wait to see what you guys think of them! I’ve been leaning toward cork for when we frame out and create our laundry room, so I look forward to your reviews!
Christine says
Love it! That will look great with the white cabinets. I once stayed at a very (very) old house in Prague that had hundreds’ year old cork floors that still looked fantastic. I like the “no trees were harmed in the making of this floor,” aspect of cork, too.
YoungHouseLove says
Those old Prague floors must have been amazing!
xo,
s
Ashley says
cork-tastrophe… you guys are so punny :)
YoungHouseLove says
Couldn’t. Help. Myself.
xo,
s
Sarah says
I have been a follower for a long time, but this is the first time that I have ever left a comment.
Anywaysss, I am stoked for this renovation because kitchens seem overwhelming to do work to. Possibly it is because kitchens are such a big part of our food-devouring culture and ruining the sacred place (the kitchen) would feel miserable? I am not totally if that is why renovating a kitchen feels overwhelming, but the point is that I look forward to picking up some tips from watching the progress.
Thank you for sharing your pictures and anecdotes,
Sarah
Jen says
OH! I am so pleased you picked the cork. It’s on my wishlist for our upstairs — they say it feels so nice and warm under your feet. Really looking forward to seeing how that project goes! (Eventually, I know! :) )
alg says
Oh, man. I hate being Debbie Downer, but I feel I must be honest here…
My husband was a sous chef at a fancy schmancy restaurant back in Tucson.
They had cork floors in the whole dining area — in fact, they look eerily similar to the ones you ordered — and they hated them.
Sure, they looked fabulous — at first — but the owners/staff quickly learned that “resistant” does not mean “proof” — as in water & bacteria. Spills were a REAL issue. Stains were impossible to get out and showed more than you’d imagine.
Oh, and yes, the floor had been sealed. (Was my first question too…)
The cork floors were also hard to clean & only certain cleaners could be used. (They were told natural cleaners were OK, but had problems with anything with a citrus base.)
Also, not only dents from furniture, but gouges everywhere. If one woman walked through there with high heels, you could see her trail forever.
Also, the sun bleached out big sections very quickly & the whole thing looked mismatched within a year. (Of course, yours isn’t desert sun & you’ve also mentioned before that your kitchen doesn’t get much natural light, so that probably wouldn’t be a consideration for you guys — but again, just being honest.)
I’m SUPER bummed to have to be the wet blanket, but figured it was only neighborly to be honest about what I’ve witnessed.
The chef/investors of the restaurant openly (and often) lamented installing the cork floor, so I know it must have been legitimately troublesome.
Which stinks. Because I think they’re GORGEOUS.
:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( Sorry :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
YoungHouseLove says
No worries at all! It seems like many (many) commenters have had cork for years (even decades) and have loved it – even with dogs and babies! Maybe it’s not the right choice for a high-traffic restaurant, but after chatting with friends and family members who have & love it (none with a single regret), we’re excited that we took the plunge! Of course we’ll report back if we love them or hate them! We spare no details either way:)
xo,
s