Q: Now that you’re in your third house, I’m sure there are things you’ve learned about budgeting, decorating, house hunting, etc. having been through the process a few times now. Would you ever consider writing a post about what your first and second house taught you? -Alison
A: Sure we’d consider it. In fact, here it is! Like anything in life, you hope your previous experiences will help make you smarter about your next one. And I think having our first home influenced the selection and design of our second and now the same thing is happening again – plus we now have the extra benefit of comparing the first two. We talked in this post already about how stylistically (well, at least color palette-ly) we’ll probably land somewhere between our light & beachy first house and the bold & colorful second house. But beyond that, there are some other influences that those first two places had on the selection and continued evolution of this place. Here’s a sampling of them in no particular order:
We want to splurge less than we did in the first house, but more than the second. In hindsight (which always seems to be 20/20) we feel like we may have overspent in the first house and underspent in the second one (we spent around 35K on improvements to our first house and around 15K on improvements to our second house). A great example of this is to compare our two kitchen remodels. The first one cost us around $17,000 because we splurged on materials (granite counters, custom cabinets) and labor (the only thing we DIYed was painting – so we even had pros gut the room and hang cabinets for us back then). Our second house’s kitchen reno came in under 7K (including all new appliances) because we tightened our belts in both areas, like painting the existing cabinets and doing all of the labor ourselves, except for electrical and counter installation.
We’re happy with the end products of both, but realize our modestly-sized first house probably didn’t need a $17,000 kitchen and our second one probably could’ve been taken up a notch now that we’re looking back (at the time of course we were clutching our wallets and trying not to spare an extra penny if we didn’t have to). I, for one, wish we had gone with new cabinets in our second kitchen because while the paint made them look updated, they didn’t necessarily feel new in our day-to-day life (they didn’t feel like new cabinets when you opened them, we couldn’t configure them to have hidden hinges like modern cabinetry, etc). So for this third kitchen we plan to save on labor whenever we can like we did for our second kitchen, but put more of our savings into higher end finishes whenever we can – especially because we plan to be here for the long haul.
We wanted to bring some of the cozy back. The main motivation for moving from our first to our second house was the need for more space. I had just started working from home and Clara was fresh out of the oven, so 1,290 square feet and only one full bathroom was suddenly feeling very cramped – especially with so many relatives and friends staying with us to visit Clara. So we nearly doubled our square footage with our second house, thanks in large part to the big living room addition in the back. One surprising result was that after 2.5 years there we missed the coziness of our first living room (aka “the den“), which is why we were so drawn to the living room in this house, which reminds us of that space. Our current house is nearly the exact same square footage as our last one, it’s just more evenly divvied up across all of the rooms rather than having one football-stadium-sized living space. So it feels like we have the best of both worlds here: 2.5 bathrooms so we’re not all fighting to use one, but a cozy living room and slightly larger bedrooms (since every bedroom other than the main one in our first and second house were pretty modestly sized).
We want openness too, but where it counts. I realize “openness” is kind of opposite of coziness, but an airy feeling and a nice easy flow is still something that we want out of this house – just like we did in our last two. In our first house we tried to let the rooms breathe a bit by widening a few doorways and painting almost all of the spaces in a light and cohesive color palette. And in our second house we took out a big wall to connect the kitchen and dining room.
But one thing we’ve yet to achieve in either house is openness between the kitchen and living room, which has always been something that appeals to us. Coincidentally, both of our previous living rooms (well, the den in the first house) were additions to the original structure, meaning they were separated from the kitchen by an exterior brick wall… a wall that could only be opened so much since it was load bearing to the max. But not this time around. The only thing that stands in our way is a wet bar and a bookshelf (okay, and the associated plumbing) so we’re excited to finally connect the two most used spaces in our home like so many model homes and house crashings that we’ve admired like this one, this one and this one.
We made floors a top priority. By the time we’d left our first house, every inch of floor was new – from having new hardwoods installed in the kitchen/living/laundry to getting the rest of the house’s old oak flooring refinished. It was a pain having to shuffle all of our furniture around to make that all possible (evidence pictured below), but it was well worth it in the end. Yet for various reasons we never got around to doing it in our second house, and it’s probably our #1 regret of that house. Somewhere between having more furniture to get out of the way and working on our book behind the scenes while trying not to displace Clara for too long it just never happened. So that’s why we jumped on redoing the floors upstairs and polishing them downstairs right away here. We’re not completely done with all of our flooring updates (hello faux brick linoleum in the kitchen) but we’re glad we dealt with all of our hardwoods right off the bat.
We wanted to get outside easily. This may sound silly, but convenient access to our outdoor areas was a must for us. All four of us (Burger included) like being outside, but in the last two houses we were never quite able to incorporate our outdoor areas into our daily routine as much as we wanted. For instance, cookouts were inconvenient because getting from kitchen to grill involved a trip through one or two other rooms in both houses. So when we saw the big deck off the back of this house we saw lots of potential – especially once we convert our big bay of windows in the kitchen to doors (you still have to go through the living room to get out there now). Plus, having it all on the same level as our first floor (rather than down some steps like our last two patios) has already made it a more natural extension of our indoor living spaces. We’ve never been outside as much as we were this summer. I think we could star in a series called Deck Dynasty.
Patience is paramount. Our previous experiences as homeowners have also taught us to be comfortable with transformations not happening overnight. We very wrongly assumed that we’d be done painting our entire first house along with fully renovating the kitchen in the first three months of home ownership. We were off by… oh, about four years. And at first we were really frustrated and disappointed by how long it was taking and how not-instant most of the transformations were. But by our second house we’d learned (and learned to love) that homes take years to evolve and come together. Especially the good ones full of thought and heart and meaningful touches. There’s actually a lot of excitement and freedom in letting go of the idea that a house should be done within a few months or even within a few years. So in this house we hope to continue enjoying the journey and having fun living in a full-of-potential-but-not-at-all-finished home. Not only do we enjoy planning and saving our pennies for updates, we also like thinking things through and taking the time to do things right – especially because we plan to be here forever and a day.
I’m sure there are other things we’ve learned along the way (maybe even subconsciously) but I figure these are a good start. Now what about you guys? How have your previous living experiences (everything from renting or living with roommates to living at home with the rents or traveling abroad) informed the way you’re living now – or what you’re looking for in a future home?
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As a little Friday bonus, here are four fun projects, chats, or questions going on over on the Forums. We also announced this week’s giveaway winners, so you can click here (and scroll down to the Rafflecopter box) to see if it’s you.
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| by PrettyOrganized | by curvyfurniture | by crabandfishblog | by karazzies |
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Shannon [Our Home Notebook] says
I love your thoughts on this! We’re on our first house (second if you count the rental before this one) so we are trying to take it slow, listen to good advice, pick timeless for the big ticket items and do what we love. Thanks for the reminder that home doesn’t have to be finished overnight!
M says
30-year-old renter here. Bf & I pretty much did everything to our apartment we wanted to in the first 6 months. But I have to agree that a house takes time- my parents built a house in 1991 and it’s so funny to look at pictures from the first five or so years because everything was so plain for such a long time!
Jen says
What a great post! Thanks for sharing how you felt about your 2nd home’s kitchen cabinets. I love that you guys worked with what you had, but I always wondered how they compared to new, custom cabinets. As I am considering a kitchen demo myself, it’s great to get this perspective.
Also, thanks for reminding all of us to be patient. It’s SO easy to start feeling like everything has be be done right away.
Isabel says
While I love project updates, I love these posts too because it’s these types that taught me to step back and look at what a house can become, instead of the eyesore that it might currently be. Even though i grew with in a real estate biz household, my parents’ usual clients wanted things done, so when I would tag along on open houses or showings, it was to houses that were already updated and finished. I almost never saw before/afters so I didn’t look for potential. After hanging around your blog for a few years, I really think I finally understand how to find potential in an eyesore with good structure. And now that I’m at the point where I’m starting to poke around and entertain the options of finding my own home, it makes house-hunting so much more exciting! Patience is key, sure, but I think the fun of scheming and dreaming makes the wait for the payoff worth it!
Tricia | 724 South House says
I love how you’ve learned so much from your first 2 homes… It’s great to see that they have shown you what you want and how to get it. I’m so excited to see this new house unfold!
caroline [the diy nurse] says
I cannot believe the cost difference in your kitchens! Your second kitchen was like two or three times the size and cost so much less. DIY really does pay off!
Rachel says
I have lived in 20 houses but my current, and forever, home is the first one I have bought. When we moved in I promised myself I’d be patient and not expect to have everything done until at least 6 months. My deadline passed 2 years ago and we still have a list of things to do now and to do ‘one day’.
However, the good thing is seeing how things evolve over time. Just today my dad told me the house looks better every time he visits and loves how everything in the living room works together. My dad doesn’t complement often so I am still glowing that he said that. Maybe patience is worth it!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
merry says
Totally off topic… but oh my gosh!!! I just got my copy of Garden & Gun in the mail and you have a bazillion page story in it. Congrats. I live in Michigan but I’m a wanna-be-southern-girl so I read it until I can move someday.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Merry! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s a Virginia Tourism campaign. So excited to rep VA!
xo
s
Alli says
I love hearing about the difference between painted cabinets and installing new. Tell me more! I wish for a whole post :)
Gabrielle says
We are on our 4th and last house (thankfully) with 3 kids (ages 11,9 and 4). What we learned is that we love charming, intimate, cozy, old houses, that are small and original to period. We own a quaint 1929 English Cottage in Portland, OR that is only 1400 sq ft above grade. We don’t require much space,but we do require LOTS of windows. It is very gray and wet where we live. Windows make our small rooms feel spacious and open.
Sally G says
This is one of my favorite posts. There’s nothing like learning from other people’s experiences! Thank you!
Leigh says
I love open layouts where the kitchen and living areas flow nicely into each other. My only problem is my husband isn’t fond of them. He gets annoyed when something in the kitchen is too noisy and he’s trying to watch TV, so therefore he wants 2 seperate rooms.
I can’t wait too see what you guys decide to do with this kitchen. I’ve loved both your previous kitchens but I have a feeling you may do something different in this one.
Stephanie says
Hahaha, Deck Dynasty :) That made me laugh – good one.
Heather says
I’ve never owned a home, and I’ve moved 18 times in 11 years after spending my entire childhood through HS in one place. It’s been an adjustment! I’ve had a lot of roommates along the way and learned a lot about myself, how I can be a better roommate, and what I’m looking for in a roommate. Right now my mister and I have a place to ourselves and are pretty darn ecstatic about it, even though long-term we’re thinking more of an intentional homesteading community is going to be better for us.
So I’ve got a lot of experience making mistakes moving, but that’s about it! lol
Lindsey says
Thanks for this post. My family and hubby laugh, because I’m always on a project, going from one thing to another – and back again if it’s a long haul. But I’ve learned that I need to do things that way, or renovating isn’t as fun. So, some rooms you’d think I’d paint first end up further down the list as I paint an obscure nook under the sink, then float over to my garage to paint the inside of the garage door, then on to the guest room…it’s how I roll. *pun intended – groan*
Jenifer says
What I love about this post is that it demonstrates three things:
1. what each person/family needs is going to vary;
2. you may not know what you need until you actually live it and/or live with it and then have the opportunity to move (if you do have that — a benefit of renting for a bit, too — say while saving up to get your first home!);
3. DIY and home reno/adaptation is a process.
The first two were things that DH and I worked on a lot over the years. Our first house was purchased based on affordability and location, and it had some great elements for us and some less-great ones.
When we moved, we knew we could downsize, we knew that we needed X and Y, but didn’t need A and G. It was great to narrow down our search criteria based on that. Then, we moved again (we were renting), because we learned in that first apartment that while we thought being without F wouldn’t matter, it turns out that we did actually need F, but we totally didn’t need Y like we thought we did. So, F got prioritized.
Now we are moving again, but this time it’s even more interesting. Everything that we wanted was off the list because family is helping us find the place (it’s in another country). So, while I had some basic requests, what was prioritized was price (which was our top priority), and then after that, whatever my family liked about the place. LOL I’m sure it’ll be a nice place, and we’ll see how well it fits us.
Once we are there, we’ll probably live there for a year — saving up more for a down payment on a home. Right now, we want a live-income property — probably an old victorian divided in two apartments — and we want the ground floor apartment to have two bedrooms and access to a fenced back yard. So far, we have found some options via the internet, and my sister’s friend — who works in real estate — is keeping her eyes peeled for what we want.
But living in the apartment that we currently have set up for us when we arrive will teach us a lot about what we really want to prioritize in that live-income property.
But the other big thing for us is #3. Neither of us are “handy” and have never been encouraged or taught to be “handy.”
Yet, I’m proud of myself because I did pull out a small patio garden’s overgrown plants and resell them, recondition the soil, find some floating wooden tiles to put over the area that got covered in mud all the time (what a great, affordable and simple solution that was — you know, for a rental), and then replanted the garden. I also fixed several small things in the current place, learning a lot.
When we do get to a place we own, I want to work on some basic projects — just seeing if I can do some DIY stuff and learn some of those skills. my BIL is good at that sort of thing (like laying his own hardwood floors), and so he said I can both A. help he and my sister with their home reno (which is down the road from where we’ll be living), and also B. learn some skills from him and he’ll help us get started (or supervise), while I learn how to do it.
But i have to not be a perfectonist. I have to be willing to try, and if I fail, try again. In the past, I would fail and give up and live with a mess until I could pay a pro to fix it. Now, I just have to not be afraid of failure.
Particularly if I’m going to be a landlord. I’ll need to learn some basic DIY so that I can take care of the property tha I want to rent.
Gabrielle says
I love your comments Jennifer! Much of you assessment has been our experience too. I am also a perfectionist, and learned through experience we have great intentions and very little skill set to take on more complex DIY. After living in a few houses and armed with our list of needing C and F but not A or B and most definitely knowing we can handle cosmetic fixer (shag carpet removal, stripping paint from nearly 100 year old cupboards, adding vintage hardware back to said cupboards, sanding original floors) but we can’t handle galvanized plumbing, electrical or structural work. What my priorities were in our first house in 1998 and our home we bought last year are surprisingly similar, but vastly different then our second house when we *thought* we needed lots of space for our family of 5 and could handle a complete a remodel (that turned into an epic failure). We learned that in our climate, windows, windows, windows and a fireplace are a must even though our largest living space is 10×13! Lot’s of light by a cozy fire is priceless.
Jenifer says
That’s exactly so! I do ok with gardening projects, basic painting and some things like that. But bigger stuff? Yeah. . . I gotta know when I’m “beat.” LOL
KarenH. says
One of the things I’ve learned over the years was to put a *bit* more of the home’s space into the living areas, and a bit less into bedrooms, but as you’ve noted, it doesn’t help if either way is too lopsided.
I’ve learned not to immediately begin ‘topical’ changes because, especially with an older home, you will likely need to make some significant infrastructure upgrades, which can seem like you’re not really doing anything, but it builds the foundation for the “pretty work” later. What good is a new kitchen, after all, when it’s costing a fortune to heat a tiny house because the insulation in the attic is at an R1? ;)
I’m also learning to listen to the style of the house. Design choices and styles that I liked in my modern condo, don’t necessarily work in my little minimal traditional 50s ranch.
I like how you’re addressing your design choices with the style of your new house in mind. The designs are still “you”, but they also compliment the style of your new home, which is very different from your previous (and adorable) rancher. Can’t wait to see how you come along. Especially to see what you do with that faux brick linoleum. I have the same floor, although much less of it, in my kitchen. I’m not a fan :)
Sarah In Illinois says
We are completely remodeling our first house together. (We have both remodeled houses on our own.)
We are learning how our styles mesh (or don’t mesh) and taking lots and lots of notes because we plan to build our own in a few years.
sarah @makingitmyhome.blogspot.com says
its great to hear your perspectives on the first, the second, and the third house
rosie says
We’re on our second house, but we’re renting so we can’t do much. Hopefully, in a year we’ll be able to buy our own second house. We didn’t have a library on the first one that we bought, next time we’ll make sure we have one. I think there were a lot of wasted spaces that we could have been able to use in our first, and storage could be improved a lot. Our needs changes, kids grow , but we learn a lot with each house.
Jodee B says
I honestly can’t wait to see what you guys do to the kitchen in this house. I’m on the edge of my seat with this upgrade! And I gotta say, your second houses kitchen was spectacular. I loved every tiny detail you put into it. You both always do such a great job on everything!
Teresa says
John & Sherri,
Great post as always. Each home teaches us something new and with every home we learn some valuable lessons to take with us to the next. One of the most valuable pieces of advice you guys gave us was not to jump into painting our stained crown molding and cabinets because once you commit its very difficult to go back. That was hard advice to take since every blog I follow someone was painting their stained molding and cabinets. Instead, we found a work around to make things look brighter. First, we went with light granite countertops and painted the walls a clean light greenish/gray color. What a difference and most important my hubby is happy because like most men he loves the warmth of the wood.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet! I’m so glad to hear that!
xo
s
Virginia @LiveLoveDIT says
I just love your approach to everything. I can’t wait to see what you do in this house, but I absolutely love that you are taking your time and doing things in a thoughtful way. You guys are….simply put…the best. xo
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
This is so helpful to hear what you would liked and what you would have done differently! And I totally hear ya about everything taking longer than you think. We are still on house #1 and after four years have only scratched the surface on updates we want to do. Can’t wait to see your plans unfold in house #3!
~Abby =)
Doc @ The Saga of Glitter McNabb says
I’m on my first home–well, I don’t own it, but I get free rent for life if I renovate it (it was hit by several hurricanes and then left to rot. But it’s paid for and the owners hid hundred dollar bills all over the place, so how could I refuse?).
What I learned from all my past homes (ok, flats) is that every day is a holiday. Use the good silver if you have it. Paint stuff or toss glitter on stuff or build stuff and make it new to you. And most of all… dog hair and dirty dishes from gatherings for family and friends have the power to make any old place into a *palace* … :)
Meghan says
This post has certainly helped to bring me back to reality. My husband and I bought our first house just over a year ago. We bought a house that is about 25 years old and doesn’t need *too* much work for the most part. We were so excited to come and dive in and all too quickly realized how very unrealistic it is to be able to finish a house in a year. We’ve tackled a mirrored wall (all by ourselves!), installed a new light fixture, refinished some furniture and have painted several rooms but we are not even close to done. It’s amazing how much money/time/effort goes in to everything. We still don’t have furniture in a few rooms but for now that is fine. I think sometimes we get overwhelmed with everything we WANT to do we forget how much we’ve done and maybe we just need to stop and appreciate all we truly have. Now to bring my husband back to reality……
Natalie says
Great tips! Thanks for that.
We are just starting our extension. 3 kids in a tiny shoebox house is not so fun.
I will be taking lots of advise from you guys.
Amanda says
This is my favorite post to date! As a new military wife it is AMAZING to learn about these kinds of things! Thanks for sharing!
Sharon says
So, not related to this post. You guys always find great lights for your house. I think a lot of times local. Do you have any national/online fav places for lighting? Our entryway is in desperate need. (I can send you a picture if you don’t believe me). Also, how about a favorite place to buy front doors? I’m thinking something industrial for the lighting and something unique but classic but awesome for the front door. We bought our house two years ago and the owners had a love of gold and trim and glass. Not our style. Custom door making? That would be awesome. Anyway, just an idea for a post…as if you need them!
YoungHouseLove says
West Elm has some awesome ones! And sometimes you can luck out on places like Joss & Main (we got a hallway bathroom one there for our last house). Maybe try Home Depot and Lowe’s too? We got a cool outdoor light and used it in a bathroom for a little bit of nautical/industrial interest over the mirror and it was awesomely cheap!
xo
s
Chris says
I see such potential in your new home! Your plans seems like its intended to be a more traditional family home. Cannot wait to see all the great things to come.
Sara says
I love all of your houses, they’re gorgeous :) but the size of houses in US always amazes me. My parents, brother and I live in a 400sq feet 1 bedroom appartment (we live in Europe). I don’t know what I’d do with all that space you have!
Brittany says
Absolutely love your ideas and reflections; I have been trying to convince my husband for the last year and a half that our home is not going to change overnight. However now that we are DIYing our kitchen and it’s Demo-ed.. its slowly sinking in on him.. haha
Also your faux brick linoleum is so fitting to what we found in our kitchen too! What a beauty huh?! http://goo.gl/i5jLIo
Our house is from 1950 and possibly the faux brick linoleum included; therefore there was a 50%+ chance it was asbestos which scared us as we’d love for the original 1950’s hardwood to continue in the kitchen and maintain consistent flooring. As a result we had all of our layers tested and we were luckily asbestos free! So Bye Bye Faux Brick Linoleum! But just in case you start in on wanting to rip it up.. you were forewarned. lol
Note: Half of the contractors told us to assume it was asbestos (most of which do asbestos abatement) while half of the contractors advised us to test it out… For the low cost of testing it was worth it!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! Thanks so much for the tip!
xo
s
Pia says
So. If we need to wait for 5 months (or something similar) before you do your kitchen (which is totally ok! Not to rush things!) I just would like to know. Are you going with gray cabinets? You did white in the other houses but when you did the house touring you said you liked gray.
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t think we’re sure where we’re leaning (we also like tuxedo, with dark cabinets on the bottom and white ones on top) as well as navy or something lighter like a soft blue-gray – and there’s no denying that we love white cabinets so we could do that again with different wall colors/backsplash tile/appliance choices, etc. Part of the reason we wait so long to do the kitchen and bathrooms is because we want to be sure about that stuff, and just a few months after living here we’re still changing our minds all the time!
xo
s
Pia says
Oh! Go with tuxedo! That would be lovely! But then I change my mind a lot aswell :) perhaps dark wood on the bottom and white on top? Or I will just have to wait and see :) thanks for answering!
YoungHouseLove says
We honestly have no idea! If we knew we’d just tell you- haha! Still changing our minds everyday!
xo
s
Tanya says
The lack of access to the backyard in American architecture is something that fascinates me – even new build homes don’t seem to really cater for it.
Access to the great outdoors is essential in Australia, particularly in Perth, with even entry level new build homes incorporating large sliding or bi-fold doors to the outside from the main living areas. A renovation wouldn’t be considered complete without a wall of glass and some bi-folds to open up the entire back of the house.
I guess we do have some of the best weather in the world (I’m clearly biased) but I find it curious that more outdoor access isn’t incorporated into your homes. Can’t wait to for the new French doors to make an appearance in your kitchen.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, it sounds amazing there! We have always wanted to visit Australia!
xo
s
Tanya says
Add it to the bucket list and come visit us!
xx
YoungHouseLove says
Done and done! Hopefully by our retirement!
xo
s
Julie says
Love your blog. We just moved into our third house – but the first one we are really doing as diy. And you are so right about having patience. We thought by now – after living here for a mere four weeks – that the entire house would be painted inside and our kitchen remodel would have started. Well, we have a lot of projects to keep us busy for a very long time. Thank you for the reassurance.
Ginger says
Great post! Great answers… the older I get, and the more spaces I’ve lived in, the more I realize what things matter to me in a home. The challenge for me is that I’m married to a Navy man. That means, moving every three years or so.
Any advice on what things really make a place feel like home most quickly and easily?
I’ve had moves where I sometimes won’t decorate because “we’re only going to be here a couple years” and then I’ll so desperately miss the personal touches that the next move, so I’ll try and do it all in three months, which gets pricey. (It seems those curtains/art/side tables/etc. never seem to fit the next place!)
I want to spend more time enjoying the homes vice just functioning. I know no home is ever truly “done” but I’d love to feel at home, even when you know a move is coming down the pike. It’s hard to enjoy and invest.
YoungHouseLove says
I think hanging art and adding curtains can cozy up a room so much!! And they’re easier and faster than painting the walls. Also rolling out a rug with some colorful pillows can happy a room up too!
xo
s
Calgary roofing says
That third kitchen is priceless.
Lydia Weeksw says
Hi, Love this post-we’ve been reading about your first 2 kitchens and wondering what you will do with your third since we’re in the middle of a kitchen renovation ourselves (1950s house in Staunton, Va). I’ve enjoyed all the varying opinions about cabinets & countertops. We are having a hard time deciding what to do with the floor. We loved the cork flooring in your last house but online reviews have us scared to put those in. What did you think after living with them for a while?
YoungHouseLove says
We really liked it but it’s definitely not for a house where people wear shoes (we don’t in ours). I think heels would make little dings in it! I think this time we’ll go for tile (probably heated tile that we hope to install ourselves) since we loved the cork in our second house and the hardwoods in our first house but we don’t think that will flow into the hardwood floors in the living room and dining room that surround the kitchen (new wood won’t match perfectly and dark cork is discontinued and we think light cork might clash with the hardwoods). Will keep you posted!
xo
s