Tag: hardwood floors

Color Corner: European Oak Renoir

Our L’artiste collection of engineered European oak is inspired by history’s most prestigious French artists. The careful crafting of each plank mirrors the intricate artistic process of some of the greatest painters ever known. With genuine European oak featuring elegant brushed detail, each handcrafted ultra-wide and extra-long plank is a work of art in its own right.

 

 

 

AESTHETIC & STYLE

The wire-brushed European oak Renoir mirrors the intrinsic warmth and love of beauty of its namesake. With a balanced and neutral color, this 8 5/8” wide plank floor will infuse into your home the same life and richness of feeling of Renoir’s most beloved works of art. Beautiful wood grain patterns are coupled with a state-of-the-art reactive stain, lightly bringing out the natural splendor of genuine European oak by creating color from within the wood.

Learn more about reactive stains. 

 

 

The charming knots and mineral streaks on each plank are creations of nature as lovely and as purposeful as Renoir’s many works of art. Each genuine European oak plank of the L’artiste Renoir is elegantly wirebrushed to highlight its natural grain and completed with a pristine UV-oil matte finish – harmonizing old-world style and contemporary design.

 

 

 

STRENGTH & DURABILITY

The Renoir’s strong 8 5/8″ wide planks are able to withstand heavy foot traffic. Its intricately wirebrushed texture make this floor a great option for families with children and pets. The L’artiste collection is backed with Urbanfloor’s lifetime structural and 50-year finish warranty (see warranty information here for more details). As a result, you can choose the Renoir with confidence that its elegant style will be around for years to come.

 

 

SAFETY STANDARDS

We ensure cleaner air for your family. In accordance with our company’s values, all our engineered wood flooring is proudly FloorScore certified and the European oak Renoir is no exception. FloorScore certification is a voluntary, independent certification program that tests and certifies that hard surface flooring and the materials that they are made with are in compliance with stringent indoor quality emissions.

You can read more about FloorScore certification here.

 

 

What do you think? Is the Renoir right for your home?  View the Renoir here.

Photos courtesy of Avante Garde Floors & DC Fine Homes

Urbanfloor Partners: construction2style

Welcome back to the blog! We have a special treat for you today – one of our favorite teams of interior designers/builders/amazing individuals, construction2style, are sharing some of their design wisdom and experience working with our floors! 

 

We are construction2style, a team of four based in Minneapolis, MN that was started by husband and wife, Jamie and Morgan, back in 2012. Our company started as a DIY blog and has since evolved into a full service design + build interior residential and small media company. For over five years, we have been tearing houses apart and creating new happy spaces, not only for our clients, but within our own homes. We document everything on our blog from tutorials on the construction side, to how to build a website, to how we built and continue to build our brand.

 

construction2style team photo

 

A few years ago, we got connected to Urbanfloor and we’ve absolutely loved getting to work with this company and the kind humans who run it. Their products are top-notch, their customer service is amazing, and they have so many options from engineered wood to SPC.

Over a year ago, we remodeled our kitchen that really kicked off our firm partnership with Urbanfloor. They were open to any feedback and had any extra items we forgot and needed to us within days! When Jamie and Topher were installing the floor, they said it was a really easy process as well and we documented a full tutorial here.

 

Kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

 

After having dark floors in our prior home, we knew that we wanted to go lighter. With crazy kids and all. With the help of the team from Urbanfloor, we chose the Lambrusco, European oak.

The planks are 7.5” wide with a wire-brush texture and have a light, creamy wood hue. This flooring was the perfect combination of lightness we wanted, plus texture and deeper tones that makes our home feel cozy and warm.

 

Kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

 

We knew we wanted to continue the same flooring into the dining room and music room off the kitchen to keep the look consistent throughout. In our dining room, these light floors are a great base for the white trim and gray walls.

With this flooring in our home for the past year, it has performed really well, even with two toddlers, Minnesota winters, lots of traffic in and out. We  love it so much that now we’re continuing it into our living room. And did I mention our kids ride their bike in our home nonstop? And not one visible scratch.

 

Family in kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

Dining room featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

Living room featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

 

With our client projects, we have been seeing a shift to lighter wood tones. Whether in cabinetry, floating shelves, or wood flooring, white oak has been a major player in the remodeling world. In this main level remodel, our clients loved our Lambrusco floors so much that they wanted them in their own home.

Engineered flooring is a great alternative to solid wood flooring for the lower price point and durability. With Urbanfloor, they carry a lifetime structural warranty and 35 year finish warranty, which gives our clients peace of mind and makes these floors a material we highly recommend for our remodeling projects.

 

Living room featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

Kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Chêne Lambrusco, Engineered Hardwood Flooring,

 

Another trend we’re seeing in the remodeling world is the want for waterproof and scratch-proof flooring. A majority of our clients have pets and young kids, so having durable floors is a big priority for them. We also live in Minnesota where it snows for half of the year, so the waterproof aspect saves the floors for years to come.

In this kitchen remodel, we installed Urbanfloor’s Cascade SPC flooring and since this flooring is non-porous, it makes cleaning and maintenance easy. When clients are wanting a floor that can continue throughout their home, we always recommend SPC. It not only is easy to clean, but it looks amazing too!

 

Kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Cascade SPC Flooring

Kitchen featuring Urbanfloor Cascade SPC Flooring

That’s just a few of our favorite projects that we’ve recently done using Urbanfloor and we can’t wait to keep incorporating more and more!

-construction2style

 

Love what you see? Click here to see more of construction2style’s work!

Color Corner: European Oak Morisot

We are back to highlight another stunning hardwood floor! This time, we’re shining the spotlight on a beautiful almond-toned selection from the L’artiste collection, inspired by history’s most prestigious French artists – the Morisot.

Berthe Morisot, a French Impressionist painter, focused her painting on a variety of different subjects. From pristine landscapes to portraits and domestic scenes, her paintings were the work of careful, diligent study. From her watercolors, charcoal drawings, oil paintings, and more, each stroke of her brush or dash of her pencil was a focused act of inspiration.

 

 

AESTHETIC & STYLE

The same stunning technique and attention to detail Berthe Morisot used in her painting is exhibited it the luminous quality of the European oak Morisot floor. Beautiful wood grain patterns are coupled with a state-of-the-art reactive stain, lightly bringing out the natural splendor of genuine European oak by creating color from within the wood.

Learn more about reactive stains. 

 

 

The charming knots and mineral streaks on each 8 5/8” wide plank are creations of nature as lovely and as purposeful as Morisot’s many works of art. Each genuine European oak plank of the L’artiste Morisot is elegantly wirebrushed to highlight its natural grain and completed with a pristine UV-oil matte finish – harmonizing old-world style and contemporary design.

 

 

A delicate micro-beveled edge accents each plank, accentuating the inherent natural character of the wood, and ensuring a smooth transition from board to board. Stunning character marks adorn each European oak plank, from filled knots to mineral splits, adding a time-worn, storied feel to any room.

 

 

STRENGTH & DURABILITY

The Morisot’s strong 8 5/8″ wide planks are able to withstand heavy foot traffic. Its intricately wirebrushed texture make this floor a great option for families with children and pets. The L’artiste Morisot is backed with Urbanfloor’s lifetime structural and 50-year finish warranty (see warranty information here for more details). As a result, you can choose the Morisot with confidence that its beauty will be around for years to come.

 

 

SAFETY STANDARDS

We ensure cleaner air for your family. In accordance with our company’s values, all our engineered wood flooring is proudly FloorScore certified and the European oak Morisot is no exception. FloorScore certification is a voluntary, independent certification program that tests and certifies that hard surface flooring and the materials that they are made with are in compliance with stringent indoor quality emissions.

You can read more about FloorScore certification here.

 

 

What do you think? Is the L’artiste Morisot perfect for your interior design vision?

VIEW THE MORISOT HERE

Modern Design: Take a Virtual Tour of a Hollywood Hills Masterpiece

Nestled in the prestigious Hollywood Hills area, in Northwest Los Angeles, lies a modern masterpiece. With its stunning angular design and sleek metal touches, this home is in a class all its own.

Our very own Santos Mahogany Natal from the Downtown series is featured throughout the home both on the ceiling and floor. Santos mahogany is widely regarded as one of the hardest hardwood species and its resilience and strength is complimented by distinct grain and warm tones. With beautiful 5-inch-wide planks, smooth texture, and a semi-gloss finish, it’s no wonder the Natal was chosen for the design of this contemporary Hollywood Hills home!

We recently had the opportunity to go in and photograph the incredible architecture and interior design of this magnificent home. From the hardwood ceilings to its floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll soon see why this home stands above the rest.

Step through each room with care and get ready for some serious design envy.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

From some really unique lighting fixtures, to a stunning color palette – this home has it all! Its warm ambiance is accented with natural wood tones, greenery, and contemporary pieces of furniture.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

This spacious home features an open-concept living space which combines the kitchen, dining, and living areas. The mixed materials on the floor, walls, and ceiling compliment each other in this beautiful space.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Sweeping views enhance the chic interiors of each and every room.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Hallway or art gallery? The Santos Mahogany Natal is featured on both the floor and ceiling, surrounding the space in elegant warmth.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

A staircase with mixed materials including wood, metal, and glass is a statement maker in this entry.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

The bedroom is open to a large patio, perfect for admiring this home’s stunning views.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

Floor-to-ceiling windows provide the perfect visibility of the surrounding hills while you relax in the living room.

Hollywood Hills Home, Santos Mahogany Natal, Urbanfloor

 

We hope you enjoyed this tour through this uniquely beautiful home. What do you think? Would you live here? Comment below!

You can view the Santos Mahogany Natal flooring HERE.

 

Color Corner: European Oak Strauss

Welcome back to the blog! As you may have noticed, we have over 100 different colors and styles of hardwood floor to choose from. While we are proud to offer so many varied kinds of flooring, we know that this can make decisions difficult when it comes down to narrowing which one floor is right for YOU.

We hope this color spotlight series will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about which floor is right for your home! With that, let’s begin!

The Strauss was a welcomed addition to our Composer collection in 2015. With its neutral brown stain and 10.25-inch wide planks, it’s no wonder the Strauss is as popular as it is!

Strength & Durability

The Strauss boasts 10.25-inch wide planks made up of a strong, 8-ply engineered core and a beautiful 4mm wear layer of pure, genuine European oak wood. The top layer is sawn-face, meaning that you get to see the beautiful, natural grain patterns typical of European oak without the distortion caused by rotary peel methods. The surface is wire-brushed to highlight its deep textured grain and then hand-ground to create a timeworn look. The Strauss, given its strength of construction, matches with its durability. Kids and pets? No problem – the Strauss can stand up to high levels of foot-traffic and its beautiful texture masks scratching.

Aesthetic & Style

Textured to perfection, the Strauss awes with a full range of color variation including sapwood and mineral streaks. In addition to this, the Strauss’ bold grain patterns give the floor a reclaimed look. Whether you want to offset your modern, clean interior design with a rustic floor or embrace shabby chic, the Strauss may just be right for your home design!

So, what do you think? Is the Strauss’ reclaimed aesthetic the right look for your design?

View the Strauss on our website HERE.

3 Easy Tips for Caring for your Hardwood Floors

We have received a lot of questions from our customers about how to properly care for their hardwood flooring purchase. We understand that hardwood flooring is an investment and we love being able to help you tend to that investment. So, what to do and what not to do?

Read below and see!

1. Clean your floors regularly.

 

damp mopping wood floors

Modern hardwood floors are relatively quick and easy to maintain and care for. With a few simple low-cost cleaning tools and some small preventative maintenance measures, you can easily ensure that your new hardwood floors stay looking their best for years to come.

In addition to maintaining a stable interior environment (room temperature 60°­–80° F and relative humidity between 30-50% year-round), your floors should be cleaned regularly. Simply sweep, vacuum, or dust-mop to remove any lingering dust and grit. When necessary, clean your floor with factory-approved floor cleaner (for more information on what type of floor cleaner to use, CLICK HERE). It is important to remember never to wet-mop your floors. Over time, wet-mopping can damage your floor’s finish. When cleaning, ensure you rinse your applicator as to not spread dirt to other areas which can cause haziness and streaks.

2. Protect against possible damage from pets.

 

Hardwood Floors and Pets

Do you have pets in your home? Just by keeping their nails clipped, you can keep scratches at a minimum. To protect your floors further, simply place a mat beneath their water dish to act as a barrier between the water and your new floors.

3. Prevent discoloration and scratching with rug backing and floor protectors.

 

When it comes to adding décor to your home, only rugs with a natural backing (for example, felt) are safe for your wood floor. Stay away from rugs with a synthetic backing as they can both damage and discolor your floor.

Similar to the qualifications for rug backing, non-abrasive felt-backed floor protectors work best for guarding against scratches from furniture. Rubber and plastic backed products can trap moisture and cause discoloration.

So there you have it: 3 easy tips for caring for your hardwood floor! We hope this information proves helpful for caring for your hardwood floor investment!

New Year, New Hardwood Floors!

 

2016 was one for the books and we’re more than ready for a few new beginnings! 2017 will be just that for Urban Floor, since we have big plans for the new year and one of those plans is the launch of our new Savanna Collection. We’ve been tirelessly working on preparations for this new collection to be debuted at The International Surface Event in Vegas mid January while at the same time working on ANOTHER collaborative collection that will also be debuting at Surfaces, however that’s for another time. Another blog. Needless to say, we’ve been busy around here and we will continue to be busy for the rest of the year! That’s just the mentality and work ethic we need to execute these plans the be the best hardwood flooring company in town!

 

savanna-logo-tree

If you follow us at all on any of our social media platforms, you’ve seen that we have been teasing the launch of this new collection recently. But we haven’t really talked too much about it. For instance, the Savanna Collection has an HDF (High Density Fiberboard) core that we will be bragging about at Surfaces. What that means without getting too technical is that the engineered aspect of our the Savanna is composed of a stronger material usually found in engineered hardwood flooring. The technology used to engineer an HDF core is state of the art, and actually quite cost effective. Therefore, we are able to offer a better, stronger, more luxurious hardwood floor at a lower cost to you! Because Urban Floor’s middle name is innovation, products like this are no where else on the market and this is how we are going to revolutionize the hardwood flooring industry as a whole. The Savanna comes in 7 beautifully stylish colors ranging from a light grey, all the way to a dark, almost black. Rich colors you would hardly ever see at this economically affordable price point! We’re really excited for this collection to hit the market and more excited for it to hit your home floors! Keep an eye out for the Savanna, it’s going to change what you know about engineered hardwood floors.

Out Goes Summer, In Comes Fall

about-romagna

Summer is officially over and we’ve had our fun in the sun. Beach trips, camping, barbecues, all that jazz. It all went by like a blink of an eye and Summer never seems to last long enough nowadays. Back in grade school, summer vacation seemed to last forever and the days never seemed to end. Now it seems like the years are becoming shorter and shorter but maybe that’s just growing up.
Hello Autumn

 

With the end of September Autumn comes into play (or Fall, whichever you prefer) and the weather begins to cool down, school is back in session, and colors change from bright greens to warm oranges. I wholeheartedly believe that the commencement of Fall is the kickoff of our Holiday season, so I have an inclination to become incredibly festive no later than October first. Is that a bit premature? I like to think not. So we’re going to talk about small interior design touches for your entry way to set the mood utilizing the color of your hardwood floor as a staple to create a big impact on your Autumn aesthetic.

 

I like to welcome the seasonal change and embrace the vibe right off the bat by hanging a beautiful wreath and a themed welcome mat outside the front door. As soon as someone approaches the home, they are well aware that this fall inspo isn’t to be taken lightly. These are serious matters and this isn’t a game. Nothing says Autumn celebration décor like foliage and of course welcome mats are always fun. So we’re creating a story before the door is even opened.

 

Now, once you walk in the home, the entry way smells of cinnamon apple cider with the help of a seasonal inspired candle or two. This is where we get a little scientific with our interior design, we want a full sensory experience of fall in the home. If it was at all possible, I’d have small gusts of chilly wind brush the faces of company when entering, followed by the heat of a fireplace, warming and comforting my visitors. That may a bit extreme, but that fantasy-land experience would never be forgotten. I digress.

 

Finally, we can talk about décor. Sure, you can add a pumpkin here or there like everyone else if you want to go the obvious and expected route, however we’re attempting to conceptualize with a higher taste design mindset to capture the aesthetic of Autumn, while at the same time elevating the style component throughout. A printed throw rug or a runner over a color wood floor like our Bach from the Composer collection could be an ideal element to add. The rug wouldn’t necessarily have to be burnt orange in color, you could have a deep forest green, or even a dark shade of purple to contrast the actual “Autumn colors” people associate the season with. Of course if you have a wood floor like our Grant from the Presidential collection, you’d want to stray from darker colors and go with a tan rug or soft light hue of red. You could build around the hardwood/rug combo with a vase filled with a bundle of sticks and a few more pops of color, perhaps a teal or lime green picture frame for a bit more contrast and there you have it. A small base and introduction of Fall themed interior design for your entry way that can continue onto the rest of your home. Even if you aren’t one to redecorate often, these little additions can go a long way in bringing a festive atmosphere to your home. Happy Autumn, friends!

Mood Board

Presidential Signature – A Unique Solid Hardwood Flooring Collection

solid hardwood flooringWe know July 4th is over, but why stop celebrating the birth of our wonderful nation? Better yet, why not highlight one of our solid hardwood flooring collections that perfectly commemorates an important moment in history?

Our Presidential Signature collection is the only solid hardwood flooring collection we offer and if you think about it, it makes sense. We named it after famous names that were responsible in the history and development of America as a nation. These individuals were strong-headed, ambitious, and fierce – all qualities that any President should have.

A Brief Snippet of History

Up first on the list of floors in our Presidential Signature collection is a light wood floor named Taft Maple, named after William Taft – the 27th U.S. President. Aside from being one of our Presidents, William Taft served as Chief Justice of the U.S. and – drumroll please – was the one who initially proposed the idea of an income tax.

The Jackson Oak line is named after none other than Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the U.S. Other than being president, his claim to fame comes from the fact that he was the man the Democratic Party formed around.

Franklin Pierce is the man behind the Pierce Oak solid hardwood floors. He was also the 14th President of the U.S. He became a brigadier general in the Army during the Mexican-American War. We like to call him, “Fierce Pierce”.

Our 4th line of solid floors in the Presidential collection, the Washington Oak, features a name everyone has heard of: George Washington. The 1st President of the U.S. also presided over an important convention that drafted our very own Constitution.

Our Adams Oak solid hardwood flooring line is named after John Adams, the 2nd President of the U.S. that many people may actually not be familiar with, which goes to show that generally most people never remember 2nd place. We’ll put this to the test: Spain won the World Cup in 2010, who was the runner-up? (Answer: Netherlands) Back on to Adams… he was actually an opponent of slavery and helped Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence.

The Roosevelt Hickory line also brings about a familiar name in history: Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S. His other claim to fame is the fact that he founded the Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party).

A little less known, but still very honorable is Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the U.S., who we name our Grant Maple solid hardwood floors after. Grant was a very fierce individual; he was the man who lead the Union (aka the North) over the Confederacy (aka the South) in the Civil War. Considering the North had won the war, you could say he filled his role well.

It’s good to save the best for last, right? That’s why last in our list is a name even people from outside of the U.S. are familiar with – none other than Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President and the man we proudly named our Lincoln Oak   line after.

We hope you learned a few tidbits of some of the most influential people in American history – it’s actually quite impressive.

See the whole Presidential Signature collection and other themed hardwood floors at yours truly, Urban Floor.

5 Ways To Prevent a Ruined Hardwood Floor

ruined hardwood floor

As we begin to see more and more families make the switch to hardwood flooring, we want to remind you of a few ways to keep yourself from the sight of a ruined hardwood floor.

1. Welcome Home

As you’re out and about throughout the day, your shoes pick up a handful of debris ranging from just normal everyday dirt to gum, and if you’re really unlucky – dog doo. The last thing you want is for this debris to catch your hardwood floors. This is why it is essential to add a welcome mat to the entrance of your home, giving you an efficient space to take your shoes off without adding in the extra chore of cleaning your floors.

2. Too Much Cleaning

Everything in life is about balance. While cleaning your wood floors is definitely a great habit to pick up, it can actually be damaging. Here’s the main reason why: too much water or solution. Dry mopping or dry-damp mops work best. The last thing you should do is blast your floors with a wet mop. The same goes for overdoing it with cleaning solutions.

Instead of cleaning the whole floor, perhaps stick to certain areas that appear filthier than others. Some people have tried steam cleaners (with some cleaners advertising a “wood flooring option”). Our advice – stay away from steam cleaners.

3. Here Comes The Sun

For those who live in cooler climates, this won’t affect you much. But for those of us stuck with lots of sunlight should highly consider investing in blinds, shades, drapes, and/or moving furniture around to distribute the sun equally throughout the room. Too much sunlight may damage hardwood floors, can dry out the finish, and cause discoloration.

4. Cushioning the Furniture

It’s nice to come home and throw yourself into a chair to relax. Sometimes, this results in unwanted scratches to your floors. An easy solution: furniture padding. You should spend no longer than an hour of your day searching for furniture pads to place under the corners of any furniture – couches, chairs, tables, etc. Chances are, your local hardware store will be carrying them.

5. Cat Scratch Fever

Pets are great companions, but your hardwood floors may have a different relationship with them. The biggest concern with pets is their nails. Their nails could leave small scratches, leaving you with a ruined hardwood floor. If pets could, they would probably trim their own nails like we humans do, but they can’t. When you begin to notice your pets’ nails becoming a little too long, then it’s time for a trimming. With some pets, this chore can be a real hassle. If that’s the case then look into a professional groomer who can also give them a nice bath, too!