At Old South Flooring & Tile, we’re always on the hunt for design inspiration, and houzz.com has offered up some stunning examples of the chicest of colors being used in bathrooms.
So what do you think about embracing your dark side? Leave a comment below!
Solid hardwood floors have become increasingly popular, and therefore more accessible. Exotic hardwood species are especially en vogue because of their striking patterns and variety of colors and tones. Their distinctive grain patterns lend a unique beauty all by themselves and are often left with natural finishes, despite the fact that they could be finished in a variety of manners similar to domestic species. Where domestic species are often viewed as traditional and warm, exotics can add a dash (or two) of the contemporary, modern and unique.
Interestingly, many exotic hardwood species “mature” more quickly and show more variability in color and tone. What we mean by this is that they tend to settle into what they are going to look like in a matter of weeks, whereas many domestic species can take years with little change. This can be a double edged sword. Exotic wood species may show their true colors more quickly, so to speak, but many are more susceptible to color and tone changes based on environmental factors like humidity and exposure to light. However, the visual variability of exotics is one of their most desirable traits.
Many also possess a number of desirable characteristics like resistance to insects (Purpleheart, Merbau), mold (Timborana), decay (Padauk), and fungi (Cabrueva) or a pleasing scent (Rosewood, Cumaru). In addition, most tend to be higher on the Janka Hardness Scale and therefore more durable (thought not necessarily superior) to most domestic species.
Something that is very important to note – due to the explosion in their popularity, the increased demand means that exotic species are sometimes not sustainably harvested. When choosing a hardwood, makes sure you check its source. Many particularly beautiful or unique species like Tigerwood or Zebrawood have few if any sustainable sources. In cases like these, choose up-cycled wood (wood that has previously been used for another floor or purpose). In general, always look for woods with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s or the Forest Stewardship Council’s logos. Doing a little digging will ensure that your new floors aren’t just beautiful, but sustainable as well.
Below, you will find a great visual guide to just a few of the many varieties of exotic hardwood species. We’ve included a mix of the more common species and some that a bit more rare. All can be used to create a beautiful floor or flooring design, although the availability varies based on your location and what is popular in your neck of the woods. That isn’t to say that they’re unobtainable, especially since exotics as a whole have become massively popular of late.
A final note, we have purposely left out bamboo, teak and cork. These species are so variable that they deserve an article unto themselves. We would be doing you a disservice to give them such a brief mention without visiting them further. Therefore, they’ve been omitted (for now) to make room for a glimpse at a few other exotic types. They will be featured in the next post in this series.
For further reading, check out this great article from houzz.com contributor Paul Anater. And as always, love your home. A little knowledge goes a long way.
Although the flooring industry may not seem riveting to everyone (even though it is to us), there is actually quite a breadth and depth of information and options out there. This can definitely become overwhelming for the consumer, especially when researching flooring and new flooring innovations isn’t exactly on your daily to-do list. Thankfully, it just so happens to be on ours.
We created this chart to help you navigate the murky waters of picking the perfect flooring. We’ve included the more common flooring options, including solid hardwood floors, engineered wood floors, wood look tile (which got its own category), tile, vinyl, linoleum and carpet. Each flooring option has a short description, lists pros and cons as well as where in the home (or commercial space) each option works best. There’s even an “at-a-glance” key for cost, durability, maintenance and sustainability. We’ll detail less common flooring options, as well as go further into depth and focus on individual options in the next couple of posts in this series. If the infographic doesn’t appear immediately below, click on the link to view it!
Welcome to our brand spanking new blog! For all things flooring and tile, from design inspiration to trends to the latest and greatest in flooring and tile, I hope that we can provide articles and content that are both entertaining and enlightening. We hope to provide you with fresh, relevant posts weekly or even more frequently as we find inspiration or as new industry innovations hit the scene. So whether you’re a home improvement junkie, business owner, real estate developer ,work in the flooring or tile industry, or just simply love beautiful design this blog is for you.
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