Ask yourself, of all the kitchens you’ve ever graced with your presence, how many stand out in your memory as flat-out amazing? One, five? None!?

The truth is that even beautiful, well-designed, and expertly crafted kitchens often aren’t outstanding enough to make them permanently memorable. Let’s put a stop to that right now!

Here’s a design tip to help you make your kitchen the one that stands out, etched in the memory of all who cross its threshold.

Add a Splash of Color!

A few examples:

Subtle Outside, Colorful Inside!

I’m a huge fan of glass doors on upper cabinets, even if it’s only on a few of them. This little trick takes that idea to a whole new level!

Add a touch of color to the interior of your upper cabinets and contrast that with a relatively subtle exterior color on the cabinets and you’ve got an inspiring design in the making!

The really exciting thought is how easy it is to change that color, especially if you only do a small section of cabinets.

It’s easy because you really can’t see minor imperfections in the paint inside a cabinet with glass doors and stuff in it. So you have this cool option of switching out your color from time-to-time.

I can see the look on my mother-in-law’s face now. “wasn’t that red last time I was here? I’m losing it…”

Create a Colorful Display

Ok, so let’s be real. There is no way this is going to work for all the cabinets in an actual kitchen in a real house with real people living in it. But that doesn’t mean the idea is bad.

Look at this picture, it’s really just a small section of cabinets, probably in a little piece of wall off to one side of the main kitchen. If you’ve got a space like this, it’s perfect for creating a display.

Think of it as living art! It’s worth doing just for the fun of shopping for the best looking water bottles and cans of beans! Is there a way to work Oreos into this?

Beadboard Blues

So let’s not mince words. Beadboard ROCKS! I’ve used beadboard in every imaginable place in a house and it always looks good. Inside of cabinets, bathroom walls, stairwells, you name it.

One of the most common and great looking places to throw in a little bit of beadboard is the front of an island or high-bar. People do it all the time.

Don’t you want to be different? Aren’t we looking for that one-in-a-million memorable kitchen?

Then add a splash of color! Paint that beadboard front a blue, or a red, or a green. Any color that works for your design. And like the inside of the cabinet above, it’s easy to change.

Redfrigerator?

No? Then, how about some blue-ish, aqua-ish awesomeness? Like this:

This kitchen has a bit more than a “splash” of color. It’s more like a gatorade bath after the superbowl win. Too much? I think it would be perfect with a more subtle wall splash tile.

I love the appliances and that’s the idea I’m sharing here. Vintage look appliances like this are available now from a wide range of manufacturers. Some companies, like Big Chill Fridge, have made a name for themselves doing nothing but colorful vintage look appliances.

Not quite as easy to change colors on this one though, so make sure you’re sold out heart and soul before taking the plunge!

Paint The Windows!

If the refrigerator gets to be colorful, then the windows should get the same opportunity. This is non-discriminatory coloration. It doesn’t have to be a crazy bright color, you can go a little more subtle, like this picture:

You know how some guys can’t stay focused when a pretty girl walks by? I have that problem, but with open beams. I forgot what we were talking about…

Oh right, the splash of color in the windows! How creative and fun is that?

You would normally think that this is only possible with wood windows and it’s true that the process is a bit easier with wood. But the truth is that you can buy paint formulated for metal or vinyl at most any home center type store today. So if you have aluminum or vinyl windows, I wouldn’t let it hold you back.

Paint Beams or Soffits

Soffits and support beams the kids who always get picked on. Many a remodeling project has been started with the simple goal of getting rid of that ugly soffit*. Maybe the soffit just needs a little encouragement. Anybody ever think of that? How about a nice new outfit to make it feel better…

I’m telling you what, that looks good. It might not be your personal style, but you have to admit its nice and it pulls off a contemporary look without being stark and unwelcoming.

Not everyone has a steel I-beam in the kitchen, but lots of people have ugly soffits or structural beams wrapped in plaster or drywall.

If that includes you and you’ve been wanting to banish the offending bit of architectural malpractice, maybe this will change your mind.

Color Inspires!

One thing all of these kitchens have in common is that they are inspiring! They serve two purposes. One is the function of a kitchen and all which that entails, the other is the function of invigoration! That’s what makes a space memorable. It makes you feel great to be in.

Give it a try!

The photos for this post can all be found on my Idea Kitchens board on Pinterest, where each can be traced back to it’s original source.

*In this context, the soffit is the solid box that’s built either to lower the upper cabinets down or to conceal ductwork, not to be confused with exterior soffit in your overhang.

I often learn of new ads on RemodelingGuy the same way you do, I see them on the site. So I didn’t know an advertising campaign for Wilsonart HD was about to start. I just looked at the site one day, and saw a new ad in the background.

Wilsonart HD

I thought I’d take a minute to write a short post simply to tell you this: I’ve used this stuff and it’s really awesome.

Does this look like any laminate (mica) countertop you've ever seen?

What Is It?

Essentially, it’s a plastic laminate surface material. Wilsonart is one of the largest manufacturers of this material and probably the one I used most frequently when in the construction business. Another brand you probably recognize the name of is Formica. Everyone’s heard of a house with “Formica Countertops”, right? It’s often not actually Formica brand.

But Wilsonart HD is different. That’s why I’m stopping to tell you about it.

If you’re planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you probably go through the options in your head and when you get to the countertops you might tend to blow right by the “plastic laminate” option in favor of granite, marble, or solid surface (such as Corian).

Once you’ve seen the selection of this product line, you might pause a little longer on the plastic laminate option.

Bottom line: The stuff looks incredible. The patterns, the colors, the surface textures, the sheen (how glossy it is, or isn’t)… all of it. Just great great options.

That’s Laminate?

This picture shows all of the subtle advancements of Wilsonart HD - Color, Pattern, Texture, Sheen

I still remember, a few years ago, I was designing a mud/laundry room for a really nice home and was talking with the cabinet maker in their office. They wanted to sell me countertops to go with the cabinets and I said… “we’re using granite.” I didn’t even give a thought to laminate tops.

Then she threw me a chain of sample chips. And my reaction was quote: That’s Laminate!?

A few advances this product exhibits:

• Patterns – I’m not sure how they do this, but the technology for making better patterns on the material has changed dramatically. They can very accurately reproduce stone, wood, or other natural products.
• Colors - The colors have more depth, and most importantly, more subtle variations, which is really the hallmark of natural materials. They can reproduce that very well. I guess that’s the idea behind the “HD” because it’s much like the way an HDTV reproduces a live scene.
• Texture – They’ve always been able to put texture in laminate. You probably remember counters that felt like a plastic copy of leather, or of a natural stone surface like slate. This isn’t like that. The texture they can add to this is subtle, you see it more than feel it. But it adds to the look in a big way. (without making it impossible to clean)
• Sheen – Another advancement in subtlety. The sheens available in laminate used to be either high-gloss (which would blind you and scratched easily), or matte, which had no gloss at all and had a minute little texture to it that let you know what it was. No more. Now you can get a wide variety of sheens and in this particular line of material they look great and make you reach out and run your hands over the surface to see what it feels like… and it feels nice.

Why Go On and On?

I guess I’m ranting about this because I’ve used it myself and have been impressed. And it has the same advantages laminate has always had:

• Cost – It’s cheaper than granite, marble, or solid surface (for the most part).
• Availability – Most colors are in-stock right now.
• Predictability – When your counter is done, you can throw your color chip in the middle of it and it’s going to match. Try that with granite.
• Durability – My mother-in-law (bless her soul) still has the same laminate counters in her kitchen from almost 40 years ago when the house was new. The stuff lasts. (usually…it is possible to damage your mother-in-law’s counters, but we won’t get into that)
• Flexibility – You can design any shape for laminate and you can cover much greater areas without seams. It can also be heated by those with the proper equipment to conform to custom shapes, such as a fancy edge on a counter.

Did you know you can get fancy edges like this with laminate?

Check It Out Yourself!

Just go into any local custom cabinet manufacturer and they’ll have samples. You can also find samples at Home Depot or Lowe’s (I think). The Wilsonart HD Website has pictures and dealer locators.

If you’re doing a new counter in the kitchen, bath, or wherever, you should at least take a look at this. I’m not saying it’s what I would choose for my kitchen if money were no object, I saw an amazing blue granite a few weeks back that currently holds that fantasy distinction, I’m saying the stuff is really great and you should check it out.

Have fun remodeling!

- RG

Why can’t something just be totally perfect? Must there always be a catch?

These are the questions I’ve been asking myself in the days and weeks since I replaced my kitchen faucet with a new Touch2O faucet from Delta Faucet. You see, the faucet is perfect! Totally perfect. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever added a single thing to our home that has garnered so many compliments from the entire family.

Interestingly, and this is no lie and nobody is paying me to say this, the only thing that comes close to being as simply awesome is made by the exact same group of geniuses at Delta. Namely, the H20 Kinetics Showerhead (read my post on the showerhead). Those Delta folks are on fire!

So back to this kitchen faucet and my unabashed praise for it…

1. Easy Installation – This faucet comes packaged with pretty much everything you need to do the installation on a standard set-up. They even included a little wrench specially designed to make the installation easier. But the best part is that the directions are easy to understand with nice clear graphics showing you how to do the job. Of course, you know, Murphy’s Law… I had to completely remove my cast-iron sink from the countertop to access the nut to remove the old faucet. Fun times.
2. Beautiful Design – It’s really a great looking piece of hardware. The finish is beautiful (mine is a brushed stainless) and the high arch of the spout is a wonderful change from the old fashioned faucet we had. Great looking handle too!
3. Functional Design – The spray head is easily turned into a handheld sprayer just by pulling it out of the spout, where it’s held nicely in place with a magnet. I’m telling you those people at Delta are using their noggins. The magnet was a great idea that could have been easily implemented anytime over the last umpteen years. Somebody just had to think of it and do it. The high arching spout does more than just look great. It works great too. Big pots, no problem.
4. ROCKING AWESOME TOUCH FEATURE – I’m not a huge fan of all these initials that are popping-up everywhere basically saying certain words without actually saying them, as if making someone “think” a word is better than making them hear it…not. But if I were into those little strings of letters, I would be using them here. The touch feature is beyond words great. We use it all the time, always. You might think “what’s the big deal, how hard is it to turn on a faucet?” I was right there with you but I’m a believer now.

So, what’s the drawback? What’s the big “catch” that is going to be a part of my life for the foreseeable future? Don’t laugh…

Whenever any of our family goes to visit someone and attempts to use their kitchen faucet, we walk right up and smack it one. Sometimes we smack it a second time a little harder because it rudely rebuffed our first, more gentle, touch. At this point we usually realize that we’re dealing with a lesser piece of kitchen hardware and recover accordingly, but the damage is done.

Oh well, whatchya gonna do? Life’s rough.

-RG

When I was eleven years old, I spent my first full-time working week on a construction site. It was a fire job and I still remember that underneath the burned and soaked carpet, was a floor that looked to me like it was pretty nice. It was terrazzo flooring. And it was the first of dozens I would find covered with carpet.

Terrazzo floors make this kitchen look clean and modern. HouseBeautiful.com

One look at the photo above and I have to wonder how anyone could ever cover that in carpet, but during the craze of “wall-to-wall” carpeting, lots of really beautiful floors were covered.

Terrazzo is a really interesting material. It’s essentially a mix, similar to concrete, with a colored base (often white) and a decorative aggregate, often (but not always) glass chips in the desired color.

Terrazzo is extremely hard once cured and can be polished to a high-gloss sparkly finish or honed for a more rustic look. The number of uses for this material is impressive.

Terrazzo Floors

Beautiful Terrazzo Flooring!

The most traditional and well known use for Terrazzo is flooring. The picture above shows just how clean and modern of a material it is. Yet I feel like it has a real “retro” quality about it. It makes me think of the Flinstones for some reason. Is that weird?

(time for a design-aside? How awesome is that space above? I love the shape of those sofas.. now that I think about it, I guess that’s no surprise…but check out that stainless shelf in the kitchen, and those drywall room dividers with space to display one’s prized possessions.)

Floors are done by pouring the mixture out over the concrete slab and leveling it off at the desired thickness (usually about 5/8″). Then it’s ground to a flat surface and polished in place. During the grinding and polishing process, the decorative items such as glass are ground flat with the surface of the floor, exposing random shapes of color.

Flooring is just the tip of the iceberg for Terrazzo uses though.

Terrazzo Tiles

An alternative to bringing giant grinding machines into your house, is terrazzo tile.

This is essentially the same product, but the work is done in a factory and the finished product is in tiles of various sizes.

Tiles are a great use for terrazzo in a bathroom, kitchen, or anywhere you want the look without the mess. (New terrazzo installation is a very messy job)

The downside is that you’ll have seams you’ll need to fill with grout. Some would argue this is a plus and can be incorporated into the design.

Terrazzo Countertops

This is one of the most exciting developments in countertop materials. Terrazzo counters are just stunning and they are incredibly durable and easy on maintenance.

I wrote a post awhile back on concrete counters which are a very close cousin to terrazzo.

Beautiful Green and Blue Terrazzo Counters enviroglassproducts.com

The photo above is apparently a house that was featured on Extreme Makeover and I totally LOVE the look. It’s no secret that I like colorful cabinets, and these are no different.

The way the blue and green glass in the counter plays off the other colors in the room is perfect. And the stainless hardware and fixtures finish off an awesome look using terrazzo countertops.

Polishing Terrazzo

Polishing and Grinding requires a big machine!concretetreatmentsinc.com

So, back to all those terrazzo floors we uncovered when remodeling. I’m happy to say that at least a few of them were restored to like-new condition and were NOT covered back up with carpet.

Terrazzo is even better than hardwood when it comes to the ability to make an old floor look new again. A little bit of grinding and polishing and you’re all done.

DIY Terrazzo Floor Polishing? Probably not, but that’s another post.

Banquettes are hot! I wrote a post about a year ago called “Banquette, Booth, or Built-In?” and I’ve been noticing these when I see them ever since. And I’m seeing them a good bit.

I’ve collected a few more photos to share and discuss all about nice banquette seating.

Banquette Bump-Out

If I were building a banquette, it would probably look something like this one. I’ve got very limited space to work with so this would be a great use of space. I also love the use of V-Joint Siding. But my favorite aspect of this space is the cozy nature of a bump-out like that closed on three sides.

Built-In Storage Seating

I really like the class and finish of the built-in above. Can you call that a banquette? To me, it has to have at least two sides to be considered a banquette, but what do I know. A couple of years ago I would still have said built-in or, gasp, booth!

Curved Built-In Seating

And what if your particular kitchen banquette is round-ish? Then does it have one side, or two, or three? It’s that kind of tricky question that can get you into trouble. I prefer to spend my time focusing on the really great craftsmanship of this particular example. Everything follows the curve, from the window trim to the custom curved cushion.

Rustic Wood Banquette

Maybe a little bit of rustic built-in seating is more up your alley! I really like the look of this one in the right setting. The bench does have a bit of a church pew look though. I wonder if I’d feel bad if I ate too much (you know, gluttony…)?

Cantilevered Seating

One of my favorite words in all construction talk is this: Cantilever

Don’t you just love the way it rolls off the tongue? And besides sounding cool, the word describes something that looks cool and is often very useful.

In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m referring to the way that bench above just hangs out with no legs to support it. When something sticks out with no support on one end, it’s cantilevered. (sort of, but let’s not get too far into this)

Restaurant Style Banquette

This is one of those pictures that can get me totally distracted. The little iron table works with something that looks like a restaurant banquette I dined upon once. (more accurately, I dined upon the table and rested my arse upon the banquette)

I love the brick wall (though I’m somewhat chagrined that the work around the window was done with a mismatched mortar).

Then there is a tie between these things (on the awesomeness scale):

• that yellow hutch
• those beautiful French doors
• That real wood curved front island counter (that so rocks)
• and one very special hardwood floor

But we weren’t talking about all that. We were talking about banquette seating.

Banquette and Kitchen Related Posts

See more awesome banquette pictures at my post: Banquette, Booth, or Built-In?

You may also want to read about Bump-Out Additions which are a great place for banquettes!

I’ve been in-love with this kitchen for so long:

I just can’t get it out of my mind.

And this weekend, my water heater went south.

Doesn’t everyone, when faced with a water heater replacement, say “Well, I guess we might as well just rip the kitchen on out and re-do it.”? I know I do.

A few less obvious reasons I love this kitchen (as-if sheer hot-ness isn’t enough):

• the oven and microwave are at the perfect height
• (like I said, these are less obvious reasons… the obvious ones are here)
• The four-light windows and matching pattern in the door
• The way the red controls on the range play off the red cabinet… love that.
• I’ve always wanted a prep sink (vegetable sink, baby sink, sinkette)
• Furniture-style feet on the oven cabinet

I go on and on about it more in my original post which shows more pictures.

I just was staring at the picture and thought I’d show-off my dream kitchen (in someone else’s house) again!

Are you ready for this:

At first glance I said to myself, I’m not ready for that. I guess it was like a little introspective moment because the more I thought about, the more I thought… well maybe. Whoknew?

I’ve known for quite some time that I could be converted to the dark side, er. I mean, modern design. And the fact that I love color is no secret.

The more I looked, the more I realized that this picture embodies a few principles I’m sold on.

1. Use color – no explanation needed.
2. Use available space – The built-in obviously takes advantage of a void behind the wall beyond while taking nothing from the room.
3. Use contrast in materials – How about the knotty wood floor! Did you know that the more knots in the wood, often the less it costs? Finish it with a high-gloss finish and it’s beautiful.
4. Lots of light – also self-explanatory, but this space rocks the idea!
5. Clean lines – hard to see in a close-up picture, but one of the things I love about contemporary design is the opportunity to carry lines through various spaces. A small example is how perfectly the counter in the built-in aligns with the opening between rooms.

The Modern Cheap Kitchen

One of the cardinal rules of selling remodeling work or just about anything else is “never say cheap”. Inexpensive is fine. Cheap is an insult. So I meant inexpensive:

This is the same house. These cabinet doors are SO simple to make. You can do it yourself, I swear.

All it takes is some good plywood with the top veneer in the wood species of your choice, some pre-glued “edge banding” you apply with the same iron you use on your shirts, and some decent quality concealed hinges.

It looks great, costs little (depending on the wood species), and makes for an easy remodel of existing kitchen cabinets. Put the extra money into great appliances.

So there you have it. A modern small space with inexpensive but beautiful components.

Are you ready?

- RG

images: Sunset.com

Happy New Year! One of my New Years Resolutions is to make more and better videos!  I’m starting with a picture of a really nice kitchen I found at the blog of a local kitchen remodeling contractor in Punta Gorda, FL.

I hope you enjoy the video.  It’s about 4 minutes long and I’ll try and make them shorter!  I guess I just have too much to say!  (PS – If this is your kitchen, please forgive me for insulting your light fixture…focus on the good things I said!)

A kitchen remodeling project can be a pretty extreme experience. It can be wonderful (it happens) or it can be a complete and total nightmare (it happens often). Sometimes a key to making it more of the former and less of the latter, is a matter of knowing the steps to getting the job done.

So here, in ultra-simplified form, is the “order-of-operations” for a kitchen remodeling project.

Step One: Know What You Want!

The first and most important part of a kitchen remodel, or any remodel for that matter, is knowing what the end goal is. You need a perfect picture in mind of what you’re working toward. Not only will this keep you sane when your house is seemingly destroyed, but it will also give you the advantage of having most of your decisions made before you ever start. That is a big advantage.

See this post on one of the best first steps in building a remodeling vision.

Step Two: Decide on a Realistic Budget!

Budget: The amount of time, talent, and treasure you’re willing to invest in making the vision you established in step one a reality.

This is so key to making the experience enjoyable, and none of the three components can be left out.

How much time can you personally invest in this? That will determine how much professional help you need. Be careful to keep in mind that it takes a lot of time to find a professional and to deal with one.

How much talent do you have to offer this project, and what will you give? Are you a designer, if so do you want to design your own work? (you don’t have to be a professional designer to be a designer… I bet you’ve been a painter before, but you might not be a professional painter) Do you have skills such as carpentry, drywall, or the aforementioned painting? Will you use those, if so how much can you budget?

How much treasure will you invest in this? Money. How much can you afford? How much will it take? How much is a good and sound investment?

The more solid your understanding of this step, the better off you’ll be. Trust me.

3. Create your Core Team!

The previous two steps will tell you who you need and can afford to bring in. It might be a designer, a general contractor, a cabinet man, a plumber, or all of the above. It might just as easily be your spouse, your brother-in-law, and your dog. The point is that you need to create the team and share the appropriate parts of the vision and budget with them.

From there, you can figure out exactly who is responsible for what.

4. Make an exact drawing (preferably on a computer) of what exists now!

Here is the key to being a great remodeling designer: Know what can be moved and what can’t.

It’s almost as simple as that. Now we all know that everything can be moved:

So the thing you need to know is maybe not what can be moved as much as what can we afford to move.

Armed with the following:

1. A clear vision for what you want.
2. A clear budget for time, talent, and treasure.
3. A core team to help you.
4. An exact drawing of what exists.

You simply start creating a new design. I use computer software, but you can use graph paper, or you can hire a professional designer.

The most important part of creating an excellent set of remodeling plans (drawings) is creating an exact “as-built” drawing. And I mean exact.

5. Finalize your plans before you start.

Take the time it takes to be certain that the new design is both accurate in measurements (it will fit as shown), and within your budget. Get it totally right before allowing anyone to start.

(contractor confession: In order to keep workers working and cash flowing, contractors sometimes suggest starting before it is really time. They might say “no worries, we’ll have plenty of time to work that out, let’s just get moving on the permit, or the demo”. I would advise against that most of the time.)

6. Get your permit before doing anything else.

Don’t order cabinets or appliances until you have a building permit. This may not be as important everywhere as it is here in Florida, but here, the building departments are all insane and the chances that they’ll make you change something on your plan is too high.

7. Order all of your special order items, including cabinets.

Cabinets, appliances, floor covering, fixtures, windows, etc. can all take awhile to get in stock. If you want a nice and happy experience after you rip out your old kitchen, order this stuff ahead of time. I learned this the hard way, more than once.

It’s tough on the wallet sometimes because you have to pay for so much in advance, but the situation that occurs when you tear out your kitchen and then sit for four weeks while you wait for the cabinets is really kind of a waste and is hell on your lifestyle. You’re going to pay for all of that stuff eventually anyway, so you might as well get it out of the way.

8. Assemble your stuff, your plans, and your team.

Last minute checks before you rip out the old kitchen are simple and straightforward. Just go over it all one more time. You’re past the turning back point, but you still have the chance to catch and avoid minor issues.

A pre-construction meeting with all of the key players involved is a great idea. Do this on-site, rather than in an office.

9. Finally, just do it.

All of the previous steps are part of planning and preparing. Some of it involves actual work, such as building the cabinets, but it’s all in preparation for the time when your house becomes a construction zone, with your kitchen right in the middle of your home.

Now is the time to start swinging hammers and hauling old stuff away. If you’ve planned well, even a big kitchen project can be done in a few weeks time.

10. Relax and enjoy!

You won’t be eating out for awhile because all your money is gone. Stay home and enjoy the new kitchen!

A few other posts here on RG that might interest you:

How to Find a Great Contractor

The Top Five Money Question For Remodeling

Replacement Kitchen Cabinet Doors

If you have any comments or questions, I welcome them below in the comments!

~RG

Do you think hardwood flooring is good for kitchens?

A mystery reader with the initials TS left a comment on the last post asking if hardwood floors really worked in kitchens. NOT the first time I’ve heard that question!

Some people might say it’s a matter of opinion. I say it’s not. To me… it’s a fact. Hardwood floors are great anywhere, everywhere, anytime, for any occasion. Including the kitchen.

However, I’ve found it necessary at times to grab a podium and become an evangelist for my beliefs on this highly important, nay – life altering, matter. Here’s the two most common objections and my response:

1. Water! What if there is a leak, or a spill?
   • There is one floor that will do better in a flood scenario – tile and even that does not always survive a flood (by this I mean a broken pipe) – but tile is cold and hard.
   • With less severe water, wood generally does pretty well. Especially if it’s cleaned-up quickly.
   • Solid wood floors can generally withstand more than manufactured wood.
   • Solid wood floors are easier to repair.
   • Engineered or manufactured wood flooring (plys with a hardwood top) generally do better with water than laminate flooring (which isn’t really wood at all).
   • How often do you really get serious water on the floor anyway? Is it a common enough occurrence to make a decision based upon?
2. Wear & Tear! Can hardwood stand-up to the heavy use in the kitchen?
   • Hardwood floors (solid or engineered) will show some wear in areas that get constant traffic. So if you are an intense cook, hand wash dishes three times a day, or have a herd of teenagers stampede to the refrigerator on an hourly basis you should be prepared for wear and tear.
   • Is wear and tear a bad thing? Or do you LOVE the way a hardwood floor looks when is has a worn spot near the sink, or where your husband stands at the end of the bar? Doesn’t it add character when your floor is worn out in front of the fridge?
   • So is that a drawback, or a benefit? It depends on the quality of your floor and this is one of my biggest reasons for using a solid hardwood floor. Wood that is 3/4″ thick wears differently (better) than wood that is only a few millimeters thick.

The Good Stuff!

• Hardwood is beautiful!
• Hardwood feels fantastic under your feet!
• Hardwood is universal – it goes with any decor. (almost)
• Hardwood is natural and one of the most authentic floors you can get.
• Hardwood is temperate, feeling warm in winter and cool in summer, but never cold.
• Natural wear and tear can make it look more beautiful.
• A quality wood floor can last many lifetimes. Literally hundreds of years and still look great!
• Oh… and dishes that fall on it only break, rather than shatter in a zillion pieces.

Did I miss anything… other arguments for or against? Anyone care to share personal experience with this? ( I had natural clay Mexican tile in our last kitchen and have ceramic tile in this one… to be replaced with wood ASAP!)

~RG