31 Days of Building Character:Wood Floors

Welcome to my first post in a 31 day series.  Throughout the month of October I  will be sharing 31 simple ways that we have given our newly built, builder grade, spec home character. 


To kick this series off, I am going to share the huge project that has been underway in my home over the last week.  This transformation has been the biggest character building improvement yet.  

We went from builder beige wall to wall carpet to this...







This project has been therapeutic for the entire family.  There is something about pulling up,  ripping apart and throwing away the biggest source of stress in our home...the light carpet.  

You may be thinking, ok...how is this simple?  Hardwood floors are expensive, they require maintenance, installation takes forever and makes a huge mess...it's laminate.

 It's not hardwood.  Oh yes I did.  I put laminate wood flooring throughout the entire main level.  No maintenance, quick and easy installation, and the biggest plus is that NO ONE CAN TELL.  Seriously, no one can tell that it is not the real thing. 





I found this wide plank laminate flooring at Sam's Club for $1.50/square foot. 
 The "hand scraping" gives it a ton of character.  The commercial grade quality makes it almost indestructible.



 It has completely changed the feel of our home.


(Before)

I can't wait to see what everyone else is writing about.  See you tomorrow!
To view my entire 31 Day Series, Please Click Here.



33 comments:

  1. Ok I want some, it looks wonderful. I so want to change the carpet in the familyroom. What is the brand and if not at Sam's club, where in the world can I get some. Your floors look fabulous, just so pretty and what a huge difference the new floors make. Love it. Hugs, Marty

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    1. I want to install the same in my house. Please let me know if get brand name. Thanks

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  2. Looks amazing...what brand and color is it? Our walls and trim are a similar color. I'd love to go check it out.

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  3. I absolutely love that floor. I knew there was a laminate that I would fall for. Thanks for sharing. Love the decor as well. Look forward to reading more of your 31 days. I'm doing 31 Days of Orange. Please stop by.

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  4. Love the new look, everything is better than carpet. Great price on it also.

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  5. Wooden (look) floors real or not, just give a house that cozy, warm look.

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  6. You are speaking my language! I went from a house of 4700 square feet of lovely hardwoods to a house of mostly carpet!! Dogs + carpet = YUCK. I am dying to get hardwoods in here! Laminate, huh? OK, you need to tell us more! They look lovely and I am really curious about this option!!! Way to go!!

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  7. We did the same thing on our main floor and I'm getting ready to start upstairs in a few months. You're right - it's easy, it's cheap and no one can tell the difference. It ups the appeal of a home so much - your home looks lovely, I love the hand scraped look!

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  8. LOVE the floors. We too have light color carpeting and I hate it. Did you install it yourself, or did you have someone do it for you?

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  9. WOW! I wish my laminate "wood" flooring looked that good!! It's gorgeous - I love the color!! I have to say that when we moved here we thought we would rip out the laminate wood floor in our kitchen ASAP, but it was a blessing in disguise (although it is not as pretty as yours) - it is so easy to maintain with a dog and three kids - and no scratches or wearing in the finish!!

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  10. I love it! NEVER thought I would say that about laminate, but it really looks great. Please let us in on your wonderful find--brand, color...

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  11. Gorgeous.. I had no idea Sams Club sold flooring. Sounds like a great price too.

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  12. Not to mention that carpet is a trap for all kinds of nasty allergens, molds and germs. Laminate floors are way healthier for the whole family and the pets too.

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  13. How fantastic!! I'm really toying with the idea of laminate instead of carpet downstairs. Love the color you picked and the before and after shots.

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  14. We have wood laminate in our entire house (except for the kitchen and bathrooms, which are tile), and I love it. We had to replace one entire room due to water damage, so that wasn't fun, but I would still do it again. I don't understand how people can put it in kitchens, though... Unless there have been some major improvments made in the last 10 years, the stuff is definitely not water proof.

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  15. Shut the front door! LURVE IT!!!!!

    Tiff in the Midwest

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  16. Can you tell me me where you got your dining room table and chairs? I absolutely LOVE them! Thanks! The whole room looks amazing. I love how it all comes together!

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  17. Your floors are absolutely gorgeous! Can you tell me if you put this laminate in your kitchen and baths? If you did how is holding up with water contact? I would like to do my whole house but am afraid of water damage.

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    1. Carrie,

      Thank you. Yes, I put them in the kitchen. They are holding up wonderfully. They haven't had a lot of contact with water but so far so good! Best, Sarah

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    2. We have them in our kitchen and last summer while on vacation we had a water leak in the second floor bathroom. When we arrived home the entire ceiling was on our kitchen floor!!! We cleaned up the mess and used fans on the floors for about a week and u cant even tell they were under water for almost a week!!! They look beautiful...just the way they did when we first installed them!

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  18. LOVE IT! I have actually been looking for laminate EXACTLY like this. Could you tell me the manufacturer and Color number? I beg of you! :)

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  19. Can you tell me how wide the planks are?

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  20. Everyone is asking the my question, but you are not answering. Is there a reason you can't tell us the details, like the name and color number, of this flooring? It looks really beautiful!

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  21. Here is a little more info on the floor:
    http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/2011/10/more-on-floor.html

    Thanks for your stopping by. I appreciate your comments/questions.
    Best,
    Sarah

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  22. Hi Sarah, I happened upon your blog through a friend's pin on Pinterest! I cannot tell you how much joy it gives me to hear that another mother of three admits to stressing over the light carpet in her house! This is something I have struggled with for about seven years, now, in my house! Between the dog (who has since passed), the three kids' sippy cup spills, red wine, etc, I have spent a good amount of time in this house on my hands and knees cleaning carpet! I think the laminate is something my husband and I are going to spring for this year and we had decided on the wide planks. I am REALLY enjoying your DIY tutorials and your blog. I am totally painting my interior doors black...you have such wonderful ideas and I love your style! Thanks, so kindly, for your inspiration! I have spent hours looking at your home and your design ideas...thank you!! Wish you were closer to KY!!!!
    All the Best,
    Kristin

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  23. Curtains! I am looking for curtains just like the ones in your dining room to add to my new updated dining room. Could you please tell me the brand, and where you got them? Are they ivory? As well, did you use the same paint color for the trim as you did on the lower half of the wall with the frame boxes? We are also doing frame boxes. Thank you! I LOVE your blog and your style!!!

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  24. Hi Kimberly, thank you!! My drapes are off-white cotton twill panels from Restoration Hardware a few years ago. The color of the trim and the picture frame molding is Martha Stewart Tailors Chalk. Best, Sarah

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  25. Love your room! Do you know the color of the paint on the wall? I love it so much!

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  26. How has the floor held up over time?

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  27. Looks amazing...what brand and color is it? Our walls and trim are a similar color. I'd love to go check it out.

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  28. Hi Sarah, I know this is an old thread but I just stumbled upon this and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, your site. My dilemma is this: I have red oak hardwood floors installed on-site that run thru my kitchen to my foyer, touching the threshold of my dining room, living room and family room. I really need to put new flooring in those three rooms, which I would like to be hardwood. However, in order to have a cohesive look, how can I make those room match the kitchen/foyer - and why would I if oak is dated? Should I stain the current oak floor darker and try to find something to match that? A flooring guy I consulted told me to rip it up. Hubby said no way. Whats a girl to do? Meanwhile I have 20 year old carpet (yes I am serious!) sitting in these other rooms and a graduation party in June. HELP!

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