[Ladybug09]

Hello Ikea Fans!

Help me decide....I'm trying to choose the flooring that will go through my living room/dining room and most likely kitchen....

Maple or Birch??

I'm also looking at the following stains: Cinnamon, Carmelized Cherry

For my cabinets I'm doing the Adel in the MB...I love warm colors and the Kitchen will be painted a honey yellow...the living/dining room is an olively green with yellow undertones.

Most of my furniture is dark cherrys, but my sofa is creme.

Thanks for your help.

[yankeelawyer]

We put maple flooring in my kitchen; it is virtually indestructable and looks very pretty. One thing to be aware of with maple, though, is that it dos not take stain well (it gets blotchy and uneven). But it is nice if you want a lighter floor.

We are actually about to replace the maple with white oak, which wil lbe stained ebony to match the rest of the flooring in the house.

[Ladybug09]

Originally Posted by yankeelawyer

We put maple flooring in my kitchen; it is virtually indestructable and looks very pretty. One thing to be aware of with maple, though, is that it dos not take stain well (it gets blotchy and uneven). But it is nice if you want a lighter floor.

We are actually about to replace the maple with white oak, which wil lbe stained ebony to match the rest of the flooring in the house.

My other option I meant to say is beech, not birch....

I love the maple, I am leaning more toward this...I'm also going to put it throughout the rest of the place except bedrooms. I'm going with a lighter stain because I have dark furniture and walls adn want to keep it a bit open...I'm going with the type that is prestained. I like the cinnamon or cherry stains alot.

What color furniture do you have with ebony flooring?

[Ladybug09]

Does anyone have any recommendations for flooring companies in the Alexandria, VA area. I would prefer to stay as close to Alex as possible.

Thanks!

[yankeelawyer]

Ladybug, I have an excellent flooring contractor who does work in that area. His offices are in Leesburg but he does work all over NOVA, is very good, very nice, and reasonably priced:

Ask for Dave at Dogwood Flooring, 703 402 0019 .

Re my furniture, I have some dark pieces, and some very light pieces. With ebony floors you can put a pale rug under the darker ones if necessary, but my furniture seems to stand out plenty without that (we have a mix of very contemporary and antiques; it is eclectic).

[Ladybug09]

Originally Posted by yankeelawyer

Ladybug, I have an excellent flooring contractor who does work in that area. His offices are in Leesburg but he does work all over NOVA, is very good, very nice, and reasonably priced:

Ask for Dave at Dogwood Flooring, 703 402 0019 .

Re my furniture, I have some dark pieces, and some very light pieces. With ebony floors you can put a pale rug under the darker ones if necessary, but my furniture seems to stand out plenty without that (we have a mix of very contemporary and antiques; it is eclectic).

Thanks YankeeLawyer,

The livingroom will be about 300 sqft, and the Kitchen 96, so about 400 sq ft. I'm going to do the Engineered Maple, with most likely a Caramel or Cinnamon finish.

I will let you know how things go.

Do you happen to remember his price range (labor cost)?

[yankeelawyer]

Originally Posted by Ladybug09

Thanks YankeeLawyer,

The livingroom will be about 300 sqft, and the Kitchen 96, so about 400 sq ft. I'm going to do the Engineered Maple, with most likely a Caramel or Cinnamon finish.

I will let you know how things go.

Do you happen to remember his price range (labor cost)?

It would be best to discuss cost with him. But, I will say, when he gives you an estimate it will be completely itemized and note every detail so you know exactly what it does and does not include and the cost, and you won't have any surprises. He has done several projects for me and does a ton of work for a mutual friend who is a high-end custom home builder. I had gotten estimates from several companies before going with him initially and I found Dogwood's pricing to be very competitive. I am really, really picky about my contractors and the quality of work, and he is one of a small handful whom I consistently use and recommend.

My maple flooring was an engineered floor; it was excellent quality. I think Armstrong made it; I can never remember the manufacturer's name. It was handscraped and had a light honey color that was really pretty. The floor was virtually indestructible. In fact, after we demolished my kitchen, there was barely a scratch on it!

[Ladybug09]

Thanks so much for the extra information. I called him and left a message.

Did you have to provide your flooring?

I know some companies you can order through them, others, you can provide yourself and allow them to install.

I really like the Armstrong/Bruce and Mohawk Lines. Dupont was nice also, but I think they only do laminate.

The colors I wrote down a week ago were cinnamon, sandune, honey, toasted almond and Sugar Creek (all by Bruce/Armstrong)

[yankeelawyer]

Typically, I believe you order through him and he handles all the delivery arrangements, etc. He offers a number of different brands and can get just about anything you would want. He also does a lot of custom-milled floors from a mill in VT (the flooring on my first floor, except the kitchen, is custom-milled wide-plank oak).

Also, the guys who do the installation are very polite and really good. He has a small team and they have been with him for like 20 years, so they can do the installation blindfolded.

I sent you a private message.

[GregPhil]

Anyone looking for wood flooring should checkout Anderson Flooring. They have more flooring choices than you can imagine, a great website, and they will send you free samples and catalogs. Anderson Hardwood Floors