Petar and I have spent the past week in and out of Home Depot looking for paint colors and trying to find the perfect stain for our hardwood floors.
{What we are currently working with- natural red oak}
We have decided to stain the hardwood floors and paint the entire condo before moving in. Those two renovations are done best when there’s no furniture or boxes in the way. With that being said, I find ourselves in a bit of a time sensitive situation. We have two weeks to make this happen and be moved in by the end of the month. No big deal…
Let’s talk stain. The floors in the condo are currently red oak in natural form and the kitchen has maple which poses a bit of an issue. Maple is more dense than other woods and does not absorb stain the same way. We thought about replacing it with cheap oak floors but that would bump up the cost to some ridiculous number. After doing a bit of research, it appears that the kitchen won’t match the rest of the unit exactly, but it will still fall within the same hue with some variances in the grain. I’m ok with that.
{There are SO many options out there. Every contractor works with a specific company, so you have to make sure they have what you’re looking for. Photo via Adam Loveday}
How about some inspiration? These photos helped us pick the color.
{Kitchen// Living Room// Moroccan Wood Floors}
{This space just amazes me. I absolutely love the herringbone floors and the tall ceilings! Photo via, here}
And finally… our choice. Antiqued Maple Bronze
{This color pulls a bit cooler than other walnut stains; grains show and give it an inviting and almost rustic feel. It is about two shades lighter than our original choice and I think it’s the perfect happy balance!}
The contractors start tomorrow. We’re not wasting any time! Follow me on Instagram to keep up with the progress and don’t forget, tomorrow is One Table!
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I think this is a great choice…not too ashy but just enough and not so dark…it will look fabulous cant wait to see the end result…Happy renovating
We had exactly the same issue – oak floors, maple cabinets, and we refinished them all darker, and the result is great! Happy renovation! Say hi to Petar!
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I’m so glad to hear that the maple picked up the color! We were a bit hesitant but on the other hand, not staining the maple floor in the kitchen would be worse! So glad you stopped by to say hello! I will definitely let him know 🙂
That dark stain will look just sublime with your walls. Great choice!
Wow it looks like your condo has nice architectural details and great proportions! Very classic. Are you in an old building? We live in Kildeer out in NW suburbs and after 9 years of taking care of land and trees, which we thought we wanted, I think we’re tired of that now and ready to swap out for a condo in the city! Like the whole city is a fabulous backyard, really.
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HI Deb- I had no idea we were practically neighbors. I grew up in Libertyville! What a small world. There’s definitely advantages and disadvantages of owning a home and of living in a condo. I still own my home out in the burbs and while I love having a yard and the glorious perks of home-owning, it does take a lot of time and energy. Sometimes, assessment fees aren’t the worst thing in the world 😉 Would love to grab coffee some time and chat and hear all about your India adventures!