Going with custom hardwood flooring in your home can be a costly endeavor that can easily go over budget. For simple touches to add the same air of elegance that an expensive hardwood floor provides, there are a few lesser-known and often overlooked alternatives that you can consider. Most people looking for custom hardwood flooring want what they see in upscale establishments like an important public building or hotel or restaurant. They see an intricate nautical-themed 24-spoke compass medallion and they want the same on their floors. While nobody will dispute its beauty, this type of custom flooring option comes at an added cost. To be able to manufacture the same medallion design requires lots of different wood and labor. For a much lower budget, there are other touches that can get you going towards the elegant look you desire.
Small borders can greatly enhance the appearance of the hardwood in any room. Imagine lining your walls, doorways and corners with small border strips that add a little bit of interest to the floor without detracting from the beauty of the hardwood. You can also opt for accent tiles to give your custom hardwood flooring break up the monotony of the wood. Depending on the size, you can even use them as the focal point in place of an elaborate medallion or intricate marquetry work. Feature strips act like borders as well, featuring differently color strips that are generally placed on the borders of the floor to frame the hardwood.
The wood itself can be domestically sourced or can be imported from abroad. Domestic woods are cheap and plentiful and even if you are not satisfied with the original color, you can use a stain or finish to get close the the look you want. Exotic woods come from all over the world and are prized because their look is exotic and unique and much less common to see. However, there are plenty of paints that can be applied to a domestic hardwood to create a unique effect as well. Other considerations to get a non-traditional look without breaking the budget is to look into reclaimed and refinished hardwood flooring. These types of wood are usually salvaged beams from old buildings or bridges and some woods are even made from trees that have been long dead, found at the bottom of dried up river beds. There are even “exotic” domestic hardwoods like the salty fir, which gets its name from the Great Salt Lake. These woods were trestles from trains that used to run across the river and have beautiful dark black stains from chemical reactions with salt and other minerals. There is no need to look for imported exotic hardwood floors when the same can be had at home usually at a discounted price.
Being creative when looking to create an elegant custom hardwood flooring. There is no need to splurge on the pricier options when the same effect can be achieved with a few easy touches. Strategically placed accents can act as a nice focal point, or you can even break up the center of the floor with a parquet centerpiece. There is no need to use it on the entire floor. Consider using mixed woods for a interesting color effect using planks of different length to add more randomness and naturalness to the design. Elegant custom hardwood flooring can be had easily if you are creative with your choices.
