POLL: Finishes in your house

lms_bride · May 2010

My husband and I are picking out flooring and counter tops this weekend, and possibly window coverings for our new house that is being built. We have an idea of what we are getting, but I'd love to hear what others have too. So far all we've picked out is that our cabinetry in kitchens, halls and bathrooms will be dark stained beech.

So, tell me what you have and what you like/dislike about it in the following categories:

Kitchen counters - granite slab, ceramic tile, laminate, stone, something else?

Floors - wood, Pergo/manufactured wood, tile, linoleum, stone, carpet, something else?

Window coverings - wood blinds, roman shades, bamboo shades, shutters, honeycomb shades, other?

tmrtink · May 2010

lms_bride:
So, tell me what you have and what you like/dislike about it in the following categories:
Kitchen counters - granite slab, ceramic tile, laminate, stone, something else?
Kitchen counters I like either granite or stone if you can afford it. I loathe tile counters-kind of gross me out.
Floors - wood, Pergo/manufactured wood, tile, linoleum, stone, carpet, something else?
Floors for the kitchen are we still talking? Or for the whole house? Personally, I like carpet in bedrooms-makes them feel warm and cozy. I don't like fake wood-some are ok, but most times you can spot a fake wood floor a mile away (or maybe that's just me since I was a designer before Jackson was born). I LOVE wide plank wood floors. I think they are warm, easy to take care of (if you get slightly distressed) and you can always add rugs where needed to delineate spaces. I like tile in bathrooms, but not necessarily in kitchens-I feel like in a kitchen it can sometimes make them feel too cold and sterile (but that's just personal taste).
Window coverings - wood blinds, roman shades, bamboo shades, shutters, honeycomb shades, other?
Again-window coverings for the kitchen or whole house? I'm a general fan of wood blinds (thick planks only) for bedrooms, that or honeycomb shades (although the honeycombs are expensive, and depending on the mounting hardware and WHERE/HOW they are mounted, the ties often fail sooner than they should. I think bamboo shades are a fad that while I loved them, they're going to quickly be out of style, so if that matters to you, I wouldn't invest in a large amount of money into them. Roman shades are nice for certain applications, but are so common, and rather plain, that unless you're pairing it with nice drapery panels, they don't do too much for me.
All that being said, that is not necessarily how my house is!!!! I do what I can in certain areas, but there is still a LOT I'd change in my current house. What have you picked out for flooring and counters?

lms_bride · May 2010

tmrtink:
lms_bride:
So, tell me what you have and what you like/dislike about it in the following categories:
Kitchen counters - granite slab, ceramic tile, laminate, stone, something else?
Kitchen counters I like either granite or stone if you can afford it. I loathe tile counters-kind of gross me out.
Floors - wood, Pergo/manufactured wood, tile, linoleum, stone, carpet, something else?
Floors for the kitchen are we still talking? Or for the whole house? Personally, I like carpet in bedrooms-makes them feel warm and cozy. I don't like fake wood-some are ok, but most times you can spot a fake wood floor a mile away (or maybe that's just me since I was a designer before Jackson was born). I LOVE wide plank wood floors. I think they are warm, easy to take care of (if you get slightly distressed) and you can always add rugs where needed to delineate spaces. I like tile in bathrooms, but not necessarily in kitchens-I feel like in a kitchen it can sometimes make them feel too cold and sterile (but that's just personal taste).
Window coverings - wood blinds, roman shades, bamboo shades, shutters, honeycomb shades, other?
Again-window coverings for the kitchen or whole house? I'm a general fan of wood blinds (thick planks only) for bedrooms, that or honeycomb shades (although the honeycombs are expensive, and depending on the mounting hardware and WHERE/HOW they are mounted, the ties often fail sooner than they should. I think bamboo shades are a fad that while I loved them, they're going to quickly be out of style, so if that matters to you, I wouldn't invest in a large amount of money into them. Roman shades are nice for certain applications, but are so common, and rather plain, that unless you're pairing it with nice drapery panels, they don't do too much for me.
All that being said, that is not necessarily how my house is!!!! I do what I can in certain areas, but there is still a LOT I'd change in my current house. What have you picked out for flooring and counters?

I guess I wasn't specific so yeah I did mean flooring/window coverings for whole house but it doesn't matter. Thanks for your opinion, especially since you are a designer! We are literally choosing all flooring and counters on Saturday at the design center for our builder. Right now we are leaning toward:

- Granite slab counters in kitchen, cultured marble in bathrooms

- Wide plank wood floors in medium/dark stain with some distressing for downstairs since we will have 2 kiddos running around. Carpet on stairs and upstairs. Maybe tile just in entry and in all bathrooms.

- I would LOVE a backsplash in the kitchen out of limestone tile or something but it really depends on budget. I have a feeling we are going to spend a boat load on floors.

Any additional input based upon our ideas so far? I am worried that while the wood floors would be beautiful they will get dinged up really fast but maybe not. Also, good to know on the bamboo shades - I definitely do not want trendy. Also, (sorry I am totally picking your brain tmrtink!) what do you think about the various metal finishes? Our house comes with chrome faucets and door knobs. I am fine with this but my husband really prefers brushed nickel. I am thinking brushed nickel will be on its way out in a couple more years. What do you think? To me, chrome is timeless.

jenifairies · May 2010

What I have: laminate EVERYWHERE. Cheap renters carpet and more laminate. Dollar store blinds.

What I want when we move: probably granite or laminate counter tops - tile ones ick me out. floors, probably wood, maybe carpet in bedrooms. Window coverings - I have no idea, haven't thought that far ahead.

mandymack · May 2010

What you picked out sounds beautiful and just perfect!!!

You won't like anything we have as our house as it's a 100-year old Craftsman Bungalow and has original, matchstick Oak hardwood floors in every single room, antique Crystal door/cabinet knobs, real wood blinds that are gorgeous but collect dust like nobody's business (!), and a generic laminate counter top that was here when we moved in.

However, I love it all: it's very warm, inviting, lived-in, and charming!

Chrisy-Wyobride · May 2010

Kitchen--I've had laminate & it was fine. I plan to get quartz countertops in the new house. Durability of granite w/ more uniformity & less maintenance. I hate tile (grout)

Floors: Wood & Pergo. Tile in bathrooms & kitchens. I am anti-carpet because of the kids & pets

Windows: We mostly have wood blinds & curtains.

sparky88 · May 2010

I don't have a ton of advice. We have hardwood floors throughout, and I like it for the most part. I do wish my DD's bedroom was carpeted for comfort while playing/snuggling. We have a plush rug and that does the trick, too.

We have quartz kitchen countertops and I LOVE them. Completely maintenance free, look great, and stand up to ANYTHING (heat from pots/pans, etc).

I like brushed nickle better than chrome, personally.

Good luck making your choices! I'm sure your house will be gorgeous.

tmrtink · May 2010

lms_bride:
tmrtink:
lms_bride:
Right now we are leaning toward:
- Granite slab counters in kitchen, cultured marble in bathrooms
Awesome choice, and I'm jealous!
- Wide plank wood floors in medium/dark stain with some distressing for downstairs since we will have 2 kiddos running around. Carpet on stairs and upstairs. Maybe tile just in entry and in all bathrooms.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE wide plank wood floors. I think they are completely timeless and beautiful. Totally agree on carpet upstairs-ON the stairs could go either way-I like wood and carpet, so either one is nice. Would definitely do the tile in the entry to help protect that area from incoming traffic and what not. (also protect against rotting that can often happen in the door threshold isn't properly aligned or installed-very common).
- I would LOVE a backsplash in the kitchen out of limestone tile or something but it really depends on budget. I have a feeling we are going to spend a boat load on floors.
Worse case scenerio-you run out of money, and then I wouldn't even do a backsplash. I'd wait and save for what you really want you know? Especially since you're going to be spending so much on all the finishes-you don't want to have beautiful granite countertops and then have some generic backsplash you know? You can always just paint the back, and add it later-it's very easy.
Any additional input based upon our ideas so far? I am worried that while the wood floors would be beautiful they will get dinged up really fast but maybe not. Also, good to know on the bamboo shades - I definitely do not want trendy. Also, (sorry I am totally picking your brain tmrtink!) what do you think about the various metal finishes? Our house comes with chrome faucets and door knobs. I am fine with this but my husband really prefers brushed nickel. I am thinking brushed nickel will be on its way out in a couple more years. What do you think? To me, chrome is timeless.
For the floors-if you're worried, make sure you definitely get some that are distressed so that common wear and tear doesn't show as much. Most importantly though, make sure that when choosing your finish, you get something that is either close in shade to the natural wood color, and/or something that penetrates the wood and is not just a skim coat (on the top). If you get a skim coat, or choose to put a dark cherry finish on top of pine floors for example, then each and every scratch you get is going to show up very lightly against the stain. It will eventually darken with time, but will show in a big way for a while. That being said, it can also be sort of the charm of that kind of floor-just depends on what 'look' you're going for. In general though, you just can't beat good hardwood floors. They're timeless, and you can always refinish them if you wanted to years down the line.
As for the metals-you're totally right. Brushed nickel is going out faster than about anything else (what does that say for all the stainless appliances I wonder-it's only a matter of time)! I'd stick with the chrome, (not my favorite, but it's better than replacing it with brushed nickel). If you want something timeless in my opinion, I'd go with a venetial bronze (sort of dark brownish or can be blackish). It's matte, and beautiful. In general I think you're totally going in the right direction and I'd love to see pics when it's all installed! Feel free to pick my brain at any time! Oh, and for the carpeting, don't skimp!!!!! go high plush padding, and spend the money on a good carpet-a crappy one will look like garbage within 5 years. If in high traffic areas (ie-hallway or stairs) steer clear of patterns. Although they are nice, and no matter how long the manufacturer 'claims' they will maintain the pattern, they never do.

tmrtink · May 2010

TobeMrs.Shavers:
What you picked out sounds beautiful and just perfect!!!

You won't like anything we have as our house as it's a 100-year old Craftsman Bungalow and has original, matchstick Oak hardwood floors in every single room, antique Crystal door/cabinet knobs, real wood blinds that are gorgeous but collect dust like nobody's business (!), and a generic laminate counter top that was here when we moved in.
However, I love it all: it's very warm, inviting, lived-in, and charming!

Yeah, but that's all totally the charm of living in a craftsman! You have to work within the style of the house you're in-and if you all of the sudden put in granite and wide plank floors your house would seem odd you know? just out of place

lms_bride · May 2010

It seems like a couple of you are fans of quartz - I will have to look into this more! It seems like a good alternative to granite.

tmrtink · May 2010

lms_bride:
It seems like a couple of you are fans of quartz - I will have to look into this more! It seems like a good alternative to granite.

I know that people that have it love it, but it costs almost the same as granite, and in my opinion, looks much cheaper-like plastic. JUST MY OPINION though!!!! I know many people have it and LOVE it!!!

lms_bride · May 2010

tmrtink:
TobeMrs.Shavers:
What you picked out sounds beautiful and just perfect!!!

You won't like anything we have as our house as it's a 100-year old Craftsman Bungalow and has original, matchstick Oak hardwood floors in every single room, antique Crystal door/cabinet knobs, real wood blinds that are gorgeous but collect dust like nobody's business (!), and a generic laminate counter top that was here when we moved in.
However, I love it all: it's very warm, inviting, lived-in, and charming!

Yeah, but that's all totally the charm of living in a craftsman! You have to work within the style of the house you're in-and if you all of the sudden put in granite and wide plank floors your house would seem odd you know? just out of place

I agree! I love Craftsman style and while there may be some downsides to owning an older home, they have sooo much character and style. Newer houses these days are such cookie cutters. It takes a lot of money and time to make them feel homey and lived in.

Mrs.Hizzo · May 2010

Kitchen - we have silestone, which is quartz (engineered, whatever that means). It's a solid surface like granite is, looks a lot like granite, but it's not considered natural stone. It's extremely durable and low maintenance, which I like. I would still replace it with granite in a heartbeat. The silestone just isn't as classy looking. Plus, it's pink. Lord only knows what the previous owners were thinking.

Floors, kitchen/main floor - 2" red oak. I love hardwood but am not a huge fan of red oak, and the 2" strips are so dated.. Our house was built in the mid-90's when it was all the rage. I would love to replace it with 4" planks of bamboo or a distressed hickory, but it's never going to happen.

Window coverings - wood blinds in all the bedrooms, vertical blinds in the great room. The wood blinds are fine, basic white, I'm OK with them. The vertical blinds are hideous and I want to replace them with white plantation shutters. I want the same in the master bedroom. It's on the list.

I know you didn't ask about bathrooms, but we just did the coolest master bath remodel. I love it. We did a gorgeous glazed porcelain tile for the floor and wainscotting, cherry vanities, and marble counters. It turned out so great. You might not be interested in that aspect but I had to take the opportunity to AW. Smile

lms_bride · May 2010

tmrtink:
lms_bride:
tmrtink:
lms_bride:
Right now we are leaning toward:
- Granite slab counters in kitchen, cultured marble in bathrooms
Awesome choice, and I'm jealous!
- Wide plank wood floors in medium/dark stain with some distressing for downstairs since we will have 2 kiddos running around. Carpet on stairs and upstairs. Maybe tile just in entry and in all bathrooms.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE wide plank wood floors. I think they are completely timeless and beautiful. Totally agree on carpet upstairs-ON the stairs could go either way-I like wood and carpet, so either one is nice. Would definitely do the tile in the entry to help protect that area from incoming traffic and what not. (also protect against rotting that can often happen in the door threshold isn't properly aligned or installed-very common).
- I would LOVE a backsplash in the kitchen out of limestone tile or something but it really depends on budget. I have a feeling we are going to spend a boat load on floors.
Worse case scenerio-you run out of money, and then I wouldn't even do a backsplash. I'd wait and save for what you really want you know? Especially since you're going to be spending so much on all the finishes-you don't want to have beautiful granite countertops and then have some generic backsplash you know? You can always just paint the back, and add it later-it's very easy.
Any additional input based upon our ideas so far? I am worried that while the wood floors would be beautiful they will get dinged up really fast but maybe not. Also, good to know on the bamboo shades - I definitely do not want trendy. Also, (sorry I am totally picking your brain tmrtink!) what do you think about the various metal finishes? Our house comes with chrome faucets and door knobs. I am fine with this but my husband really prefers brushed nickel. I am thinking brushed nickel will be on its way out in a couple more years. What do you think? To me, chrome is timeless.
For the floors-if you're worried, make sure you definitely get some that are distressed so that common wear and tear doesn't show as much. Most importantly though, make sure that when choosing your finish, you get something that is either close in shade to the natural wood color, and/or something that penetrates the wood and is not just a skim coat (on the top). If you get a skim coat, or choose to put a dark cherry finish on top of pine floors for example, then each and every scratch you get is going to show up very lightly against the stain. It will eventually darken with time, but will show in a big way for a while. That being said, it can also be sort of the charm of that kind of floor-just depends on what 'look' you're going for. In general though, you just can't beat good hardwood floors. They're timeless, and you can always refinish them if you wanted to years down the line.
As for the metals-you're totally right. Brushed nickel is going out faster than about anything else (what does that say for all the stainless appliances I wonder-it's only a matter of time)! I'd stick with the chrome, (not my favorite, but it's better than replacing it with brushed nickel). If you want something timeless in my opinion, I'd go with a venetial bronze (sort of dark brownish or can be blackish). It's matte, and beautiful. In general I think you're totally going in the right direction and I'd love to see pics when it's all installed! Feel free to pick my brain at any time! Oh, and for the carpeting, don't skimp!!!!! go high plush padding, and spend the money on a good carpet-a crappy one will look like garbage within 5 years. If in high traffic areas (ie-hallway or stairs) steer clear of patterns. Although they are nice, and no matter how long the manufacturer 'claims' they will maintain the pattern, they never do.

Tmrtink, you rock! Thanks so much for your opinions on things. I know the venetian bronze you are talking about. I love it. Our front door is going to have that and everything else will be chrome... but maybe when we do knobs in the kitchen we will think about that finish. Oh yeah and I agree with you on the back splash. They have a beautiful one in the model (of course) so that is what I'm coveting but it is not a high priority for us right now.

All of this isn't going to be done until Sept but I will share pics when we move in. Thanks!!

lms_bride · May 2010

Mrs.Hizzo:
Kitchen - we have silestone, which is quartz (engineered, whatever that means). It's a solid surface like granite is, looks a lot like granite, but it's not considered natural stone. It's extremely durable and low maintenance, which I like. I would still replace it with granite in a heartbeat. The silestone just isn't as classy looking. Plus, it's pink. Lord only knows what the previous owners were thinking.
Floors, kitchen/main floor - 2" red oak. I love hardwood but am not a huge fan of red oak, and the 2" strips are so dated.. Our house was built in the mid-90's when it was all the rage. I would love to replace it with 4" planks of bamboo or a distressed hickory, but it's never going to happen.
Window coverings - wood blinds in all the bedrooms, vertical blinds in the great room. The wood blinds are fine, basic white, I'm OK with them. The vertical blinds are hideous and I want to replace them with white plantation shutters. I want the same in the master bedroom. It's on the list.
I know you didn't ask about bathrooms, but we just did the coolest master bath remodel. I love it. We did a gorgeous glazed porcelain tile for the floor and wainscotting, cherry vanities, and marble counters. It turned out so great. You might not be interested in that aspect but I had to take the opportunity to AW.

Thanks Mrs. Hizzo for all the info, especially about the counters (and sorry about the pink - ha!). And please do share some pics of your beautiful bath if you feel like it. I always love seeing what other people do in their homes.

akl0506 · May 2010

Our counters are granite. They are a dark color and have been great. Lighter colors can stain, I have heard. No complaints. Solid surface quartz would be really nice, too. I would have loved to do concrete, but it was not in the cards! I have heard soapstone is really soft and has some cons.

Our floors in our kitchen are wood. In hindsight, we should have picked tile for the kitchen. I have dropped a couple of things on the floors and they are dinged. It's frustrating. And, we have a dog. So, our floors have a few scratches in them that we wouldn't have if we had picked tile. I will say that our floors are pre-finished (factory finished) and have held up much better than our neighbors' floors, which were finished in the home. In the other parts of the house, we have carpet or ceramic tile. I would suggest spending some money on carpet. It is really expensive to replace a house full of carpet if you end up getting cheap stuff and it gets flat, stretched out, etc. I wish we would have been able to afford wool carpet, honestly. That stuff wears SO well.

Window coverings - we have some panels, some roman shades and mostly wood blinds. I prefer the wood blinds. Roman shades have recently gone thru some recalls (check cpsc.gov for more info). I would steer clear of those if your children are little - especially for their bedrooms.

Good luck! Building a home is so much fun!

detroitblondie · May 2010

I adore the "shabby chic" style and our house is over 100 years old so it fits just perfectly. Anyhow- my kitchen sucks. Ugly cabinets (just plain oak) & cream-colored laminate counter tops. Gross. Except for the floor- which is nice tile (not what I'd pick if I could pick anything, but not bad, either). The rest of our place has all the original hardwood floors & trim in a dark cherry stain. I'm not sure of the actual wood, but DH just re-stained all the trim last year and I know it was called cherry (which matched the original). For window coverings I have plain cream colored sheers in our living room, plain white colored sheers in our dining room, ruffly Shabby Chic curtains in our guest room, gorgeous embroidered vintage sheers in our bedroom, long lace Shabby Chic curtains in our kitchen & a Shabby Chic balloon valance on my kitchen door window. The only room that has a shade is our son's room which has a room darkening shade. But how fun it would be to build a home from scratch! I'm sure I would have things done much differently than I do here if the sky was the limit! Have fun & congrats!!!

lms_bride · May 2010

Thanks everybody, it is nice to hear the positives and negatives on what you have used in your homes... more food for thought.

Want a personalized experience?

POLL: Finishes in your house

Re: POLL: Finishes in your house

eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11

Choose Another Board

Search Boards