tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post5118182051260146201..comments2024-03-22T17:14:03.969-04:00Comments on The Cottage Nest: Starting at the BottomJen Kershnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16128661586028201160noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-66511254048530008962011-03-03T09:10:34.056-05:002011-03-03T09:10:34.056-05:00I'm so happy for you! Spring will be a perfect...I'm so happy for you! Spring will be a perfect time to work on your new house. We put hardwood in our house with some help from friends and family and saved a lot of money. It's not a difficult project. We found it on sale at Lowes and did our small house for about 4000.00 including everything we needed.Sixty-Fifth Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10741086163384325244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-22895755808384222622011-02-22T15:02:18.590-05:002011-02-22T15:02:18.590-05:00salvaged wood flooring---waterlox to finish..........salvaged wood flooring---waterlox to finish.......<br />promise you won't regret it. we talked to a guy in the carpentry biz for years {new home building & remodeling} and he said it's the best.....they have a site.<br /><br />i love our old farmhouse for the 140 year old wood flooring --see it lasts. we just added the salvaged wood in the new mud-room remodel and eventually it will go in the kitchen--aaack another project!<br />xo<br />karaMcMaster & Stormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193729670770920765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-90155581096376591632011-02-20T22:47:01.093-05:002011-02-20T22:47:01.093-05:00Hello Jen, just wanted to drop by, say hello, and ...Hello Jen, just wanted to drop by, say hello, and tell you I posted some pictures of my kitchen remodel..in a previous comment I had left I had told you about wood flooring in the kitchen. come by and visit..I am working on the after post soon. Hope you are well and enduring the wait. Congratulations again!maggie@septemberrusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05631324135261681840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-13307203015948082542011-02-15T09:36:30.156-05:002011-02-15T09:36:30.156-05:00Congrats on the new home Jen! Relax and enjoy the...Congrats on the new home Jen! Relax and enjoy the process, the house will tell you what it wants :-)Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17228344764544525919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-69584565449771259522011-02-14T09:29:59.145-05:002011-02-14T09:29:59.145-05:00well I haven't read all of the replies yet! B...well I haven't read all of the replies yet! But we put hardwood in this house (little by little). I know that you say the floors aren't in great shape, however if they are finished on site (which I'm sure they are). I would wait until you do the kitchen to do anything downstairs, unless your adding wood to a room. That way when you do the kitchen, you can do whatever you want instead of saying "well I can't do this because I just had this done". <br /> OR my other thought is to have your downstairs floors sanded down and refinished, b ecause you will be nothing short of AMAZED what that (and some wood putty) makes that look like! :)<br /> We have site finished and prefinished in the house we are currently in. While I like the "no mess" of the prefinished, I prefer the site finished hands down. And that is what we did in the new house. It just feels like a "Flatter" surface. I have no idea if I am explaining that right, lol. I had 3 staines in mind and ended up going with the "medium" color. I thought for sure I would go with the darker one. But then I figured the WHOLE house is wood and I'm not THAT much of a good housekeeper, AKA DUST BUNNIES! :)<br /> Can't wait to hear what you decide :)Kristihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13142694706893565452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-86771993502078379422011-02-12T11:16:38.168-05:002011-02-12T11:16:38.168-05:00Live with it for several months. Can it not be rep...Live with it for several months. Can it not be repaired? I find engineered floors look too "new" in an old house. Good luck and keep us posted. Lana http://wildberrycottage.blogspot.com/LANAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05946005009680968861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-26120118685405664652011-02-11T11:21:26.803-05:002011-02-11T11:21:26.803-05:00Hi Jen! Congratulations on your new home - it look...Hi Jen! Congratulations on your new home - it looks absolutely beautiful! And congrats also on pursuing your dream! What an accomplishment! <br /><br />You've gotten some great comments here about hardwood floors! What fun to design your home with brand new floors! Good luck!<br /><br />Kim at ArmstrongKim with Armstrong Flooringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02468024910896313235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-33677344020906189092011-02-10T22:23:17.301-05:002011-02-10T22:23:17.301-05:00We have been slowly but surely ripping up carpetin...We have been slowly but surely ripping up carpeting and replacing it with hardwood in our house. So far, we have the kitchen, living room, and hallway done. Next are the 3 bedrooms. We chose Bruce hardwood flooring, which is engineered flooring. We've been very happy with it, but I do have to warn you - it does scratch and dent. I don't have a dog, so I can't tell you how their claws are on this type of flooring, but we do have 3 cats with claws and the flooring is fine from them.Melaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08659968511488397366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-48893964812512830982011-02-10T12:00:21.187-05:002011-02-10T12:00:21.187-05:00I'm so excited for you and your family!
I...I'm so excited for you and your family! <br /><br />I'm not a refurbishing kind of girl but my dad is! He is finishing up his home which is 100years old this year. Look carefully at the old floor and seek advice. He has been able to refinish all of his with some patching done by a very good wood floor person. In fact, the person who did his floor found old planks to place in the floor that are the right look. You might really be able to save money by not replacing what is there. Plus then you get the true look of old floors.Staceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05728612514516285320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-57618799748076030972011-02-09T14:11:52.695-05:002011-02-09T14:11:52.695-05:00We have an old farmhouse, and the floors in most o...We have an old farmhouse, and the floors in most of the downstairs are small planks of oak - in a honey type color - it's fitting for our home's trim as well - I recommend oak - however - I do like our douglas fir flooring- it has a unique grain and stains easily...we refinished it in our kitchen...but it really scratches easily with the kids and dog! so beware of the scratches!!<br /><br />my good friend Jennifer Rizzo just had her floors redone in a dark stain (eco-friendly) and it turned out awesome - and my other good friend Tracey (French Larkspur) just painted her wooden floors white - which are also beautiful - <br /><br />many options - but visit their blogs for inspiration??Anne Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11570313791042086593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-35773219130037150712011-02-09T08:57:14.853-05:002011-02-09T08:57:14.853-05:00Having redone our hardwoods a year after moving in...Having redone our hardwoods a year after moving in(added 3 rooms worth) and having to effectively move out to do it, I understand about wanting them redone before you move in. <br />I agree with others about the dark stained floors, friends have them and they are never clean. Mine are just a medium stain on builder grade oak and I finished them in a satin rather than gloss...easier to keep them looking clean, or not tell they are dirty.<br />We had the floors re-refinished when we remodeled the kitchen 4 years after the floors were done. They were able to just fill in where needed and refinish just to the doorways and you can't tell at all. The price to have the floors refinished was about the same as high-quality carpeting, and the new floors about 2x that.Mistyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015902434684620616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-50323805812772385302011-02-08T07:57:47.550-05:002011-02-08T07:57:47.550-05:00Same thing we are pondering...Same thing we are pondering...Tammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08966190769332566442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-79414352667015087462011-02-06T22:04:23.342-05:002011-02-06T22:04:23.342-05:00shoot! i just realized...did i ever answer your ?&...shoot! i just realized...did i ever answer your ?'s about hardwoods?<br />i think i didn't!!<br />let me go check the invoice & i'll let you know what we did<br />xopaigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12470201808290045840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-78771740517462227532011-02-06T06:13:13.134-05:002011-02-06T06:13:13.134-05:00What a great inspiration! I will look forward to w...What a great inspiration! I will look forward to watching it all happen. Best of luck and enjoy the process!<br /><a href="http://www.mangosteenarizona.com/uploads/Sherman_Unkefer.pdf" rel="nofollow">Sherman Unkefer</a>Shermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10255398290571009328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-22368768122583250352011-02-05T15:32:32.948-05:002011-02-05T15:32:32.948-05:00That is some great inspiration! If it was me I wo...That is some great inspiration! If it was me I would live in the house a while before I did anything. I would do all the floors in the whole house at one time (which you can save up for if you wait a while) From experience I can say that sometimes living in a home for a while makes you decide on something different than you thought of before you moved in. Does that make any sense?? <br /><br />When we moved into this house we knew we wanted to redo our master bath (it had carpet in it!) and kitchen. It took us about 5 yrs to do the bath and about 8 for the kitchen. We paid cash for both and really had time (too much maybe) to think about what we wanted. I'm not suggesting you wait that long but maybe a few months. What ever you do, I know it will look fab!! :)Debrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03179975836835123468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-36428251324735152772011-02-05T12:40:44.018-05:002011-02-05T12:40:44.018-05:00Hardwood is awesome. We had oak floors under a hor...Hardwood is awesome. We had oak floors under a horrible green carpet. We did all the work ourselves and that cut the cost hugely. And since we did the job in two stages about 3 years apart, we did have a line of different shades. So we stenciled the overlap to help cover the difference. It worked lovely and defined the dining area from the living room. Our floors are a golden color and really brighten the house and debris does not show up as much. Our home is 60 years old and I love the irregularities in the floor and that helps with the wear and tear as the years go on. I don't worry about every nick and scratch. Good luck! KitKithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17821207596562393224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-83122837889262155422011-02-05T12:32:20.615-05:002011-02-05T12:32:20.615-05:00Hi, Jen. I would say live with it for awhile and t...Hi, Jen. I would say live with it for awhile and then maybe think about repairing the existing floor. Our house is all hardwoods that haven't been re-done in almost 100 yrs and we hope eventually that we can buy it at which point we will repair what we already have to save money. We hope to buy one day since our landlady is only asking $350K for our 5 bedroom,2 bathroom house with 3 outbuildings on 4 acres of land. I say only $350k...unbeknownst to us when we moved here, we moved to the most prestigious rd in Zionsville and houses next to us start at around 2 million. We can't afford her asking price currently but know it is a deal and hope to buy it eventually. It's so fun dreaming up all the ways to make a house "yours"The Vintage Farmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13201067932252143566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-60371096719605137612011-02-05T10:35:47.000-05:002011-02-05T10:35:47.000-05:00I recommend living in the space for 6 months befor...I recommend living in the space for 6 months before big changes. Paint is not a big change. But flooring is. <br /><br />I have dark hardwoods (engineered but real wood veneer over a cheaper wood). It is roughed up to look used. However, the darkness of it shows everything! Dog hair, dust bunnies, foot prints. <br /><br />I recommend a medium color. Not light, not dark. And definitely beat up with a matte finish.<br /><br />Check this off as research...ha!<br /><br />I know you will make great choices. Just thought I would share my experience.<br /><br />xoxo, JuliaJuliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18244507266596613034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-39882454633652402512011-02-05T10:19:05.044-05:002011-02-05T10:19:05.044-05:00Hi Jen!
Oh, I can't wait to see how your pain...Hi Jen! <br />Oh, I can't wait to see how your painted floor turns out!! It's going to be so lovely and your house is going to be magazine worthy, I am sure!! :)<br />We didn't use floor paint in the laundry room. Just regular paint. Then we put a few coats of water based polyurethane over the top. It has held up really well! It does have a few scratches in the polyurethane where laundry baskets have slid across the floor, but the paint underneath remains intact. Plus, there are pine knots that come through the paint after awhile, but I don't mind, cause it gives the floor the old look that I was wanting. The more character the better, in my book!! <br />Oh, Jen! Of course I wouldn't mind if you linked back to me when you post about your project! And I would be happy to help you by giving your pointers and tips when you need them! I'll be here!! :)<br />Hope you have a wonderful weekend!<br />Beth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-62043168571913433102011-02-05T10:18:35.758-05:002011-02-05T10:18:35.758-05:00Jen, the inspiration pictures are soooo pretty! I ...Jen, the inspiration pictures are soooo pretty! I love the dark wood, as well and have them in our home. That being said, they show EVERY speck of dust, fuzz, every grain of salt. You can also see foot prints on them from walking on them with bare feet. They are annoying. That's what best describes them. Beautiful only when clean. And, with three kids, they are clean for about five minutes a week..... I have light wood in two rooms(including the playroom) and they do not show anything!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-70664688324499427172011-02-05T08:17:23.987-05:002011-02-05T08:17:23.987-05:00So excited for you!
I have read your blog for year...So excited for you!<br />I have read your blog for years and this is my first comment. I just had to give you this bit of advise.<br />Live in your home for 6 months before you make any major decisions. Seriously, everything we were hell bent on changing... were the very things we ended up really liking about our house. And I've heard this from others too. Live day-to-day in your home and you will find that what you instantly hated... you find charming. <br />But then I am all about the process, not about the end results. But most have that git'r done mindset... who invariably regret their choices because they were in a rush to complete it all.<br />Just some thoughts from a stalker.linda thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05819203001583691536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-53035276737952461292011-02-05T00:27:54.042-05:002011-02-05T00:27:54.042-05:00PS - I do love all of the suggestions to paint the...PS - I do love all of the suggestions to paint them!!Shannan Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06240696987027358314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-83850465775144536262011-02-05T00:26:43.734-05:002011-02-05T00:26:43.734-05:00We debated long and hard on our kitchen/dining flo...We debated long and hard on our kitchen/dining floors. Every floor guy we talked to advised us to go for the top-of-the-line laminate planks over mid-range hardwoods. The top-shelf hardwoods were just too expensive! I know, I know. I have fake floors. But I do love the way they look and they are pretty much guaranteed to last forever. And a day.Shannan Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06240696987027358314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-12801040606117788382011-02-04T21:20:26.087-05:002011-02-04T21:20:26.087-05:00I've not replaced or installed hardwood before...I've not replaced or installed hardwood before. No real advice, but I would avoid engineered wood. It won't fit the character of your home. <br /><br />I'm wondering if you could repair the floors that you have. My parents had hardwood floors that were in very poor shape. They were able to patch the floor with new boards and then have the whole thing sanded and stained. This way you retain the character of the original, plus have a lower expense. I have a friend in Indy who had her floors redone about three years ago. If you are interested I can probably get the name of the people they used.Mariannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06053480963082704523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124766.post-72262648683960506102011-02-04T20:35:57.788-05:002011-02-04T20:35:57.788-05:00Hey Jen- Deep breath,girl, deep breath...In out......Hey Jen- Deep breath,girl, deep breath...In out...In out...it will be okay!<br /><br />I know - I did tons of research on hardwood floors before we did this last house. (I have done 13 that we have lived in). I can tell you that you probably won't like engineered wood floors-they are pretty but have a different "walk" to them and the movement in the word is not nearly as pretty as real grained wood. Also, one of the things that they DON'T tell you about the bamboo floors is that they tend to "fray" a bit (for lack of a better term) at the edges over time..and they have not been able to adequately address the "Fix" yet.<br /><br />I have had both light and dark hardwood floors. I decided in this house to go with a medium floor. The light was too "cool" feeling for me and after having a dark floor (which I ADORED the look of) I found that that there is too much upkeep to it...for me. It shows every little thing...light dirt or dark dirt. It shows dust and footprints and every little speck that you were sure you had gotten up. That being said...they are gorgeous...especially in the winter.<br /><br />I hope thie didn't throw too much of a monkey wrench into your thinking. I know it is hard when you want to do everything right away...but sometimes it is best to let the dust settle a bit and what you thought you wanted will change.<br /><br />I am sooo excited for you- Hugs-DianaNanaDianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14298962791700019785noreply@blogger.com