There isn’t anything quite like a fireplace to help warm up your home and add some holiday spirit. Don’t have a built-in feature fireplace in your home? No problem – build one! Something as simple as an old desk hutch or bookshelf can easily be rehabbed into a chic fireplace surround with the help of some paint and a new wood backboard. Such is the case with this thrifted desk hutch turned faux fireplace featuring the stunning chevron Zanzibar.
We’ve rounded up three ways to style a faux fireplace using items you likely already have around your home! But before we get to style inspiration, here’s a look at the “before”!
The Before
It may not look like much, but a little paint goes a long way!
The After
1. “Electric Stove” Space Heater
Perhaps our favorite option for a faux fireplace insert would be a “stove” space heater! Completely electric, this space heater has realistic flames that lend both a warm aesthetic and practical heat on chilly nights!
2. Rustic Tray & Electric Candles
Simple and understated, a rustic tray and battery-operated candles allow you to see more of the gorgeous wood backboard and yet still adds a warm glow!
3. Cozy Blankets & Pillows
A few festive blankets and a fluffy pillow provide a simple, casual aesthetic. Bonus points if your pillow has a snowman or other Christmas character!
When it comes to decorating a faux fireplace, the options are truly endless. From stacks of books to candles and birch logs, there is no wrong way to style it!
One of our favorite things about hardwood floors is that they are incredibly versatile. From ceilings to feature walls, here are a few of our favorite creative projects featuring our floors:
The crazy year that has been 2020 is now coming to a close. We are celebrating the coming of the new year with the launch of four new, stunning wide plank European oak colors in our premium L’artiste collection. Read below and you’ll see exactly why we couldn’t wait until 2021 to share these floors!
ANTIGNA
The depth of color and feeling of Alexandre Antigna’s compassionate works of art is mirrored in the multidimensional color of the European oak Antigna. The smooth texture of natural grain is like brush strokes on each beautiful 8 5/8″ wide plank. Its neutral tone, created using state of-the-art reactive staining techniques, creates color and character from naturally occurring components of the wood and is unmatched by traditionally stained floors. With a durable 6mm wear layer and strong cross-finger core, the Antigna matches its beauty with an enduring construction.
BELLINI
The wide planks of the European oak Bellini are the perfect canvas to showcase its unique, warm, multidimensional color tones created using state-of-the-art reactive staining techniques. Each smooth plank brings a richness and a warmth wherever it is installed. Completed with a hard-wearing UV lacquer finish, the Bellini is an investment in both quality and beauty.
LORRAIN
The paintings of French artist, Claude Lorrain, seem to emanate light from within. For decades, his sweeping landscapes with glowing, multidimensional light have transfixed the masses. This incredible use of contrast and the talented capture of elusive light inspired the European oak Lorrain. A rich, depth of color is displayed on each wide plank. Delicate grain and a smooth texture provide the ideal surface to showcase a stunning reactive stain that creates an aged aesthetic right out of the box. With a cross-finger core and strong wear layer, the Lorrain is an excellent choice for those who are seeking durability as well as finesse.
MATISSE
Henri Matisse had a fondness for bright and expressive color. His works are bursting with a vibrance seldom replicated in other works. This love for rich, bold color is embodied in each plank of the European oak Matisse. This unique floor is neutral and yet exorbitantly rich in color. Beautiful, natural variation is complemented with reactive stain technology, creating a one-of-a-kind floor with unapologetic beauty.
Click here to view the entire L’artiste collection!
With proper care, hardwood flooring can stand the test of time and uplift the appearance of homes for generations. One of the most popular trends in recent years is wide plank flooring. Classified as 5” wide and greater, wide plank flooring is gorgeous, timeless, and it is clear that this stunning style is here to stay!
For those who love a rustic or traditional design style, wide plank flooring is a fantastic option. With the wider planks, there is more room to showcase the natural beauty of real wood. These charming and distinctive elements (such as knots, splits, and sapwood) add a sense of heritage, warmth, and unique character.
Chavannes, 8 5/8″ Width
Bach, 11.5″ Width
For those who prefer a more refined aesthetic and a contemporary or more modern design style, Select Grade wide plank floors have very few knots and feature a cleaner grain. Lighter toned wide plank floors are especially popular in these design styles.
Ravenna, 9.5″ Width
In large spaces and smaller spaces alike, wide plank flooring can make the space more airy and feel more open. This is especially true with lighter toned flooring. The wider the plank, the fewer seams between boards. This means few interruptions in the pattern of your flooring and in the natural lines of the room.
Ravenna, 9.5″ Width
Strength & Stability of Wide Plank Flooring
It is important to note that the wider the plank, the more susceptible the plank is to seasonal expanding and shrinking. While this is normal and to be expected of hardwood floors, engineered floors help to minimize these seasonal changes with an extraordinarily stable multi-ply, cross-grain core. With each layer of wood reinforcing the next, the beautiful aesthetic of wide plank flooring can also be dimensionally stable.
The 9” wide Cascade Anguilla is inspired by the pristine sand beaches and rocky cliffs of its namesake. It’s beautiful neutral brown color and modern wide plank design make it the perfect foundation for any design. The Anguilla not only has the appearance of genuine hardwood, it also features an embossed grain design. This detail makes this stunning SPC floor look and feel like genuine hardwood.
With the help of state-of-the-art scanning technology, the Anguilla provides the look of premium reactive stain European oak in the robust structure of SPC. We hand selected planks from our finest reactive stain European oak floors and had them scanned to create the uniquely beautiful Anguilla. The end result is an incredible depth of color and richness of tone previously not available in an SPC floor.
The Cascade Anguilla is luxury SPC vinyl floor. This rigid core floor is as durable as it is beautiful; each plank is 100% waterproof and scratch resistant. The Anguilla can be installed in any room – kitchens, bathrooms, and basements alike. Not only is it versatile, it is also structurally stable; its resilient construction minimizes seasonal expanding or shrinking, and its rigidity helps to cover minor imperfections in subfloor. With an easy click installation system and enduring construction, the Cascade Anguilla is a popular choice for DIY-ers and households with large families or pets.
Safety Standards
In accordance with our company’s values, all of our flooring selections are proudly FloorScore® certified. FloorScore® certification is a voluntary, independent certification program that tests and certifies that hard surface flooring and the materials that they are made with are in compliance with stringent indoor quality emissions.
We are going to tackle an important question today: should you choose luxury SPC vinyl or engineered hardwood for your home? We are proud to offer many selections in both of these categories in a variety of colors. Let’s take a closer look at each of these kinds of floor so you can decide which is the best fit for your family.
First, let’s take an individual look at each type of construction.
Engineered Hardwood Floor
Engineered Hardwood Construction
Engineered hardwood floor is made of 100% natural wood and is constructed in multiple, cross-grain layers. The top layer, or wear layer, comes in a variety of species and colors. Each layer of the core is laid cross-grain, in different directions, and ensures that the structure is highly stable, with less expansion and contraction when it encounters moisture, humidity, and fluctuating temperatures.
Luxury SPC Vinyl
Luxury SPC Vinyl Construction
SPC stands for Stone Polymer Composite. SPC refers to the core of our luxury rigid core floors. This core is affixed to a premium foam underlayment. On top of the SPC core is the image layer (which gives the floor its fabulous wood-like appearance) that is protected with a clear wear layer and a UV scratch-resistant protective coating. This durable floor can be installed in any room – kitchens, bathrooms, and basements alike. Our Cascade SPC is 100% waterproof and designed to absorb impact and resist scratches. SPC is structurally stable, meaning that its resilient construction minimizes seasonal expanding or shrinking, and its rigidity helps to cover minor imperfections in subfloor.
Now that we have defined our terms, let’s see how these amazing different constructions compare.
Luxury SPC Vinyl – Cascade Alamere
1. Installation
Engineered Hardwood
Depending on the type of hardwood floor, and given the correct environmental conditions, engineered hardwood floors can be installed below, on, or above grade using many different installation techniques (including glue, float, nail/staple). It can also be installed over all types of subfloor (including wood and concrete).
Luxury SPC Vinyl
SPC planks may be installed over on grade, above grade or below grade concrete subfloors, wooden subfloors, and even over most existing smooth, single layer, hard surface or un-cushioned resilient flooring. With a glueless, easy click installation system, and an attached UrbanShield Premium Underlayment, SPC flooring can be very simple to install. It is easy to cut and there are no specialized tools required, our SPC planks click together for a fast and trouble-free installation.
Click here for detailed, downloadable installation guides for your specific flooring.
Engineered Hardwood – European Oak Chardonnay
2. Design Options & Aesthetic
Engineered Hardwood
Modern engineered hardwood comes in a variety of species and design styles, from smooth finished maple to ultra-wide, wire-brushed European oak.
Luxury SPC Vinyl
Likewise, SPC flooring comes in a range of design options. Our SPC selections are complete with embossed grain which helps provide the look and feel of genuine hardwood.
Luxury SPC Vinyl – Cascade Yellowstone
3. Cost
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood comes in a wide range of prices from entry-level to premium. The price per square foot largely depends on the species, wear layer thickness, or width of the plank. Whatever kind of engineered hardwood that is selected, as it is constructed from 100% natural wood, it will add value and style to any home.
Luxury SPC Vinyl
SPC is cost-effective and generally at a lower price-point than most engineered hardwood flooring. It is an attractive option for many homeowners because of its resilience and ease of care.
Click here to find an Urbanfloor retailer near you who can assist you with pricing and purchasing information.
Engineered Hardwood – European Oak Grigio
4. Longevity
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood, when properly cared for and maintained, can last for years and years to come. While some engineered floors can be completely refinished, it is not a guarantee with this kind of construction. Whether or not sanding and re-refinishing is possible depends on the thickness of the wear layer. Make sure to select a product with a thicker wear layer if you plan on sanding and refinishing in the future.
For those who do not want to go through the extensive sanding and refinishing process, a screen and re-coat is always an option for refreshing your floors. This process is much less intensive and does not require sanding of the wood. Instead, a screen and re-coat involves buffing the original finish and reapplying a new top coat to restore your floors to their original glory. This can be done multiple time throughout the life of the floor.
Luxury SPC Vinyl
SPC flooring is extremely scratch resistant, but not scratch or damage proof. If any large gauges or damage should occur, a plank replacement is a great, low-cost option. SPC floors can last for many years with proper care and attention. The best way to keep SPC floors looking as beautiful as the day they were installed and to get the most out of your investment is proper cleaning and care.
Want to know more about your Urbanfloor warranty? Click here.
Luxury SPC Vinyl – Cascade Niagara
5. Cleaning & Care
Engineered Hardwood
Today’s hardwood floors are quick and easy to maintain, and with a few low-cost cleaning tools and a little preventative maintenance, can look beautiful for years to come. In addition to maintaining a stable environment, engineered hardwood floor should be cleaned regularly. Simply sweep, dust mop or vacuum to remove dirt and grit. When necessary, engineered hardwood can be cleaned with a hardwood floor cleaning product.
Luxury SPC Vinyl
As SPC floors have a completely non-porous surface, they repel water – making clean-ups a breeze! Dust, dirt, and grit can be an SPC floor’s worst enemy and cause them to scratch prematurely. The faster they are removed, the less wear and tear to the floor. Daily sweeping or vacuuming is recommended to help keep them scratch-free. If the vacuum has a beater bar (rotating bristle brush), it should be turned off. Twice weekly washing is recommended to avoid buildup of dirt and debris.
Click here to view our comprehensive cleaning & care guides for both engineered hardwood and SPC products.
Engineered Hardwood – Hickory Cloud 9
6. Summary
Both engineered hardwood and luxury SPC vinyl are fantastic options when it comes to updating the look and feel of a home. While neither is inherently superior to the other, each has different pros and cons that make one or the other a better fit for different families or lifestyles. Some may opt for SPC as it is DIY friendly, waterproof and extremely easy to maintain. Others may select engineered hardwood for the unparalleled warmth, beauty and added value that genuine hardwood brings to a home.
Whatever your preference, we have floor we know you’ll love. Click below to browse our entire catalog of products and order free samples directly from our website!
Our L’artiste collection of engineered European oak is inspired by history’s most prestigious French artists. The careful crafting of each plank mirrors the intricate artistic process of some of the greatest painters ever known. With genuine European oak featuring elegant brushed detail, each handcrafted ultra-wide and extra-long plank is a work of art in its own right.
AESTHETIC & STYLE
The wire-brushed European oak Renoir mirrors the intrinsic warmth and love of beauty of its namesake. With a balanced and neutral color, this 8 5/8” wide plank floor will infuse into your home the same life and richness of feeling of Renoir’s most beloved works of art. Beautiful wood grain patterns are coupled with a state-of-the-art reactive stain, lightly bringing out the natural splendor of genuine European oak by creating color from within the wood.
The charming knots and mineral streaks on each plank are creations of nature as lovely and as purposeful as Renoir’s many works of art. Each genuine European oak plank of the L’artiste Renoir is elegantly wirebrushed to highlight its natural grain and completed with a pristine UV-oil matte finish – harmonizing old-world style and contemporary design.
STRENGTH & DURABILITY
The Renoir’s strong 8 5/8″ wide planks are able to withstand heavy foot traffic. Its intricately wirebrushed texture make this floor a great option for families with children and pets. The L’artiste collection is backed with Urbanfloor’s lifetime structural and 50-year finish warranty (see warranty information here for more details). As a result, you can choose the Renoir with confidence that its elegant style will be around for years to come.
SAFETY STANDARDS
We ensure cleaner air for your family. In accordance with our company’s values, all our engineered wood flooring is proudly FloorScore certified and the European oak Renoir is no exception. FloorScore certification is a voluntary, independent certification program that tests and certifies that hard surface flooring and the materials that they are made with are in compliance with stringent indoor quality emissions.
Welcome back to the blog! As you may have noticed, we have over 100 different colors and styles of hardwood floor to choose from. While we are proud to offer so many varied kinds of flooring, we know that this can make decisions difficult when it comes down to narrowing which one floor is right for YOU.
We hope this color spotlight series will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about which floor is right for your home! With that, let’s begin!
The Strauss was a welcomed addition to our Composer collection in 2015. With its neutral brown stain and 10.25-inch wide planks, it’s no wonder the Strauss is as popular as it is!
Strength & Durability
The Strauss boasts 10.25-inch wide planks made up of a strong, 8-ply engineered core and a beautiful 4mm wear layer of pure, genuine European oak wood. The top layer is sawn-face, meaning that you get to see the beautiful, natural grain patterns typical of European oak without the distortion caused by rotary peel methods. The surface is wire-brushed to highlight its deep textured grain and then hand-ground to create a timeworn look. The Strauss, given its strength of construction, matches with its durability. Kids and pets? No problem – the Strauss can stand up to high levels of foot-traffic and its beautiful texture masks scratching.
Aesthetic & Style
Textured to perfection, the Strauss awes with a full range of color variation including sapwood and mineral streaks. In addition to this, the Strauss’ bold grain patterns give the floor a reclaimed look. Whether you want to offset your modern, clean interior design with a rustic floor or embrace shabby chic, the Strauss may just be right for your home design!
So, what do you think? Is the Strauss’ reclaimed aesthetic the right look for your design?
Welcome back to our blog! As we end our series on color, we will be discussing the ever-so-popular gray hardwood! You may have seen a rise in gray hardwood floors in recent years and this is due to significant trending of this coveted aesthetic. Gray hardwood is very modern and easily compliments other modern home finishes such as nickel and stainless steel.
With any significant trend in the interior design industry, it bears questioning if the popular materials of the time are future classics or simply passing fads. After all, hardwood flooring is a significant investment and it is important to know that your choice will stand the test of time.
The great thing about gray hardwood is that, passing trend or not, it is a neutral color choice that compliments an array of design styles. While gray hardwood floors tend to pair best with cool, modern designs, you can also bring warmth to any space with accent colors and natural wood decor.
When it comes to selecting a shade or tone of gray hardwood flooring, there are many available options. A light gray floor and a dark gray floor will have many of the same pros and cons that we have discussed with previous posts in this series on light and dark hardwood.
Dark hardwood is leading modern trends and it is easy to see why. The contrast that dark wood and light furniture and décor is truly beautiful. While it is amazing on a larger scale, darker toned hardwood may not be the best option for a smaller space as it may make it appear even smaller than it actually is. Additionally, darker gray floors will show more dirt and pet hair than their lighter counterpart. Conversely, with a lighter gray floor, it can open up smaller spaces and create an illusion of the room being larger and works better to hide dirt and pet hair.
So, what do you think about gray hardwood floor? Browse our entire selection of gray floors here!
No one hardwood floor is right for everyone and we are happy to be the provider of quality floors in numerous colors and styles. We hope that this series on color has shed some light on which floor might be the right choice for you!
Each year, the Reco marketing intelligence report is released by Wayman Group to reveal the list of top hardwood flooring companies. The results are then published in a reputable hardwood flooring publication, Floor Covering Weekly.
This year (2015) Urban Floor was selected as one of the top brands of hardwood flooring for 5 different key attributes! The key attributes this year include:
Training
Advertising/Co-op
Product Availability
Merchandising Support
Service
To say we’re excited about this news would be an understatement. Like last year, we’re completely stoked over the news! It shows us objective results that we are able to measure from one year to the next helping us tweak areas that we could improve on. We take results seriously around here – as we should – to help bring quality, affordable hardwood floors to your home!
The Real Stars
In these reports, several hardwood flooring companies are brought into stardom under various categories. This year, we managed to rank in 3 additional categories from last year – a real improvement.
However, when we step back for a moment and dawn on our achievement, we begin to ask ourselves who the real stars really are.
The answer is clear: our loyal, sincere customers.
Without you, none of these achievements would be made possible. Without honest feedback from our customers, we wouldn’t know what decisions to make. We wouldn’t know what products to feature. Simply put, we wouldn’t know how to operate as a hardwood-flooring supplier.
With that said, we wanted to personally thank every single one of our fans for turning to Urban Floor for all of their hardwood flooring needs.
Your support is an integral part in helping us continue to offer affordable hardwood floors (solid and engineered) that have brought smiles to many. For this, we cannot thank you enough.
We love giving away our mascot, UF Chuck. Follow us on Facebook for frequent chances to win your own as a small token of our appreciation!
For technicality sake, we must establish exactly what constitutes a “wide plank floor”. Floors have become wider and wider over the years as consumer tastes and preferences have gradually changed. With that said, there is no current set width that is required for a hardwood floor to be considered a “wide plank floor”. Some companies will say floors above 3 inches in width are considered “wide”, whereas another company may say a floor must be no smaller than 5-inches to be considered wide. The lowest width floor we offer at Urban Floor is 5-inches wide.
View our collection of wide plank floors.
Wide Plank Flooring Pros
Install time – wide plank floors take up more room per square foot, so naturally it will take less time to fill a room with 7-inch boards as opposed to 3-inch boards. This allows for quicker installation periods, especially when handled by a professional.
Budget accommodating – wide plank floors vary greatly in price. Random width flooring is a popular option that falls within most people’s budgets. However, wide plank flooring can become expensive if you want boards that exceed roughly 10-inches.
The illusion of more space – wide planks create an illusion that the room you’re in feels larger than it really is. For some, this is a great way to liven up a room.
More characteristics – hardwood floors contain natural characteristics. Knots, natural splits, mineral streaks, and other characteristics can be seen easier with wide plank flooring as more of the board is exposed. This is something you cannot get with carpet!
Wide Plank Flooring Cons
Wide boards have a tendency to shrink and expand simply because they do not have as many seams as narrower boards. This can make it difficult for those who live in environments that fluctuate in temperature often. However, engineered wide plank floors help combat this issue. Engineered wood floors are built to withstand fluctuating temperatures.
Wide plank floors are not as DIY-friendly as you would like. Unless you absolutely know what you’re doing, leave wide plank floor installation to the pros.
As far as “is there such a thing as floors that are too wide?”, well… that’s simply a matter of preference. You can have hardwood floor planks as wide as you can imagine, but price may be your barrier. Also, the wider the floors, the more likely for issues relating to fluctuating internal temperatures.
We love wide floors at Urban Floor. Almost all of our collections feature wide planks ranging from 5 to 11.5-inches wide. Our Chene Collection is a wonderful example, as well as many floors featured in the Villa Caprisi Collection. Our widest floor comes from our Composer Collection, boasting wide plank floors as wide as 11.5-inches per board. Most of our collections fall in the standard 7-inch width, which is what many consumers find an exceptionally nice balance in – especially when made using engineered hardwood.
