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Flooring Design Dilemma entry

Foyer tile to transition to hardwood

5 years ago

I will be installing white oak white wash hardwood flooring with a subtle grey undertone throughout the entire house except for the front entrance. We will be putting tile there for obvious reasons.

I was thinking of doing a charcoal concrete tile in a herringbone pattern for the front door, however I am worried that the contrast between the tile and hardwood will be too extreme. Thoughts? Suggestions please!

Featured Answer

PRO

Patricia Colwell Consulting

5 years ago

I would keep it simple and do 12 x24 porcelain tile in a color close to the floor wood and not bring attention to the space

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Comments (13)

PRO
Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design
5 years ago
People do tile to hardwood transitions all the time. Get a sample of the tile and a sample of the hardwood and place them next to each other to see if you like the look. IMO I wouldn't do a whitewash-grey hardwood as it won't age well.
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weedyacres....sounds like we have a similar plan. I thought the same thing intially...tile easier to keep clean. same tile in foyer, kitchen and into morning room (and powder room and mudroom).I I am worried about transitions but I am sure it will look fine. Thanks... By the way, I have been following your build...looks great!
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Okay, I think you have all convinced me to not create my own weekend from hell (by trying to pour leveling compound with just two adults ... and two kids under the age of five). Thanks for this! We have the hardwood on hand, and were already planning on a floating installation as it's recommended for the product (no nailing). So if we now switch and go the cork path - say with that 12mm option from the website you mentioned - that leaves me with a few questions: (1) My previous calculation - indicating the top of the hardwood surface would be almost half an inch lower than the top of the adjacent tile surface - had built into it using 3mm PergoMax underlayment (the "gold" stuff). Would I still use this stuff, on top of the cork and underneath the hardwood? I'm guessing no. (2) Perhaps tied in with the first question, I see that thinset is used to adhere the cork to the concrete. Is this correct? This will (obviously) add some thickness to the whole equation. I'm thinking now that - by removing the PergoMax stuff (-3mm) and adding thinset (guessing, +2mm) - it's pretty much a draw, which I then just float the hardwood on. Am I thinking of all of this correctly? Thanks again for all of your help. You are all much appreciated.
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Thank you so much for all of the advice! I think the consensus is to go with all hardwood throughout, even into the kitchen. I agree that this is the best look for the floor plan. My husband was just afraid of the maintenance in the kitchen area. Last year (in all my pregnancy-brain glory), I left the freezer door slightly open overnight (it was closed enough to where you could barely tell and the open-door beep alarm didn’t go off but it was open enough that the door seal didn’t engage) and the ice from the door melted onto the surrounding hardwood in front of the fridge. So other than not repeating that mistake and just being more careful in general with wiping up water from spills and such, are there any tips for helping to care for the solid hardwood floor in the kitchen area? I have read to go with light or medium stains instead of darker stains. Will going with a more matte finish over a glossier sheen make a difference in making the wood last longer or look better in that area? Would it be better protection if the wood was installed then finished on site or would the pre-finished flooring have more moisture protection?
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I prefer to stop the tile in the kitchen/nook. The hardwood can then flow from the formal dining area down the steps and into the living space. The ONLY thing that would cause any concerns would be the ability to find MATCHING stair treads for the hardwood you choose. Sometimes this is a BIG problem...if that is the case, then moving the tile all the way into the dining area would be the way around it. But you have to find this out BEFORE you choose/order your flooring. You do NOT want to make this decision on the fly...only to find out that you cannot find more of the tile in the same dye lot...that's WORSE than having miss-matched treads. Much, much worse. All of these decisions/questions MUST be answered WELL before you put pen to paper. A designer who is well connected in the building industry would be able to do all the leg work for you - without much effort. S/He would have already run into these issues DOZENS of times in their career and will know the ins and outs of working around these issues. And s/he will have ALL the needed professionals on speed dial. Which then becomes the NEXT dilemma which MUST BE dealt with before pen is put to paper. Whew! Lots of things to do before anything is decided. A well versed designer can be worth his/her weight in GOLD at this point.
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PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago
comitale_j , what kind of floor are you using? Pictures?
comitale_j
Original Author
5 years ago
I'm still looking for the right tone of white oak floor. See attached for some options.
PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago
Those are nice options. Is there anything preventing you from choosing them?
Diane
5 years ago
Your choices sound nice as long as they work with the style of your home. We have white oak floors stained dark the sits next to our brick mud room floor which works for our homes style and location. For us the brick was a good choice because it is a heated floor and the brick is lovely warm
comitale_j
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you Oak &Broad. I am torn right now because I worry that the floors are too rustic. I am going for a transitional look with a mix of contemporary and traditional elements and a lot of black iron and gold accents, wwhite kitchen, etc. I want the floor to be soft looking but not looking like barn board.
comitale_j
Original Author
5 years ago
Is it true that this color aand finish won't age well?
PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago
The grey color is fading from current trends. We are getting fewer request for it ourselves. Oiled finishes do require more maintenance than polyurethane finishes.
comitale_j thanked Oak & Broad
comitale_j
Original Author
5 years ago
So do you suggest we do a more natural white oak instead? How do we deal with the yellow undertone in the natural?
PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago
We use a finish we call Champagne. Its basically natural but it has very light whitewash pigments to help moderate the yellow. Here is an example <- link
comitale_j
Original Author
5 years ago
Oh I think I saw that finish name. Is it by Beaulieu?
PRO
Oak & Broad
5 years ago
No. Its our finish. Email me with any questions. joel@oakandbroad.com

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