As much as I would like to think I would like a small little cottage house by the sea, I would probably get very cold and bored with it's short growing season, I'm somewhat of a southerner like that. Also, as much as I gripe about humidity and heat I probably couldn't live without it. I could never imagine living in California where it is constantly perfect. So, if anything I'd probably want to live somewhere in the East Coast and perhaps somewhere in the Rhine Valley in France or Germany. I am terribly nostalgic and love all old styles, so cottage style gardening appeals to me the most. Formal gardens with certain degrees of whimsy or strangeness a la Alice in Wonderland or Ladew Topiary Gardens. I like the idea of old world homesteads somewhat cut off from the world. If I ever amount to money after college I'd love to have either like an old Victorian or some sort of farmhouse that can just be a retreat. Homes seem far too disposable these days, I like a place that will last me a lifetime. I must be a reincarnate of some stuffy nobleman, my tastes are so OLD.

The floor still looks great and cleans easily. The only imperfections are seen only in certain light and that is some pressure marks from the dogs before we got the claws trimmed. The finish isn't scratched, it's just from pressure on the wood. Had we not planned on the cork, I think we would have gone with a similar finish in a harder wood (this is maple -- the softest but DH loved it). The dogs are nearly 50 and 60 lbs and very high energy. We never had to trim their nails before, probably should have before the floors were done or right after, but we got busy and I still don't like it. They both have black nails so you can't see what is safe to trim. I took them to the vet so I wouldn't hurt them and the vet even got one of them. We are going to try filing now, but we know the floor's finish is really tough. I love the character in the wood, and you see that all the time, no matter what the light. It really is a beautiful floor.

Check out Palmetto Road's Facebook page photos. They have some actual home installation photos which could give you an idea. Our floor guy told us that Palmetto Road is a "broker" of sorts using other company's products. So just like with any floor, you would look at the thickness and wear layer to determine quality. Some of their products are superior to others.

Checking, I will get back to you, Whatever flooring you get it may be worthwhile to purchase a box to lay it out and see the color little bit more difficult with a small samples I originally had a different color pIcked and when it delivered they stated that the colors have been darker so they brought a few boxes in and we declined chose another color that we had Purchased a box and when came they were quite a bit more red tone then got these and love love love them These are also a pretty thick engineered floor which would enable you to have more refinishing if you needed