Hootie hooo! The cork floor in both the kitchen and the laundry room is complete!
Well, except if you count the fact that we still have to add shoe molding, thresholds, and seal it all. Details, details. The point is, we finally get to see the whole picture. Huzzah!
The annoying part is that we still haven’t figured out how to photograph it as true to life as we can (it’s a rich mocha color, and actually looks more like brown leather in person, so the pattern is more like soft movement and less like any sort of obvious shapes or anything) – but the two videos from the last post really are the most accurate depictions of it, although we hope today’s photos are closer to real life than last week’s were. The one above is getting there. We’ll learn the trick someday I’m sure!
When it came to finishing things off in the corner of the kitchen and our tiny laundry room, it was pretty much exactly the same method that we outlined in our kitchen corking post, although we were getting worried that we were running low on cork, so we actually used some remnant planks all along the left wall (leftover cuts from the kitchen) to ensure that we wouldn’t run out.
Thankfully we finished up with about four planks to spare. Not kidding. It was crazy close. So we’re at least thankful to have those as extras, and plan to seal the heck out of these to protect them. Cork can even be sanded, restained, and resealed down the line if it gets worse for wear, so 40+ year old cork floors exist (which is nice to know since cork sounds like such a new-age material). Heck, we’ve even heard from folks who have 100+ year old cork floors that still look great, so here’s hoping!
It’s kind of amazing how much of a difference the new floors make in the laundry room. I mean, we really liked it before since we did so much work on it already (more on the rest of the room’s transformation here), but here’s that room before it got the ol’ cork treatment:
And after:
We enter the house through the door in the laundry room and it’s so nice to walk in and see the rich cork floors whispering “welcome home.” Oh and for those wondering where the laundry basket is, it’s just in the bedroom full of a pile of “flu clothes” that have been washed and have yet to be put away.
Since we already blogged all about where/why we purchased our floor here, and how we installed it (video included) here, this post is more of a big sigh of relief that the last big kitchen undertaking is winding down.
Other than polishing off those last few floor tasks on the list, all that’s left are smaller things like adding some decorative wood molding to the back of the peninsula, deciding if we’ll be adding a window treatment over the sink or painting our stools, potentially doing something fun to the side of the pantry, bringing in a chair and a rug in the fireplace side of the room, etc. And of course we’ll share a ton of before and after pics along with a budget and time breakdown when we finally get to stick a fork in this kitchen (which we’ve been working on in stages since October 5th!).
And remember when we moved in and it looked like this in here?
This shot is a little further back, and a slightly different angle, but it’s semi-comparable. Is there anything better than making a room that feels nothing like you, finally feel like home?
As for our plan with the variety of mismatched wood floors that surround our freshly corked kitchen and laundry room, we’re huge fans of flooring that looks seamless (we upgraded our first house to have the same dark mocha wood throughout the layout for a nice open flow). And sure enough, we plan to eventually refinish the rest of the wood floors in this house in the same rich mocha color as the cork for a much more easy and open look. Although it’ll still be cork in some rooms and hardwoods in others, the same rich tone should really tie things together and not make any of the spaces feel as choppy or broken up.
When it comes to a usability/function update, we have been really happy with it so far. The rich deep color adds so much to the formerly white-washed space, there are no scratches/dings where Burger runs around from his nails, no dents where we drop things, it’s very soft and easy on the back/knees, it should be even more durable once we seal it, it’s eco-friendly, and it’s quiet. We’ll definitely keep you posted as we live with it (and add shoe molding, thresholds, and a few coats of protective sealer). What did you guys do this weekend? We were pretty much laid up on the sofa fighting our little flu battle after finally squeezing in those last few cork boards, but we’re getting a lot closer to feeling like ourselves again! And the finished cork floors definitely have our spirits up. Onward!
More Flooring Projects
If you would like to read about other flooring projects we’ve done, please check out the posts below:
Love your floors. Seriously considering cork floors now. They really look beautiful.
Sounds like you (Sherry) and Clara (?) are recovering from a nasty bug. Hope you are 100% back to normal now.
The floor looks really beautiful! Love the color! I have been thinking about cork in my kitchen so I was glad to hear that cork laminate has a 30 year warranty. Is the cork you put down a laminate? (That’s easier for me to work with than to run a floor sander!) Was the cork not pre-finished? If so, doesn’t putting a finish on it void the warranty? In checking around, I thought Home Depot had a better selection than Lowes for this kind of item.
Ours is a floating cork floor by Lisbon Cork but it’s not a laminate- it’s 100% cork. We got it through Lumber Liquidators and it was pre-finished but the vendor and the manufacturer (as well as nearly every cork article we’ve read) recommend sealing it again once it’s down on the floor since that’s the only way to seal the cracks (otherwise the cork is sealed but the cracks aren’t, which can result in grime collecting in them over time).
xo,
s
Jenisays
These are gorgeous! I haven’t ever seen cork flooring in person but your latest photos make them look like a ginormous pan of brownies! If you start craving them, you’ll know why. :) Looks beautifully installed…kudos guys!
Love the floor! I put cork flooring down in the bedrooms of my house. It has the same pattern but is lighter (Dali by Lisbon), but I love how it feels under my feet.
Love how the floor looks in the kitchen and the laundry room. It completely transforms the space. Great contrast to the white cabinets.
The floors look AMAZING!!! Trying hard to convince the hubby to install cork floors somewhere in our home. Hoping you guys will convince him ;) A job well done, as usual!
i don’t know how you get to all the comments (or it seems to me that they all get answered), but i do have a couple questions for you:
we want to paint our walls white, but my husband is worried about how dirty they can get over time and how visible that might be. how often, if ever, do you guys need to clean/wash your white walls??
Hmm, good question. We don’t usually have white walls. Anyone have an answer for Torrie! I would imagine if you were to use satin or eggshell paint it would be easily wipeable for a nice long time (flat paint can be harder to wipe down, but even that is scrubbable now that paint formulas have improved).
xo,
s
Cristinasays
Wow! That floor really makes such a difference. Gorgeous! I have totally been waiting to see how you guys did it, since I have wanted to put cork in an area of my house, too. You were the guinea pigs (so to speak) for me. It really looks wonderful and now I’m super convinced that it’s the right choice for us, too. Thank you for the details … we do indeed live for them out here in the blog-o-sphere!
They were $3.26 a square foot thanks to finding them on clearance at Lumber Liquidators. It doesn’t dent or cut easily and cork is known to be “self healing” (it can get a dent and slowly push it back out to look flat again) so it’s pretty durable! Sort of like wood floors though, if you drop something heavy/pointy enough, you’ll probably get a ding. But it can be sanded/stained/sealed again just like wood as well!
Ok, I don’t know what my iphone is doing to me….but somehow I’ve missed seeing all the progress on the cork flooring. I was dying to see them all weekend & tonight I had a few minutes to actually sit down with my laptop to catch up & I was so excited to see your floors (and scroll through to find the other 2 posts that somehow I missed {how does one do that?!} and see how beautiful the kitchen is looking with them to balance the room.
We installed floating floors in our previous floor and it is easy enough to click them into place & we’d agree, the cuts are the time killers. I love Cork floors & wanted to put them in my kitchen, but we have an island (not original to the kitchen and it’s on 4 legs (but heavy big piece) so I don’t think I can use floating cork floors in my room because the island would be too heavy. I’ll have to find cork that installs in a different way.
I just have to say that I absolutely LOVE what you two have accomplished with your laundry room. You have taken a small space and given it huge style and function. I admire how you have shown people that a laundry room doesn’t need to be large to be uberfunctional, and that it can still be a wonderfully stylish space. Cheers to you guys!!
The floors look wonderful! It really pulls the room together. I’d love to see some pics where you can see the peninsula with the chairs, to see how the chairs go now. I have a feeling they look great with the floor.
So I made my first trip to zgallerie this weekend partly inspired by your blog posts. I have to say there were some many things I loved but sadly couldn’t afford. But while I was there I saw something Sherry would love:
Absolutely fabulous transformation! I’m usually a rip-it-down-to-the-studs kind of girl (I mean, it’s fun hitting things with a sledgehammer, right?) but you’ve made such a big impact without tearing things over and starting from scratch… definitely something I’m keeping in mind during my upcoming kitchen remodel.
your floor looks so great – such an amazing transformation. now i am thinking we should have gone with cork instead of the click linoleum, which we do like, but maybe the cork will wear better. (hubby installed ours in a diamond, so that was also more time consuming.)
Only 4 planks left over? YIKES! That cuts things really close, especially if it was in clearance and you can’t order more! I’m curious how you did the math when deciding how much to buy? We’re there a lot of planks that were unusable (warped, etc)? Did you cut things that close on purpose or was it an accident?
Looks great, by the way! I spent all last week demo-ing plaster (it was really old an filled with some kind of hair like substance to strengthen it… yuck!) and framing a wall to make some nice big closets in both bedrooms of my house. Once I finish my endless todo list for that project I am considering installing cork floors in those rooms. One thing at a time though!
Total accident! We thought we accounted for an extra 10% but a few of them were dinged (which is normal though) so we’re not sure if we just did bad math going into it or somehow ended up with less than we intended. So glad it covered though! And man, it sounds like you’ve been doing lots of work! Hairy plaster = eeks!
xo,
s
karensays
The floors look great!! the grellow is throwing it off a bit for me i think…the flow is breaking up for me. it’s probably a really hard colour to capture on camera. awesome job guys.
Bingo – it’s hard to shoot. In person it’s just a soft avocado color, which looks great with chocolate, white, and soft gray (the rest of the colors in the kitchen are very safe/neutral so it’s nice to have some subtle color in the mix).
xo,
s
KarenH.says
Since the temps in Maryland are supposed to be so nice this week, I decided I’d better get around to that window screen project that’s been begging for attention. When I moved in the front and south side window screens were so badly deteriorated that the coating was all but gone and the scrrens looked like someone had put medical gauze up in the windows instead. Since I have cats, they did not fare well over last summer when the cats were tempted by all the bugs outside. :D
So last October, I pulled those screens in with the plan of rescreening them over the winter. LOL. Anyway, aside from a faulty start–pet weight screens + .175″ splines was a no go. I bought a couple more packages of .125″ spline and it worked great. The kitties were very happy to be able to sit in the open windows yesterday and I was very happy to be able to see out :)
What an amazing kitchen you have designed. I love your color and texture selections… not too matchy-matchy, but also not too far out. Inspiring as usual :)
I just took a big sigh of relief for you guys. The kitchen looks amazing…and who doesn’t love the satisfaction of a 6 month room project completed? (Minus all of those nagging little details, of course.) Love it!
karah
I love it! We have tile in our kitchen and I hate it. If I am in there too long my body aches from standing on such a hard surface. We had wood in our old kitchen and it was much softer to stand on. I’d love to try cork!
We had very similar looking cork floors installed throughout our house a year ago and LOVE THEM!!!! We have two cats, a dog, and a baby and have had no issues with damage to the floors. Additionally, they truly are warm, quiet, and, with animals, smell and water repellent. Dare I say it’s actually cool to see a pee puddle on cork floors? I was wondering how you are cleaning your floors? This has caused me some anxiety as I’ve only used water and mild soap, but are there other options? Am I being too anxious? Thanks!!!
The cork looks wonderful – everything does. We have cork in our kitchen as well and we absolutely love it. We installed it in our first home and had to do it again when we moved. It is warm and soft, but also so luxious looking and is so practical in the kitchen where you have so many spills and messes and spend the most time standing on your feet. Great choice!!!
Love you guys- and this may never get published, but I just don’t love the color of the floor! I hope it’s different in real life, but I feel like it looks like very 70s, and not in a good way. But the thing I love about you guys, is you take risks, you’re not trying to please everyone, which I 100% respect. I promise, I’m not trying to be mean or snarky, but just honest. I love the kitchen redo, I would just change the floors to lighter wood and the floating shelves brackets to something cleaner. Either way, you guys are too cool, I don’t miss a blog post, and our group of friends literally talks about you guys like we know you. We’ll text and say, “Did you see the YHL guest room?! TO DIE FOR!” or “Can’t get on board with the floors, no way no how.”I am a MEGA fan. Love you, mean it.
Haha, thanks Susan! Of course it gets published! Nearly every post elicits “I don’t like this” comments among the “I love it!” ones. That’s the beauty of decorating – it’s all personal preference! I’m sure 100 people would redo our kitchen in 100 different ways, so this is just one possible take! In person the floor is a rich mocha and it looks lovely with the light cabinets. It’s actually very reminiscent of our first home’s kitchen (which had dark wood floors and white cabinets).
xo,
s
Lee Smithsays
TILE ME!
i real love the cork floors!
my kitchen backsplash needs tile, mirror in front bath and want to glass tile the counter top, have some tile ideas for the sink and shower areas…and we have a 1960 brick ranch we inherited that has the original 2 bathrooms and kitchen…needs some major work.
It looks great! I’d love some more kitchen before & after photos, but perhaps those are meant to come in a later post.
I am wondering if you could provide some tips on how you avoided gaps in the doorways. A previous owner of our home laid laminate in the kitchen and half bath and left some awkward gaps around the door frame. They’re just big enough to collect dirt. I know they shouldn’t be visible, but can’t quite figure out how to fix them. Perhaps you plan to address this in a later post.
Hmm, I think just laying the floor flush and making sure all of your cuts are right is the key. If you click back to the post about installation there’s a video to show you how to eliminate gaps as you go!
xo,
s
Kati Wsays
Maybe this has already been mentioned in a previous comment, but in case it hasn’t: I don’t think that floating cork floors can be sanded and refinished; I think only glue-down homogenous (cork through and through) cork tiles can be sanded. The cork flooring seen in 100-year-old homes, churches, libraries, etc, is from these glue-down homogenous cork tiles, which can be sanded and refinished similar to a nailed-down solid hardware floor.(Glue-down cork tiles made with cork veneer–and therefore not homogenous–cannot be sanded, however.)
I think that floating cork planks are usually made with a cork veneer glued onto MDF and something else and therefore cannot be sanded. If your cork flooring manufacturer says that you can sand and refinish your floating cork planks, it might be worth finding out why or how your flooring is different from other manufacturers’ floating cork floors which cannot be sanded.
I imagine it’s like you can sand and refinish a table made from solid wood, but you can’t really do the same with a table made from MDF with a wood veneer.
One way or another, I wish you the best and look forward to continuing to read your blog!
The installer for these at Lumber Liquidators told us of folks who didn’t like the finish sanding them and staining and sealing them- although I don’t believe you sand them down 3/4ths of an inch or anything! You just rough up the surface and stain and seal them. Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Rosesays
I used Pro Finisher Water-Base Polyurethane for Floors in Crystal Clear Satin from Home Depot. I got a wide Rubbermaid floor mop and 2 microfiber pads that velcro on & off to apply the poly. It worked well for me with thin coats. One spot got a little too thick of a coat and looks a little cloudy but not that noticeable.
I use the same mop to dust the floor. Scraps of fleece, chenille, or quilt batting (I’m a quilter) work great. We have 3000 sq ft and no carpet. A little swiffer just doesn’t cut it in our house.
We had the same cork in our last house in a slightly different color. Our kids called it the roast beef floor because of the pattern. :)
I guess this is the only place I can really ask this, although I know it is an older post: Would you have still picked cork if your floors could have handles ceramics. I ask because we just bought a house that currently has stick tile and we want to do it. We have hardwood throughout the main floor otherwise but we have cork in the basement. I mentioned to my husband that you guys used cork in the kitchen so I went back to read why…so my yeah, that’s my question: would cork still have been your #1 choice had you been able to use ceramics…(our kitchen is a white kitchen, with a mix of black and stainless steel appliances). Thanks!
I think we probably would have gone with a tile floor and been happy with it since we wouldn’t know what we’re missing (the softness and warmth is so nice!). Haha. We have seen gorgeous kitchens with tile flooring, so it’s a great choice. I think now that we have cork (and have heard from so many folks who have had cork for the long haul and love it) we have grown very fond of it. Haha.
PatC says
Love your floors. Seriously considering cork floors now. They really look beautiful.
Sounds like you (Sherry) and Clara (?) are recovering from a nasty bug. Hope you are 100% back to normal now.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks PatC! We’re slowly getting better over here. Thank goodness!
xo,
s
Julie says
It looks fabulous! If only we didn’t have a dog with very light fur… The lighter cork doesn’t look as sharp as yours.
Rachael@LovelyCraftyHome says
Next time you’re in WNC (Asheville!) feel free to pop over and see them :)
YoungHouseLove says
Would love to! Thanks so much!
xo,
s
Catherine H says
The floor looks really beautiful! Love the color! I have been thinking about cork in my kitchen so I was glad to hear that cork laminate has a 30 year warranty. Is the cork you put down a laminate? (That’s easier for me to work with than to run a floor sander!) Was the cork not pre-finished? If so, doesn’t putting a finish on it void the warranty? In checking around, I thought Home Depot had a better selection than Lowes for this kind of item.
YoungHouseLove says
Ours is a floating cork floor by Lisbon Cork but it’s not a laminate- it’s 100% cork. We got it through Lumber Liquidators and it was pre-finished but the vendor and the manufacturer (as well as nearly every cork article we’ve read) recommend sealing it again once it’s down on the floor since that’s the only way to seal the cracks (otherwise the cork is sealed but the cracks aren’t, which can result in grime collecting in them over time).
xo,
s
Jeni says
These are gorgeous! I haven’t ever seen cork flooring in person but your latest photos make them look like a ginormous pan of brownies! If you start craving them, you’ll know why. :) Looks beautifully installed…kudos guys!
Rachael@LovelyCraftyHome says
I’m hoping to go to Haven in June, so perhaps we can meet!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be awesome!
xo,
s
Jenn says
Love the floor! I put cork flooring down in the bedrooms of my house. It has the same pattern but is lighter (Dali by Lisbon), but I love how it feels under my feet.
Love how the floor looks in the kitchen and the laundry room. It completely transforms the space. Great contrast to the white cabinets.
Jen Fernandez says
The floors look AMAZING!!! Trying hard to convince the hubby to install cork floors somewhere in our home. Hoping you guys will convince him ;) A job well done, as usual!
Jen
torrie says
i don’t know how you get to all the comments (or it seems to me that they all get answered), but i do have a couple questions for you:
we want to paint our walls white, but my husband is worried about how dirty they can get over time and how visible that might be. how often, if ever, do you guys need to clean/wash your white walls??
thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, good question. We don’t usually have white walls. Anyone have an answer for Torrie! I would imagine if you were to use satin or eggshell paint it would be easily wipeable for a nice long time (flat paint can be harder to wipe down, but even that is scrubbable now that paint formulas have improved).
xo,
s
Cristina says
Wow! That floor really makes such a difference. Gorgeous! I have totally been waiting to see how you guys did it, since I have wanted to put cork in an area of my house, too. You were the guinea pigs (so to speak) for me. It really looks wonderful and now I’m super convinced that it’s the right choice for us, too. Thank you for the details … we do indeed live for them out here in the blog-o-sphere!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re welcome Cristina! Glad to help!
xo,
s
Tom says
Looks great I was curious how much did it cost you and does the cork dent or cut easily if you accidently drop something heavy or sharp on it?
YoungHouseLove says
They were $3.26 a square foot thanks to finding them on clearance at Lumber Liquidators. It doesn’t dent or cut easily and cork is known to be “self healing” (it can get a dent and slowly push it back out to look flat again) so it’s pretty durable! Sort of like wood floors though, if you drop something heavy/pointy enough, you’ll probably get a ding. But it can be sanded/stained/sealed again just like wood as well!
xo,
s
Chrissie says
What a corker of a project! Okay, I’ll get off the stage. But I love those floors, they have made a massive difference in both rooms.
I thought I loved your laundry before, now I think I have a fully fledged laundry crush.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Chrissie!
xo,
s
Heather says
Wow, it’s amazing how your vision has come together. It’s stunning! You’re making me wish I had something to renovate. But, alas, I’m a renter. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Heather!
xo,
s
Chrissy says
I spy a really neat hanging pendant light in the laundry room. Did you make that? I’d love to see a close up or link to the post if there is one.
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s made from clothespins! Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/320-pins/
xo,
s
Heather {Behind the Camera} says
Ok, I don’t know what my iphone is doing to me….but somehow I’ve missed seeing all the progress on the cork flooring. I was dying to see them all weekend & tonight I had a few minutes to actually sit down with my laptop to catch up & I was so excited to see your floors (and scroll through to find the other 2 posts that somehow I missed {how does one do that?!} and see how beautiful the kitchen is looking with them to balance the room.
We installed floating floors in our previous floor and it is easy enough to click them into place & we’d agree, the cuts are the time killers. I love Cork floors & wanted to put them in my kitchen, but we have an island (not original to the kitchen and it’s on 4 legs (but heavy big piece) so I don’t think I can use floating cork floors in my room because the island would be too heavy. I’ll have to find cork that installs in a different way.
Lindsay says
It looks sooo good. You must have known that the WOW moment would come when the floors were in. Its great!
kristie says
I just have to say that I absolutely LOVE what you two have accomplished with your laundry room. You have taken a small space and given it huge style and function. I admire how you have shown people that a laundry room doesn’t need to be large to be uberfunctional, and that it can still be a wonderfully stylish space. Cheers to you guys!!
Kristie
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kristie! So sweet of you to say!
xo,
s
Hillary says
The floors look wonderful! It really pulls the room together. I’d love to see some pics where you can see the peninsula with the chairs, to see how the chairs go now. I have a feeling they look great with the floor.
YoungHouseLove says
Just have to seal the floor and we’ll bring the stools back in! Can’t wait to see how they look!
xo,
s
Rachel @ Common to Moms says
WOW! I LOVE those floors!!!!! If I ever get to re-do our kitchen/bonus room floor, I may have to do the EXACT same kind. SO beautiful!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Rachel!
xo,
s
Sarah says
So I made my first trip to zgallerie this weekend partly inspired by your blog posts. I have to say there were some many things I loved but sadly couldn’t afford. But while I was there I saw something Sherry would love:
http://www.zgallerie.com/p-11773-giraffe-head-white-31.aspx
I think it’d be perfect for Clara’s room since she’s so fond of Gee.
YoungHouseLove says
I love it!!!
xo,
s
kit @ DIYdiva says
Absolutely fabulous transformation! I’m usually a rip-it-down-to-the-studs kind of girl (I mean, it’s fun hitting things with a sledgehammer, right?) but you’ve made such a big impact without tearing things over and starting from scratch… definitely something I’m keeping in mind during my upcoming kitchen remodel.
Amy says
The kitchen looks amazing! I saw these mugs and thought of you. A new addition to your kitchen, perhaps?
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/hidden-animal-mugs
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love those!
xo,
s
chris says
your floor looks so great – such an amazing transformation. now i am thinking we should have gone with cork instead of the click linoleum, which we do like, but maybe the cork will wear better. (hubby installed ours in a diamond, so that was also more time consuming.)
Hambleton Construction says
That’s some unique flooring! It’s always hard to show the true construction via photos. Looks great.
A says
Only 4 planks left over? YIKES! That cuts things really close, especially if it was in clearance and you can’t order more! I’m curious how you did the math when deciding how much to buy? We’re there a lot of planks that were unusable (warped, etc)? Did you cut things that close on purpose or was it an accident?
Looks great, by the way! I spent all last week demo-ing plaster (it was really old an filled with some kind of hair like substance to strengthen it… yuck!) and framing a wall to make some nice big closets in both bedrooms of my house. Once I finish my endless todo list for that project I am considering installing cork floors in those rooms. One thing at a time though!
YoungHouseLove says
Total accident! We thought we accounted for an extra 10% but a few of them were dinged (which is normal though) so we’re not sure if we just did bad math going into it or somehow ended up with less than we intended. So glad it covered though! And man, it sounds like you’ve been doing lots of work! Hairy plaster = eeks!
xo,
s
karen says
The floors look great!! the grellow is throwing it off a bit for me i think…the flow is breaking up for me. it’s probably a really hard colour to capture on camera. awesome job guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Bingo – it’s hard to shoot. In person it’s just a soft avocado color, which looks great with chocolate, white, and soft gray (the rest of the colors in the kitchen are very safe/neutral so it’s nice to have some subtle color in the mix).
xo,
s
KarenH. says
Since the temps in Maryland are supposed to be so nice this week, I decided I’d better get around to that window screen project that’s been begging for attention. When I moved in the front and south side window screens were so badly deteriorated that the coating was all but gone and the scrrens looked like someone had put medical gauze up in the windows instead. Since I have cats, they did not fare well over last summer when the cats were tempted by all the bugs outside. :D
So last October, I pulled those screens in with the plan of rescreening them over the winter. LOL. Anyway, aside from a faulty start–pet weight screens + .175″ splines was a no go. I bought a couple more packages of .125″ spline and it worked great. The kitties were very happy to be able to sit in the open windows yesterday and I was very happy to be able to see out :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re an awesome kitty mom!
xo,
s
Jennah says
Please water your laundry room plant! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that thing is still mad at us from leaving him for Hawaii! I have watered it though, he’s just on the road to recovery. Haha.
xo,
s
Fiona says
Wow! The cork looks amazing. I especially love the laundry!
Stacey says
What an amazing kitchen you have designed. I love your color and texture selections… not too matchy-matchy, but also not too far out. Inspiring as usual :)
Stacey
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Stacey!
xo
s
Kathy says
Sherry and John,
The floor is fabulous, I love the contrast to the light cabinets and paint.
Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says
I just took a big sigh of relief for you guys. The kitchen looks amazing…and who doesn’t love the satisfaction of a 6 month room project completed? (Minus all of those nagging little details, of course.) Love it!
karah
Erin says
I love it! We have tile in our kitchen and I hate it. If I am in there too long my body aches from standing on such a hard surface. We had wood in our old kitchen and it was much softer to stand on. I’d love to try cork!
Tina says
wow, that looks awesome guys! you’ve really transformed that kitchen, it’s so inviting and bright now. i love it! :)
Gina says
lovely transformation!
gina says
We had very similar looking cork floors installed throughout our house a year ago and LOVE THEM!!!! We have two cats, a dog, and a baby and have had no issues with damage to the floors. Additionally, they truly are warm, quiet, and, with animals, smell and water repellent. Dare I say it’s actually cool to see a pee puddle on cork floors? I was wondering how you are cleaning your floors? This has caused me some anxiety as I’ve only used water and mild soap, but are there other options? Am I being too anxious? Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
We just use a mild soap like Dr. Bronners and a moist rag! I think mild stuff is best with natural materials like wood/cork!
xo,
s
Julie says
Beautiful!
May says
The cork looks wonderful – everything does. We have cork in our kitchen as well and we absolutely love it. We installed it in our first home and had to do it again when we moved. It is warm and soft, but also so luxious looking and is so practical in the kitchen where you have so many spills and messes and spend the most time standing on your feet. Great choice!!!
Candy from Candied Fabrics says
OMG, this is so fantastic! BRAVO!
Susan says
Love you guys- and this may never get published, but I just don’t love the color of the floor! I hope it’s different in real life, but I feel like it looks like very 70s, and not in a good way. But the thing I love about you guys, is you take risks, you’re not trying to please everyone, which I 100% respect. I promise, I’m not trying to be mean or snarky, but just honest. I love the kitchen redo, I would just change the floors to lighter wood and the floating shelves brackets to something cleaner. Either way, you guys are too cool, I don’t miss a blog post, and our group of friends literally talks about you guys like we know you. We’ll text and say, “Did you see the YHL guest room?! TO DIE FOR!” or “Can’t get on board with the floors, no way no how.”I am a MEGA fan. Love you, mean it.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Susan! Of course it gets published! Nearly every post elicits “I don’t like this” comments among the “I love it!” ones. That’s the beauty of decorating – it’s all personal preference! I’m sure 100 people would redo our kitchen in 100 different ways, so this is just one possible take! In person the floor is a rich mocha and it looks lovely with the light cabinets. It’s actually very reminiscent of our first home’s kitchen (which had dark wood floors and white cabinets).
xo,
s
Lee Smith says
TILE ME!
i real love the cork floors!
my kitchen backsplash needs tile, mirror in front bath and want to glass tile the counter top, have some tile ideas for the sink and shower areas…and we have a 1960 brick ranch we inherited that has the original 2 bathrooms and kitchen…needs some major work.
jja says
Whole area in nice parquet – same one – would calm the place better.
Like here: http://images.younghouselove.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2011/01/tour-din-before1.jpg
[email protected] says
Love the contrast of the floor and cabinets! Well done once again!
Kate says
Looks fantastic!
Lindsey V says
It looks so pretty! Those floors make such an amazing difference. Your entire kitchen is beautiful. You guys are my DIY heros.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lindsey!
xo,
s
Martha says
It looks great! I’d love some more kitchen before & after photos, but perhaps those are meant to come in a later post.
I am wondering if you could provide some tips on how you avoided gaps in the doorways. A previous owner of our home laid laminate in the kitchen and half bath and left some awkward gaps around the door frame. They’re just big enough to collect dirt. I know they shouldn’t be visible, but can’t quite figure out how to fix them. Perhaps you plan to address this in a later post.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I think just laying the floor flush and making sure all of your cuts are right is the key. If you click back to the post about installation there’s a video to show you how to eliminate gaps as you go!
xo,
s
Kati W says
Maybe this has already been mentioned in a previous comment, but in case it hasn’t: I don’t think that floating cork floors can be sanded and refinished; I think only glue-down homogenous (cork through and through) cork tiles can be sanded. The cork flooring seen in 100-year-old homes, churches, libraries, etc, is from these glue-down homogenous cork tiles, which can be sanded and refinished similar to a nailed-down solid hardware floor.(Glue-down cork tiles made with cork veneer–and therefore not homogenous–cannot be sanded, however.)
I think that floating cork planks are usually made with a cork veneer glued onto MDF and something else and therefore cannot be sanded. If your cork flooring manufacturer says that you can sand and refinish your floating cork planks, it might be worth finding out why or how your flooring is different from other manufacturers’ floating cork floors which cannot be sanded.
I imagine it’s like you can sand and refinish a table made from solid wood, but you can’t really do the same with a table made from MDF with a wood veneer.
One way or another, I wish you the best and look forward to continuing to read your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
The installer for these at Lumber Liquidators told us of folks who didn’t like the finish sanding them and staining and sealing them- although I don’t believe you sand them down 3/4ths of an inch or anything! You just rough up the surface and stain and seal them. Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Rose says
I used Pro Finisher Water-Base Polyurethane for Floors in Crystal Clear Satin from Home Depot. I got a wide Rubbermaid floor mop and 2 microfiber pads that velcro on & off to apply the poly. It worked well for me with thin coats. One spot got a little too thick of a coat and looks a little cloudy but not that noticeable.
I use the same mop to dust the floor. Scraps of fleece, chenille, or quilt batting (I’m a quilter) work great. We have 3000 sq ft and no carpet. A little swiffer just doesn’t cut it in our house.
We had the same cork in our last house in a slightly different color. Our kids called it the roast beef floor because of the pattern. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips, thanks Rose!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
A.ma.zing! Beautiful job!
Rugby Wife says
I guess this is the only place I can really ask this, although I know it is an older post: Would you have still picked cork if your floors could have handles ceramics. I ask because we just bought a house that currently has stick tile and we want to do it. We have hardwood throughout the main floor otherwise but we have cork in the basement. I mentioned to my husband that you guys used cork in the kitchen so I went back to read why…so my yeah, that’s my question: would cork still have been your #1 choice had you been able to use ceramics…(our kitchen is a white kitchen, with a mix of black and stainless steel appliances). Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I think we probably would have gone with a tile floor and been happy with it since we wouldn’t know what we’re missing (the softness and warmth is so nice!). Haha. We have seen gorgeous kitchens with tile flooring, so it’s a great choice. I think now that we have cork (and have heard from so many folks who have had cork for the long haul and love it) we have grown very fond of it. Haha.
xo,
s