When our realtor sent the listing for our house, I took one look and said no way. While a beautiful house there was one expensive flaw in my eyes – cream colored porcelain tile throughout the entire first floor of living space. After having hardwoods in our last two homes, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of tile. Certainly tile has it’s upsides, namely easy-to-clean and kid and pet friendly, but it also has it’s downsides. Porcelain tile is hard on the feet especially in areas where you’re standing for long periods of time like the kitchen. Aesthetically it was just so much white space. It felt clinical and cold. The thing about tile that bothers me most, though, is the grout. It’s just so hard to keep clean. ‘Aint nobody got time for that.
Despite my strong objections, I agreed to see the house and low and behold I fell in love with it. It had everything we were looking for in a new home. Well, everything but the floors.
Before – Foyer
Before – Foyer stairs
Putting an offer on a home knowing you intend to do a major project isn’t for the faint of heart. Reality set in when we started researching hardwood options, suppliers and installers. Goodness there are so, so many choices when deciding on new floors. Stay tuned for Part 2 & lessons learned.
