A first glimpse of a beautifully kept hardwood floor can evoke feelings of richness, warmth, and natural beauty. Hardwood floors also offer the perfect combination of strength and beauty for any indoor environment, and many consumers may be surprised by the limitless choices that wood flooring can offer. However, maintaining a hardwood floor may require some work, as dirt, grit, and dust can be a wood floor’s worst enemy. These elements can often act like sandpaper and cause scratches, dents, and even dulling. To keep your hardwood floors looking their best, follow the tips below to protect its warmth and character.

Before beginning your cleaning project, it is best to first determine the finish of the floor and to find out if the floor is sealed (and with what), as the finish and not the wood type will ultimately determine how you clean and maintain the floor. To easily tell what type of finish you have, rub your finger across the floor and if no smudge appears, the floor is surface-sealed. If a smudge is indeed created, the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, varnish, lacquer, oil finish, or shellac, and then waxed.

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I was invited to tour the plant of GRK Mfg in Hamilton Ohio a few weeks ago and was thoroughly impressed with what I witnessed while walking through the more than 100 year old building. I was able to witness a sheet music cabinet being hand crafted from beginning to end by the craftsman at GRK. While it takes many days and man hours to complete one unit, walking the floor and seeing the entire process while viewing the multiple stages was truly fascinating.

Craftsmanship meeting modern technology is seen early in the process as the wood pieces are inspected for any flaws by the hands and eyes of an expert craftsman. The pieces of wood that do proceed are then placed into modern cutting, drilling, sanding and finishing equipment until a kit of pieces is provided to a cabinet craftsman. The craftsman takes the individual pieces and begins to assemble them into drawers and cabinets, matching them to exact specifications and tolerances within a few thousandths of an inch. When the unfinished cabinet has had been assembled along with the drawers, it is tested and then the drawers are removed from the unit to be finished.

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Today decorating a rustic bedroom is a mixture of designs borrowed from the French, English and some Swedish country looks as well. It is often defined as being coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished but yet still have some endearing qualities about it. When decorating a rustic bedroom you need to include natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes as well as simple lines in your design.

The floor in a rustic bedroom should ideally be made from wood and they should be bare and then simply waxed and hand polished. Sometime you may wish to paint your bare boards in a light colour and then add oriental rugs or throws to provide visual warmth and colour to the floor.

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When deciding on a coat rack hall trees are one of the many designs that you will discover. These normally fit best in contemporary designs and are more difficult to find than other designs. Normally made entirely of wood they are usually larger pieces of furniture.

There are several needs a hall tree was designed to meet. In the convenience of the entryway they are a place to keep coats and such ready available on the way out and easily stored on the way in. A bench with a back containing either hooks or a type of shelf is what these coat racks normally consist of. Various hall tries will alter this design very little.

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Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that can be made of thick stone or log wood.

Floors in rustic country decor and cottage style homes are made with stone or wood materials. Wooden floors were traditionally constructed with boards that were bare and simply waxed and hand-polished (high-gloss varnishes did not exist). Sometimes the boards were painted with light colors. If you like floor coverings, use oriental rugs and throws for visual warmth and color. Rustic country decor is about handcrafted objects, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and connecting back to nature.

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Rustic country decor is an extension of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions have been borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, non-fussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating consists of the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. This decor is about handcrafted objects, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and that connect you back to nature. Rustic cottage furniture is commonly made with pine and perhaps painted with hand-painted designs such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenery or leaves.

Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that may be made of thick stone or log -wood. Different elements of the décor need to be done individually in different styles. Rustic window treatments are a late addition to the list of to do things when applying rustic or old country décor to your house or cottage. Natural woods, light colors and bright fabrics work great for window treatments. Slowly but steadily, rustic furniture and treatments are becoming popular and much sought after option.

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A deck is an extension of your home’s living space and where you will spend much of your time during the summer months. Consequently, it needs to be treated and cared for as much as your home’s inside rooms.

Most important to the care of your deck is regularly sealing it. This is particularly true if you want your deck to maintain the natural color of the wood.

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With the exception of unfinished furniture, pretty much all of the solid wood and all-wood furniture on the market is treated or ‘finished’ in some way. Most of the woods used to manufacture furniture take stains and lacquers very well, meaning the color and texture can be altered greatly in the finishing process. The colors and tones described in our Wood Guide are rarely what you find on the market. For example, it is very common to find an oak dresser with a dark cherry finish or a pine bed with a rich walnut finish. It is also important to remember that these finishes can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Company A’s cherry finish might look like company B’s rosewood and company C’s mahogany. Take the names of finishes for what they are-names, and use your judgment to determine if the finish is right for you.

A couple of terms that have become commonplace in the furniture industry are ‘antiquing’ and ‘distressing.’ The terms are somewhat interchangeable depending on which one a manufacturer chooses to use, but they both imply that a piece has been altered or treated to appear more aged and worn. Edges and corners are often sanded and strategic nicks and scratches are added to give the piece a well-worn or ‘antique’ look. Other techniques include cowtailing, which involves using a stiff-bristled paintbrush to leave random black marks, and applying white or off-white paint over stained or finished pieces to create a pickled finish.

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