Willow & Twig

This post comes to you from the comfort of my childhood bedroom. There’s nothing quite like being an adult and crashing with your parents. For the fifth time. Fourth time since we married. Third time with kids. Wait.. is there an unhealthy pattern developing here?

It’s true. Jeff and Cheryl continue to be immeasurably hospitable to the Rowland clan, despite the never ending cycle of finding houses that need so much work they are inhabitable for a time. We closed on our soon-to-be-pretty little house two weeks ago tomorrow. Since then? The kitchen has been gutted, leveled and the plaster has been repaired. Ancient carpet (dated 1981 per a note on the subfloor) has been removed and new carpet has been laid in the bedrooms. The upper level now draws you down the hall with beautiful unstained 4″ white oak planks, and paint is in the works almost everywhere.

So why, Andrea, if so much has been accomplished, do your One Room Challenge built-ins looks like this?

I know. And heeeellllppppp meee…. Yes, black was a bold first attempt, but in my past experience a bit of black really anchored the space. Yet, I suppose, a little bit of black goes a long way. I will say the world’s most absolutely show stopping gorgeous flooring does help cover the abyss that used to be shelving around the fireplace, but as for color I am stuck. I’m wondering if I attempt a blue-gray? Or try for a tinted white? Send me all the advice. The sooner, the better. My brother Kevin is threatening to ban my house from hosting Christmas this year.

As for these floors, please gape with me:

The previously mentioned brother and my cousin Aaron are both carpenters, and I’m so grateful they were both available to jump in and help us with this floor. I knew I wanted herringbone, it’s old-world-French-meets-modern-flare. Using 4″ boards really helps make the space feel updated without sacrificing an ounce of the classic character. Sourcing it was another story. I originally thought I would have Kevin and Aaron cut standard 4″ hardwood planks, but the more I looked into it the more I realized tongue and groove on both sides was the best way to go.

In the mist of my deliberation, in walks Emily Henderson. Or rather, her blog. Emily is a designer I’ve been following since 2013 when I discovered her via the HGTV special Design Star. We had just brought newborn Emerson home from the hospital and somehow in our tired perusing we found the show and B-I-N-G-E-D. Designers were given projects, a comfortable budget and would compete against one another. A bit like The Bachelor, minus the bachelorettes. We still sing the opening lyrics of the super-cheesy theme song when the occation calls for it…”Do you want to be a star? Do you want to be fammmmous??” Heck yes. Emily Henderson did and she is.

In regards to the floor, Emily redid her living room floors with Tungston white oak and was really happy with them. The herringbone pieces may be ordered cut to size — 4″x16″ tongue and groove planks. It’s more expensive to have them pre-cut with tongue and groove, but the process over the past few days has showed us just how worth it the added expense is. Here’s Emily’s post, which if you are considering this style flooring is a great resource as well as a link to the flooring. We went with the same unfinished Tungston white oak for the lake level and the upstairs hallway – only we’re using linear planks.

What’s next? I need to figure out not only the color of the builtins, but the brick. I really didn’t want to touch it – some things are just best left unaltered. I’m slowly coming to the realization this red brick may not be one of those things. Onward I go – please do share ideas if you have them. I’m a little lost right now.

P.S. I’m now quite cozy here in my old room, which has me wondering: Why would my parents upgrade the bed in my bedroom AFTER I moved out? To lour me back or was it postponed to keep me from staying?