Eucalyptus Wood Floors

The biggest house project we've tackled to date is installing eucalyptus wood floors in most of the home. We've done laminate and vinyl in previous homes, but installing wood was a first for both of us. 

Luckily, the flooring we picked is a floating, click-and-lock system -- not so different from the laminate we'd installed before. 

It is available in two finishes - natural and mocha. While I love both and have been dreaming of dark wood floors for years, I knew that light floors were the way to go in our house. We have dark wood ceilings and needed something light on the floors to lighten and brighten the spaces.

This is the 'natural' finish of eucalyptus flooring from Cali Bamboo. 

We put down felt underlayment and then clicked and locked the pieces into place. We are by no means professionals. If we can do it, so can you! 

It's Janka tested to 3500+ lbs. That means it holds up really well to denting and wear. Brazilian cherry is about 2350 and southern yellow pine is about 690, for comparison. 

We have two terriers (read: crazy terrors that are constantly running around the house) and have not noticed any scratching.  It's advertised as pet and high-heel friendly and comes with a 50-year residential warranty. 

I also love that eucalyptus is a sustainable product. It's fast-growing and can be harvested unobtrusively every 14 years. 

We still need baseboards and area rugs, but it feels so great to get out of bed in the morning to a nice, new, clean floor.  

I'm linking this post to:  A Stroll Thru Life

Wood Ceilings + White Cabinets Inspiration

I have a love-hate relationship with the dark wood ceilings in my house. My house isn't big and I sometimes feel as though the darkness of the ceilings soaks up any little bit of light that enters the room.

I've thought about painting the ceilings white. Or covering them with tin ceiling tiles, painted white, of course. Maybe installing white bead-board or drywall over the wood is the solution?

But then there's a teeny-tiny part of me that likes them. There's a certain amount of charm that comes with wood ceilings. They fit the style of this house.

One option would be to paint my kitchen cabinets white. Hmm... seriously considering it.

I'm hoping that white cabinets will contrast nicely with the wood ceilings and brighten up the kitchen.


Here are a few of my inspiration photos containing wood ceilings and white cabinets:


I love this one!  The high ceilings and natural light keep it light and bright.

Transitional Kitchen by Fort Lauderdale Architects & Designers tuthill architecture

All the materials in this kitchen work well together to achieve an airy feel.

Traditional Kitchen by Stuart Architects & Designers Balfoort Architecture, Inc.

A more rustic look, but it still works! I can see myself washing dishes here. 

Farmhouse Kitchen by Milford Interior Designers & Decorators Shelter Interiors llc

The dark ceiling really pops against the wall of white.

Contemporary Kitchen by Milwaukee Architects & Designers Bruns Architecture

This kitchen doesn't have white cabinets, but it does show that even with a lowered ceiling it doesn't have to be dark and cave-like.

Modern Kitchen by Fairfield Kitchen & Bath Fixtures Poggenpohl

Most of the top cabinets are painted white while the bottom cabinets are stained. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of white to keep a space from becoming overloaded with wood.

Traditional Kitchen by Big Flats General Contractors Bright Ideas by Martinec

Refinished Oak Dining Chairs

In keeping with all my other projects, I have another re-do of something from when my parents lived in this house. My dad built a super heavy oak dining room table and chairs that have looked the same since I was a kid. The lines are great and the chairs are comfortable, but they needed some updating. 

I'm not crazy about the color of the wood and while the chevron stripes on the fabric are currently in style (everything comes back into style!), the fabric is worn and tired looking. 

There's fabric on the back, too!  I've never reupholstered anything, so I was a bit unsure about what to do, but it turned out to be quite simple. The seat and back easily popped out. The fabric was stapled on. Simple remove staples and old fabric. I added some new foam to the bottom since the foam on those pieces was in need of replacement. Staple all around the edges while pulling the fabric taut.

The wood was only finished with Danish oil, so it was a simple sanding with 100 grit and then 220 grit sandpaper and two coats of Minwax Jacobean stain in a satin finish. I used a foam brush to apply the Jacobean stain. Not only was this my first upholstery project, it was also the first time I did a project with stain.  Easier than I thought! Just be sure to do two (or maybe three if you need it) even coats of stain.

I love the way the chairs turned out! The fabric is Waverly : Pkaufmann Cross Section in Charcoal. I bought it when Joann had a 50% off sale.