Cali Flooring
Last year I purchased a new home on New Jersey St. It’s smaller than the previous home we lived in and while I love this little cottage home it was limiting on the selection of materials I could choose for the new design. As always, I wanted the home to feel inviting and cozy. I knew from the time I purchased the house that it would be an extensive remodel and I would be changing most of the existing materials in the home.
My approach to all remodeling projects that I take on, especially those of my own is to respect the integrity of the house and bring it back to what it once was. Even if that is my own interpretation.
The first step in the process is always to create a clean canvas to work with. Stripping back the home and all the questionable choices that have been made over the years to reveal its true identity. This consists of a fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling, along with flooring. Both of those covering 100% of the home. We can talk about paint in another post as I am here today to talk about flooring. Not just the process but also the product itself.
The floors on New Jersey St. were red, African cherry to be exact, with transitions three inches high that lead to tiled floors that were also in a great need of repair. The floors were the first to go. But what to choose when the options for hardwood, engineered and laminate wood flooring is almost endless. Too many choices and for some this creates paralysis in deciding which to choose.
So many times I have found myself watching folks in flooring shops with numerous flooring samples lying all across the floor. Discussing color, grain, durability, brands and why this one is so much better or worse than the other. It’s too much and they leave exhausted with no way to know what to decide on.
I on the other hand have had the opportunity to remodel multiple homes over the years and I have gotten pretty good at decision making in this field. Don’t over complicate it. That’s my advice. Write down what you want in your floors first when making such a large decision. This can help immensely when deciding what to pick for your home. How does your family live in this home? Do you have pets? What are your seasons? All of these questions are important to know the answers to when you are choosing the surface you will literally walk all over, every single day you are in the home. So many people chose flooring 100% based on color without taking all of these other factors in to consideration.
My previous homes I had used a flooring company that I was very happy with and I’ve even written previous posts singing the praises of this popular company so switching to a new flooring company wasn’t something that occurred to me. Thankfully, I have a lovely friend in the flooring business and she is always keeping me informed on the newest products. This was just the case when I purchased this home. She reached out to me and asked me if I had ever heard of CALI flooring? I had not. She sent me samples to take a look at with no pressure to go with CALIs://www.califloors.com but wanted me to see what this flooring company had to offer and why they could be the perfect choice for my new house.
I immediately fell in love with the product. The color choices were so good and the graining was exactly what I wanted for the new house. A lovely warm brown with variation in the planks. I even loved the knotty planks. I read about their dedication to quality products and quickly realized not only did I love the product but I also fell in love with the story of how this company got its start. How it all started on a surfing trip in Hawaii that sparked an idea for a flooring company with a more sustainable product.
A message from CALI’s president that can found on their website.
“CALI was founded upon a spirit of adventure and a commitment to living authentically and responsibly. It’s how we continue to steer our team today, and how we imagine most of our customers aim to live as well. We want you to be thrilled about your home, with all the products and support you need to create spaces that feel authentically you.”
Needless to say the information and product won me over. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a beautiful hardwood floor and these were gorgeous. I selected the Heritage collection in Caramel Valley for the main flooring in the home. This would be installed throughout. I learned they offered a vinyl flooring that was a perfect match to the Caramel Valley. This was perfect because I have a basement and the home is located in Indiana. With flooding always being a possible downside to a basement due to rainfall in this area, I needed floors that could withstand even a flooded basement. Not only would they be undamaged in a flood, they would also look gorgeous and a seamless transition from the hardwoods on the floors above.
Installation was a breeze. Shipping took no time at all and once the floors had acclimated to the inside of the house the old cherry floors were demoed and the new floors were laid in a matter of days. Remodels are challenging and it was nice to see one of the biggest parts of it go so smooth.
The flooring in the house has turned out beautifully. Honestly, they are even better than I anticipated. The transitions are level again as I can only assume they were originally in the house when it was built. The color and plank size feels just right in the house and I can’t even begin to tell you how they have added so much warmth to the home. I absolutely love the new floors and I was excited to write this post about them because I love when I find a product that is beautiful, quality product, and a great price point while the company is also great to work with.
Clearly posts are to share information and encourage readers to try the products written about. I would encourage to do just this. Order samples here and see for yourself what great flooring CALI is offering and I promise you will be impressed.
More updates on New Jersey St. coming to the blog soon so please come back! My goal is to share information here that will be beneficial to your next home design project. Until then, cheers!