Another photo.

MW - It looks beautiful! I'm so glad you posted these pics. Others will appreciate it, too. I am excited for you and can not wait to see this gorgeous wood after it's installed!

MW927, the pictures look beautiful! I can't wait to see pictures of the flooring installed! Lauzon has a very nice product. I want to go with a 3.25" width since I have to replace my floors. I just have some more extensions to deal with and then I will be back into my flooring headache with the insurance company and my kitchen. I wanted samples of this species from Lauzon and many others. I was told by Lauzon to order them from a store and I did and the samples never came since the store never ordered them. When I have time, I just will have to drive to a farther away store that has samples to see.

I think it transitions well into the American Olean Mirasol tile bathroom.

Mirasol tile ( as seen in the bathroom ) doesn't photograph well, but the matte finish has a soapy clean, cloud-like quality. I highly recommend it. Easy to clean, but note that I installed an Aquasana purifier in my mother's shower because of her allergies--and in general, I was concerned about the chorine content of city water.

Also, because I was looking for photos myself before we painted--the bedroom walls are BM Summer Shower. There is a bit of "pop" -- but it goes nicely with her French Provencial cream-gold furniture.

I posted above photos from my phone, now I am reviewing them on my computer. Sorry, I didn't realize the photos posted sideways. Anyway, in the photos the flooring seems to emphasize the color discrepancies. It is true that African Sapele does vary greatly in color and movement, but to the eye--once it is completely installed--in real life--it seems to blend naturally. It doesn't seem quite as dramatic as seen in photos. It is dramatic as compared to other flooring choices, but the colors seem to blend more in real life. Also, BM Summer Shower is a bit brighter that it appears in these photos--there is more of a "pop" to it in real life. Just wanted to point out these differences.

MW927, The African Sapele hardwood floors are gorgeous! I love the color variation. I may consider this wood instead of Brazilian Cherry again. I love the rich gorgeous look of the floors. Thank you for sharing.

MW927, What gloss level are the beautiful hardwood floors? What did you use as the underlayment under the wood?

Thank you for your responses. Lynn2006, it is Nextstep Designer Semi-gloss. I don't think I'd install it in a kitchen or high maintenance area. It is an engineered wood. Perhaps a full-hard wood would be better in a kitchen or very high traffic area. I am not sure. We purchased the flooring through our local ProSource store. I will ask our contractor about the underlayment. The floor is beautiful. It has a cinnamon / fire-like a quality to it. I am really surprised how much we all like it. Usually, we stay with more "known" "safe" choices. Our "risk" seems to have pleased everyone.

I am so glad you posted a follow up with lots of pictures!
The flooring is beautiful! As lynn said, the rich color is gorgeous.
It's so nice to see another Lauzon installed floor : )

The marble looking tile in the bathroom is really nice, too. It's good you mentioned the brand & name. The window shutters & wall color look great. I like the overall feel of the whole place.

Your 82 year old mother must love her new space. I am amazed that she likes to wear heels. She must have strong healthy feet & legs. Our Lauzon engineered floor has been walked on MANY times with women's heeled shoes. It hasn't caused dents. However, if someone has spiked/very pointed heels, I bet that may cause a problem...not certain.

They say allergies are reduced quite a bit when carpet is replaced with wood. You help take good care of your mother & her home.
She's lucky to have you & I'm sure vice versa : )

Update. When we finally received delivery for her bed, we did notice that the floor had darkened with sun exposure (we had temporarily put the box spring and mattress on the floor. It took 8 wks to receive delivery of the bed) She lives in Florida and has bright sun exposure in her bedroom. The darkening may not be as significant in other climates. Personally, I like dark wood--but if we ever move her bed, we will notice the color variation.

I tried to take a photo of the color differentiation, but it isn't noticeable in the picture. The flooring itself is still stunningly beautiful--I just wanted to warn buyers that it will darken with sun exposure.

MW927, the floor is still gorgeous!

Hi MW927, thanks for all the great info and photos. If you're still checking in on this thread, would it be possible to post a follow-up about how well the floor has worn - and if possible a photo to see how much it has darkened? I'm quite taken with the Lauzon Sapele and debating whether to go with it in place of the Natural Red Oak that I had been intending to use. Thanks much.

Your floors are beautiful. I am in love with African Sapele and want to install in my kitchen. I have been looking at Lauzon and Mirage samples and am struggling with which to go with. I’m leaning toward Lauzon because of the titanium finish which the salesperson told us is harder than the nanolinx that Mirage uses. Although both manufacturers seem to be excellent- I have seen only positive reviews of Lauzon, while Mirage has had some criticism of how easy it is to become scratched and dinged. I was also concerned about the color variation - particularly not wanting light pink or deep purple tones, but all your pictures look very nice. Does anyone know how long the wood will continue to darken before it reaches its final coloring?