Houzz Logo Print
formerlyflorantha

Contrasting inset to trim a wood or other floor?

14 years ago

I like the look of a band of contrasting floor running parallel to the walls of a room about a foot from the walls. DH wants to try it. But I'm not sure exactly what to do in a G kitchen. Would it look good or hostile if there were a contrasting rectangle of walnut or something inside the G, crossing through the opening to the G? DH doesn't want the old and new kitchens to seem separate.

The new DIY floor will be in the addition section of the kitchen as well as in most of the old kitchen. In an interior doorway it will butt up against an existing oak floor in the balance of the house. (I wanted the whole old kitchen to be porcelain tiled to match the new lobby because of the amount of foot traffic on it, but I've been overruled.)

The addition meets the old kitchen along the short side of the G. The old kitchen is becoming a "kitchen hall" linking new a new lobby area with the kitchen and with two entrances to the interior of the house. Kitchen hall includes stools and a small breakfast table and a pantry closet and a bookcase. We think the entrance to the G is wide enough to not be a bottleneck, but I don't want a visual barrier either.

In the photo, green is tile and red is oak. Before looking at photo, just remember that my original house was designed by a drunken committee of men in 1951.

Am also curious as to whether rugs lying upon a band of trim would be a terrible violation of the aesthetic. I have to have a cushion for legs when standing and I foresee a rug by range and by double sink and perhaps to the right of the small sink when chopping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Florantha's kitchen plan

Comments (7)

  • 14 years ago

    Yes, it could work. Do a search on the web for wood and granite floors or some such. I did a while back and got some interesting things. I know I saw one just the other day in one of the newsletters I get. And the cover of the Nov. 09 Family Handyman had a granite and wood floor using two colors of wood. I've been talking to my carpenter about doing something like it in the bathroom. It's up on deck in July and of course my ideas runneth over. Unfortunately, the floor will be pretty chopped up by the time I get the walk in shower in there and the extra storage cabinets. But, we'll see. I wish I could remember how I found those floor pictures. Possibly at the Pergo site? or maybe it was a tile site. They're out there.

  • 14 years ago

    bump

  • 14 years ago

    This is harder than I thought. How ever did I find it the first time??

    Here's the Family Handyman floor from Nov. 2009
    {{!gwi}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: directions

  • 14 years ago

    It would work, but maybe think about it.

    In our 1920's house, they did two bands one board apart in each doorway area as a transition from room to room, the band is continuous around each room but doesn't directly connect. So the Entry has separate bands from the living room which has separate bands from the dining room, etc. Lesser rooms, like a bath, closets and kitchen had nothing. In the kitchen, generally a lesser grade of flooring was used due to expense, but was usually softer and easily replaced without disrupting the flooring in other areas.

    So, think about perhaps running bands in front of the kitchen in the eating area, treating the entire "G" as if it used to be a separate room. Then run a separate band around the inside of the "G".

    Other choices - completely stop the fancy floor at the kitchen "wing". Don't do the inset floor in the kitchen but put either dots or a plain square of the contrast color in the four corners inside of the "G".

    I wonder if banding the kitchen could make it look smaller and more busy?

  • 14 years ago

    found this printed off in my discard pile. There should be a small handful of these. Somewhere.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

  • 14 years ago

    This first one is wood-- maple inset into brazilian cherry:

    This is stone-- santa cecilia granite inset into emperador dark marble:

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks for help, posters.

    Haven't quite found what I'm looking for, but on the way, I found this one, which is worth a look for someone seeking ideas...

    Here is a link that might be useful: