Picking out flooring was easily one of the HARDEST parts of our renovation. So much time spent on that. And finding reviews on flooring? Near impossible.

We have a very big open concept area that we needed flooring for. A kitchen in the middle, dining room, and two living spaces. Originally we thought about tile in the kitchen...but it would have cut the space up and ruined the open concept feel. We looked into hardwood...but it cost a lot more (we needed about 1500 sq feet), and with 3 kids and a dog, the upkeep didn't sound fun.

So finally we decided on laminate, and just tried to find something that didn't look fake, and we thought would hold up well. We settled on Quick Step's Reclaime line, and specifically the Mocha Oak color for our space. We thought it went well with our cabinets. I ordered some samples online, and when I accidentally forgot to order one, I found a local place with samples for checkout. We got it for about $2.69 a sq ft, so it's on the higher end for laminates.

I can't speak to the longevity of the laminate, though samples performed well under my scratch tests and water tests. The installer said it was really good quality. I love the look. I never did find out how often the pattern repeats...it just means the installer needs to pay a little attention on the install. Ours didn't in one spot...and I see the same pattern 4 times really close together...though I'm sure no one else will ever notice.

Check out the pictures below, and I'll be glad to post updates once we actually move in and see how it holds up!

Quick Step Reclaime Mocha Oaks