When Jamie Beckwith started planning the decor for her home in Franklin, Tenn., she knew it needed to complement the house’s old-world characteristics. When it came to flooring, she chose materials that showed their handmade origins.From the wide planks of hand-hewn distressed walnut in the living room to the tumbled travertine in the foyer, Beckwith’s floors reflect not only her home’s personality but also an ever-growing trend in homebuilding toward high-end natural materials that are low maintenance with minimal environmental impact.“Everybody is going to a handcrafted look, getting away from flat flooring,” says Dan Antes, owner of Nashville, Ind.-based Distinctive Hardwood Floors. “Natural, organic texture is a big thing.”
Antes, whose work was featured in December’s Blueprint magazine, uses reclaimed wood when he can. “For that project we used oak reclaimed from barns throughout the South,” he says. “It’s expensive … but an even more expensive option is using urban timber, working with cities to gather individual trees that are cut down for electric companies or construction.”
Posted on January 29th, 2008 by Serina
Filed under: Flooring, Home Decor
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