High-Impact Floors

The primary appeal of exotic woods is that they offer a variety of distinct natural colors and patterns. South American tigerwood, for example, features bold black striping, which accents its reddish-brown hue. Wenge, from Central Africa, is a dark wood. Australian cypress is a warm, honey-colored hardwood laden with character-enhancing knots, while Australian sydney blue gum is a dense hardwood with a deep reddish color. Brazilian cherry, perhaps the most popular of the exotics, is a dark red color that tends to deepen with exposure to light.

With a wider range of colors, designers are better able to blend contrasting wood colors to create attention-commanding details. “We’re seeing more borders in wood floors,” Schmid says. “We’re using different species and colors of wood to surround the main part of the floor.”

Another emerging feature is medallions. Using new laser-cutting technology, medallion makers can cut small, oddly shaped pieces out of different wood species to create a variety of multicolored patterns. Assembled like a wood puzzle, the medallions are simply placed in the pre-laid field. Schmid reports that he has seen medallions up to 36 inches in circumference.

“Today, especially when you talk high-end customers, floors are used to make a statement about your house,” he says. “The exotics will do that for you.” In addition, many of the exotics boast hardness and durability that surpass most American species. “From a maintenance standpoint, I really like the exotics, because a lot of the time they’re harder,” says Aaron Bakken, president of Bakken Homes, Inc., in Prior Lake. “I really recommend Brazilian cherry. It’s bulletproof.”

Reclaiming the Past

In addition to the exotics, reclaimed wood also is surging in popularity. “I see a lot of designers who are aware of the whole ‘green’ principle, and they’re doing a lot more adaptive reuse,” says Suzanne Goodwin of Suzanne Goodwin & Associates, an interior design firm in Minneapolis.

A fast-growing community of reclaimed-wood suppliers, such as Duluth Timber Company, Sebastian’s Specialty Hardwoods in Seneca, Wisconsin, and San Rafael, California–based EcoTimber, are salvaging old-growth lumber from old warehouses, buildings, bridges, and other structures designated for demolition. Additionally, lots of long-lost timber is being pulled from the bottom of rivers and lakes, including Lake Superior. The reclaimed wood is re-milled, but its various nail holes, scuffs, and dings are maintained.

“I like reclaimed wood because it typically has a patina that you can’t achieve with a new wood,” says Flesher, who recently finished a project that included a white oak reclaimed-wood floor, which he finished with tinted wax instead of the more commonly used polyurethane. “It’s an old European technique, and it helps give this project the appearance of an old European floor.”