You may remember that BEFORE, our floors at The Shack looked like this.

And now….we have rich, beautiful hardwood floors throughout the main floor. Everything is unified by one, simple rustic element: the floor.

BEFORE, the view through the kitchen, from the back door, showcases the patchwork of flooring atrocities.

AFTER, our new hardwood floors are warm and rustic. You can also see a peek of the newly installed plank ceiling in the dining area beyond.

PROGRESS: Here’s a photo of the main living area, after the carpet has been removed. It looks a little bleak here, but it’s going to get better VERY soon! Under all that carpeting and padding is a simple plywood sub-floor. One of the annoying things about removing carpeting, is the need to pull up staples…there are a lot. Installers usually staple down the foam padding underneath the carpet, and they really should be removed before installing the new hardwood. So my husband and I spent quite a bit of time on hands and knees, removing many, many staples.

And now…there’s still a long way to go (that fireplace mantel needs a makeover), but you can see how much the room is improved with the new hardwood floors and the beautiful wool area rug.

BEFORE, there’s a linen closet at the end of the open walkway, clad in plastic laminate flooring. To the right of the closet is the loft and there are two bedrooms on your left with a full bathroom and laundry room in between.

AFTER, hardwood floors look amazing after you ascend the steps to the second floor bedrooms and loft.