Let’s talk about wood. We chose solid oak hardwood for the four bedrooms and the upstairs hallway because many rooms downstairs and the stairs already have a medium-toned oak that pairs nicely with the rest of the house. That tone is very similar to the hardwood we used in our previous home, which proved to be durable and family-friendly.
We started our search on Craigslist to see if anyone had a large quantity of matching flooring, but came up empty. Next we headed to Lumber Liquidators. We’ve had success with them before—both for buying hardwood for half of our first house and for cork flooring in the kitchen—so we appreciate their wide selection and the convenience of finding underlayment and tools all in one place. For us it’s become a reliable one-stop shop for flooring.
Clara wandered right in and made herself at home—she’s a natural on wood floors—and we began looking through samples. At the store we inspected their display stairs as well; apparently every kid who visits gets to climb the little set of stairs, according to the staff.
We took six samples to compare against the existing stairs. Because the light in the store can be misleading, we waited until morning to bring them to the house and judge them in natural light. Before committing, we stripped the carpet from the top stair to check the condition of the wood underneath. If the subfloor had been badly damaged we would’ve needed to refinish the stairs and could’ve been more flexible with matching tones. Fortunately the wood beneath the runner was in good shape after we removed many staples, and the medium-brown tone looked perfect—balanced, not too yellow or too dark.
We prefer oak that’s neither too dark nor too light—partly personal taste and partly practical. Dark floors can show every speck of dust and pet hair, while very light floors can reveal wear more clearly. We’d already lived with a similar oak tone in our first house for years, and liked how it complemented our furniture and daily life, so that familiarity helped guide our choice.
From our photos of the samples, the bottom-left piece was the clear match. It had the closest color, the same mix of light and dark grain, and matched the existing width of the boards (2 1/4″). Although some wider boards were attractive, sticking with a matching color, grain pattern, and width felt right for continuity throughout the home.
When we started pulling up the carpet on that first stair, it took about 20 minutes—a reminder that removing an entire carpeted staircase will be more work than we’d hoped. Still, it felt satisfying to uncover the solid oak beneath, and it confirmed our plan to replace the upstairs carpeting with hardwood.
The next morning, with our decision finalized, we returned to Lumber Liquidators to place the order. We brought precise square footage measurements for each area, which made the ordering straightforward. Our choice was Lono Oak, a solid 3/4″ hardwood (not engineered), which can be refinished multiple times and comes with a 25-year warranty. Its list price was $3.69 per square foot.
I asked the salesperson, “What’s your best price?” and paused. If they can reduce the price they’ll offer it; if not, you can smile and move on. I also mentioned that we’re repeat customers. That landed us 10% off the entire order, bringing the price down to $3.29 per square foot and also applying to some underlayment and supplies we purchased.
We plan to install the floors ourselves to save on labor costs—the store quoted about $4,000 for installation—so there’s a lot to do before our move in less than three weeks. We also want to paint the blue/mauve trim and possibly the doors while the carpets are out, which adds to the to-do list. We’re considering renting or buying a paint sprayer to speed that job along.
Clara entertained herself by rearranging the brochure displays while we wrapped up. We left excited about the upstairs overhaul: the hardwood is ordered, a stack of trim needs painting, and we’ve got a tight schedule to get everything ready before moving day. We’ll report back as we start installation and painting.
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- How To Paint A Floor
- How To Stain A Concrete Floor
- How To Remove Carpet