Designers

Best Flooring Throughout 2021 Winner

Take a look at the winning design for Best Flooring Through in the 417 Home 2021 Design Awards.

by Colin Shea Denniston

Mar 2022

Photos by Jeremy Mason McGraw, Global Image Creation, courtesy Cabinet Concepts by DesignThe warm wood floors are a perfect complement to the living room's soaring ceiling and relaxing cool tones.

WINNING DESIGNER: Nathan Taylor of Obelisk Home

Project Goal Summary

“Choosing the perfect flooring for this contemporary home was a must. After an extensive search, we found a gorgeous white European oak imported from Italy that was so perfect, we used it in all the areas with of exception of the bathrooms, laundry and mudrooms. We cut that same imported oak into a herringbone pattern for the breezeway and added a custom printed marble tile in the mudroom, creating a welcome contrast to the warm oak floors elsewhere.”—Nathan Taylor

In this large new construction project, Nathan Taylor, owner and principal designer of Obelisk Home, used the flooring as an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the home’s design. “The perfect color floor can be the driving force behind all the other colors of the other materials in the home such as cabinetry [and] wall color," says Taylor.

Striking that perfect balance between the flooring and the rest of the home’s design was crucial to Taylor and something that took extensive searching and finessing to achieve. The homeowners wanted the hardwood to have as wide of planks as possible, but they also wanted it to be warm in color. “By the time we got to the hardwood flooring that’s mostly throughout the home, this was maybe sample number 10 or 11,” says Taylor. “It is an imported European white oak floor from Italy, and we had to get multiple colors to get it right. It was a challenge to get something that was light but warm,” Taylor adds. The living room fireplace material, the main entry door and the black of the windows were all selected as complementary elements to the flooring.

Best Flooring Throughout 2021 breezeway photo

A herringbone pattern was used in the breezeway between the garage and the main house to differentiate the space and add a subtle twist. “It’s okay to use the same floor and change the way it's installed from room to room,” says Taylor. “It adds interest, but it still keeps cohesion.”

Best Flooring Throughout 2021 overhead photo of living room

Warm wood floors offer the perfect complement to the living room's high ceiling and cool tones.

Photos by Jeremy Mason McGraw, Global Image Creations

Subtle patterns and creative placements kept things cohesive while still allowing for a little variety. “All the floors are the same wood and the same stain, just laid differently,” says Taylor. “We didn’t want a lot of flooring changes.”

In the laundry room, mudroom and bathrooms, Taylor took a departure from the rest of the home’s hardwood. He connected them through similar tones and custom designs. “The laundry room and mudroom floor was a custom printed marble, and we had to get the black just right in order to complement the black windows,” says Taylor. The main bath has a stunning large format porcelain tile with a Calcutta gold appearance. The gold—along with the heated floor technology—continues the feeling of warmth through this modern family oasis.