Wednesday, July 24, 2013

a country kitchen floor


There are plenty of falling down barns around the Catskills, and if I'd had time I would have designed cabinets made of old barnwood. But for reasons beyond the scope of this blog, there wasn't much planning time. I insisted on reclaimed wood floors though, and in my (internet) travels discovered mushroom wood.



Soft woods--hemlock and cypress usually--are used for mushroom bedding bins. Enzymes from the mushrooms break down the wood and give it an aged look. So it's not old, but looks old. And it's much less expensive than traditional reclaimed woods or new hardwood floors. We got it from The Hudson Company, and its rustic look is perfect for our house in the woods.


It goes well with the terra cotta tile in the rest of the house. (You can get a glimpse in the above picture.) And it has an interesting back story. Some mushroom wood comes from old coal mines in the Appalachians that have been converted into mushroom growing facilities. It has a lot of character.

Pictures of other mushroom wood projects here and here, and more about mushroom wood here.






20 comments:

  1. I am really impressed. It is knock-me-down then pick-me-up-off-the-floor gorgeous. I've never used that expression before, but it seemed appropriate.

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    1. Wow--thank you! How are you enjoying your beautiful new kitchen (and porch and bathroom and writing room)?

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  2. What Karen said. Just beautiful. and must feel so nice on bare feet.

    Your house looks so peaceful and inviting.

    xo Jane

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  3. It's beautiful. I've ever heard of it. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing for my kitchen floors so I'm happy to know about it.

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    1. Did you actually buy that gorgeous antique Danish counter What a find that was. I keep imagining your new kitchen in Swedish greys and whites, including a painted floor. Can't wait to see it evolve.

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  4. Your new house looks lovely Jen.
    What an interesting story about the mushroom wood. It looks beautiful and does indeed go with the ceramic tiles.
    lots of exciting projects jen.
    happy week
    val x

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  5. I love the look of the wood Jen.Your kitchen looks fab.

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    1. I've always had wood floors in my kitchens and love it!

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  6. The perfect companion for your kitchen cabinets! Such a warm inviting place for peaceful days.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I had classic New England barns in mind with the red cabinets and rustic floor.

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  7. I didn't know about mushroom woods which look old because of enzymes. It's very interesting and I'd like to use such materials if we had chance to remodel our house.

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    1. I really like the story of this wood--it's kind of fun and definitely interesting. I wonder if its available in other countries.

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  8. I've never heard of mushroom wood, what a fascinating back story to it. It is beautiful and I love the way it looks with the gorgeous red you picked for the cabinets, and the door. The house looks very inviting (hint, hint) :)

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  9. Never heard of it, but it's gorgeous, and perfect with those wonderful red cabinets!

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  10. Hello Jen, The mushroom wood is new to me, but it is beautifully patinated, and does a remarkable job of naturally tying together the red and black cabinets.
    --Jim

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  11. Never heard of it but it looks beautiful and tones so well with your other colours. I'm hoping to change our living room floor to wood later this year so will look into this.

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