Crocker Ave., Piedmont

The owner on this project had one word for us: Dark. We used a quarter-sawn oak to avoid the “wavy” grain common to flat-sawn oak, and then stained it. Dark stains are some of the most challenging for a finish-in-place floor, because any imperfection in the sanding will be accentuated.One of the big advantages with installing oak is that if you decide in 10 or 15 years you want a different color, all that is required is a refinishing job. This isn’t an option with floors that can’t be stained (such as Maple), or with floors that are fairly dark to begin with (Brazilian Cherry).

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Bay St., San Francisco 
Our client wanted us to install a traditional Quartersawn Oak herringbone pattern, but with a sleek dark stain. The design objective was to serve the modern feel of the furnishings and kitchen, while still paying tribute to the traditional Victorian architecture.
We first created a large 4’ x 4’ sample with different stain samples, and delivered it to the client’s house so she could decide whether it was the right fit. We then sourced the high-percentage Quartersawn material, installed it with a 2 board border, and stained & finished it on-site. This is a good example of a finish-in-place floor that would be impossible to replicate with a pre-finished product.

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Edwards Ct., Lafayette

This pre-finished engineered, hand-scraped, stained Hickory looked stunning side-by-side with the stone. We sourced 5 ½” widths and 7’ lengths for the floor to accentuate the open layout of the house. This was also installed over a hydraulic radiant-heat system, which can be done successfully with the right precautions.

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Maoli Dr., San Rafael

This project called for FSC Certified Cumaru and Brazilian Cherry. The wood was sourced by us, installed, sanded and finished on site. In addition to installing a border, we created a custom medallion that was created by combining both woods.
This job demonstrates the impact an exotic wood can have on a room. Imported exotic woods from South America have captured the imagination of many homeowners and designers. Due to illegal logging practices, however, a lot of cheap exotic woods have flooded the market that has not been sustainably harvested. At Tulip we make sure that your floor has the environmental credentials so that forests are protected.

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Sylvan Way, Piedmont

For this project we created a 100% custom-made floor. We specified the board lengths (some boards were 12’ long!), the width and the grade. We also specified that the client wanted a beveled-edge (the little grooves between the boards), which adds a rustic character to floor.
We installed the unfinished Hickory and created a unique custom stain on-site. A custom floor is not as expensive as you may imagine, and can be a rewarding alternative to stock products. Our craftsmen will guarantee you have a stunning floor that is 100% unique to your home.

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