Brooklyn, NY

If you’re familiar with our work, you’re almost certainly familiar with our harvest mixed hardwood. It’s incredibly versatile, so we use it a lot, including for the floors in this residential brownstone in Brooklyn. But despite the popularity of the material, this project was anything but ordinary.

In addition to supplying the hardwood materials for this project, we also installed the flooring ourselves. Once the boards were down, we hand-scraped the edges where each of the boards meet. It’s a truly unique process, and it’s the only one that can produce this look. In general, hand-scraped hardwood flooring is known for its distinct groves and marks, which gives the space a feeling of warmth, history, and personality.

To finish the floors, first we applied a neutral stain to make it come to life. Then we added a layer of wax, which we applied like an old-school janitor would do to the tiled floor of a school. The wax acts as a shiny polish while also sealing and protecting the surface of the hardwood. Once it’s applied, the wax begins to harden as it dries, and it creates a seal that helps guard against stains, preserve the finish, and minimize the look of unintentional scratches or dings.