For this month’s column, in addition to TLC Custom Design owner Thang Lam, we also reached out to local realtor Patti Fine of the Patti Fine Real Estate Group. From a pure resale value in Ms. Fine’s expert opinion, matching the wood in the kitchen area to the rest of the wood in the open concept area would be preferred over using a different wood species. “Matching the wood species and stain to the rest of the area in an open concept floor plan does more to increase the visual impact of the space. It will seem larger to prospective buyers, and it also gives them more flexibility into how they will use the space over an area that was clearly delineated by using a different hardwood type, pattern, or stain.”
TLC Custom Design owner Thang Lam concurs. “In most open concept floor plans, the mixing of texture and color to delineate space is done with cabinetry, furniture, paint color, and other design elements such as a mixed media border. Unless it is an extremely large space, using a different type of wood produces a clearly defined area that may not fit in with the open concept once complete. It will make the floor look chopped up, thus making the space seem smaller. In addition, different wood species take stain color and finish differently, making it hard for someone later on to match the flooring overall if they want to change the layout of the area in any way,” he said.
If you have questions about remodel choices and potential resale value, feel free to reach out to Patti Fine at pf@pattifine.com. For more hardwood flooring questions, feel free to submit your question directly to us at cori@tlccustom.com.