I am literally so excited to be writing a post about our basement. It feels like since the day we moved into our house nearly 6 years ago we’ve been talking about remodeling the basement…you guys it smelled like dog urine when we bought it!!! Talk about gross. So needless to say I am excited to FINALLY share with you all my design choices for the basement and most importantly the way we selected the basement flooring…because ain’t nobody want a dog urine smell in their life! 

We are working with NovaFloor’s to bring to life how we are transforming our basement flooring while honoring our personal commitment to being environmentally responsible at the same time. This is something we absolutely love about NovaFlooring. All NovaFloor products are rigorously tested to meet the highest indoor air quality standards through FloorScore® testing for VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Their product certifications include GREENGUARD Gold and Indoor Advantage Gold Standard. And on top of that, all of their products are 100% phthalates-free!

When it comes to selecting flooring I believe there are 3 major points you need to consider before landing on your final decision. First, the overall design aesthetic you are looking to achieve. Second is the durability of the flooring you are using, and finally the comfortability of the flooring for your own use. Using these three elements together can truly guide you to making the correct decision for your home. To help you understand what I am talking about I thought it would be best to talk about how we applied these principles to our basement flooring selection process.

DESIGN AESTHETIC 

As with any project we do, knowing the overall design aesthetic of your space will guide you through the material selection process! In our basement I have 3 different areas I need to design for: Yoga/meditation area, movie/play space and laundry room! I want each area to have it’s own unique personality yet still have a cohesive feel.

In the main area of our basement I landed on the Barrel Oak / Hanley 6mm Plank that creates a very realistic hardwood flooring look. In the laundry room I selected the Luna Marble/Willa, which resembles more of a concrete look and represents exactly what I was looking for. Both materials have a lighter look than what I have throughout our upstairs, but pairs together perfectly. My reasoning for this is there is a whole lot less natural light downstairs and I want the basement to appear light and airy.

DURABILITY

When it comes to selecting flooring, a product’s durability always comes to mind for me. Whether it’s tile, hardwood, luxury vinyl, ect…  Here’s some things I like to think about. Is this a high traffic area? Will this floor see water? If so, how much water? Is the subfloor in good condition? Will pets or children use the floor…yes that’s a real question! They use floors harder than most adults. 

In our basement I know the answers to all these are yes! The Barrel Oak / Hanley planks are made extra thick (6mm) with their High Density Core (HDC) that’s waterproof as well as dent resistant! The NovaShield® Enhanced Protection works against scratches, scuffs, abrasions, stains and fading…amazing! We all know how our kids and dog are about to get down in this basement space together!

COMFORTABILITY 

One thing I’ve learned over time is that the location of your flooring truly makes a difference with what type of flooring you should be installing. This goes hand in hand with how your floor is being used. For example, if you know your location of the floor is going to see a lot of water traffic, installing a standard hardwood flooring is a pretty poor choice as the longevity of that flooring option just isn’t there for the location. Make sense, friends?!? 

So for our basement I know the location has the potential to see water…hello Michigan weather, plus our laundry is housed in the basement. And our basement tends to be cold…very, very cold. One thing I love about the Maybree with HDV Technology Flooring is it has attached foam underlayment for both a sound barrier and comfort! 

We are so excited to bring you along with us on another home project! Make sure to tune in to our social channels for more behind the scenes action as we makeover this dreadful basement space!

Much love-

Danielle