HARDWOOD DESIGN CO.

Decide on base, casing and crown details at the same time so the trim fits the finished wall thickness.

A wood ceiling kitchen works well when you plan for the room's heat and steam from the start. Specify a sealed, low-sheen finish, a range hood that vents outdoors, and a stable hardwood such as white oak in tongue and groove boards.

Decor changes every few years. Floors, beams, doors and ceilings stay for decades. When those surfaces carry real grain, honest wear marks and warm color, old-world charm comes from the house itself, and the furniture only has to follow.

Hardwood flooring is milled from a living material. It keeps trading moisture with the air and with everything beneath it long after it leaves the tree.

If you are specifying a floor for a custom home or a major renovation, you can plan for decades of wear by looking past the hardness number.

Custom wood doors make that possible when you choose the core, the plank layout and the finish with the same care you give the species.