There are literally thousands of types of hardwood flooring on the market right now. Many of them are woods that were not available a few years ago. This means that you have much more from which to choose. There is a wide array of color and grain (for texture) available, and there is also a wide range of pricing available. If you install your own, you can save hundreds of dollars. Most of these floorings are available as both hardwood and laminate flooring.
            You can buy the same type of wood, in varying lengths and widths and that will add interest to any floor or wall. Yes, I did say wall! Why not take the floor right up one wall for accent? It’s a great way to add warmth and beauty to any room. If the wood planks are run horizontally they will make the room look wider, run vertically and the room will appear to be higher.
            Parquet or inlaid wood tiles can add a decorative touch to any wall. Carpet the floor and place the wood tiles on the wall for a very rich look. Paint the walls a shade drawn for the many tones in the wood or contrast colors.
            Another great look can be made from using reclaimed flooring. That is, boards that have been harvested from old farmhouses and stores. The wood is aged and polished by hundreds of feet treading along them. This flooring is not easy to come by so call your local lumberyard to see if they can get it for you.
            If you grew-up on the east coast of around the Great Lakes you will be familiar with beadboard. It provided the ceiling for great wide verandas and was also used as a wall covering. As a wall covering it would reach about three feet from the floor and be topped with a chair rail.  If covering the whole wall with flooring isn’t for you then consider beadboard. You can place beadboard around a room and up the stairway or just about anyplace you want and it will add a light and airy look to your room.
            When choosing your flooring be sure to ask if the wood was Green Harvested. Green Harvesting of wood means that the wood was harvested in such a way as to sustainably maintain ecosystems. Companies that Green Harvest maintain a responsibility to the environment while managing a profit.