renovate ALL THE THINGS!

Don't worry about me. I'm fine. And I have and plan to keep my writing schedule in the post "reviews are in" phase of the project. I had to build up to it, but I have a schedule. Around the schedje is the work of changing up this space. Today's post (I've mostly been posting about the prodje over at my Facebook page) is about floor stain. I mean, we have red oak (very sad-to-possibly-troubledsoul-type face).No gingey floors pour moi! Nope. We tried some stains yesterday, and while Marek (of MS Total Custom) was pulling for DuraSeal Jacobean, I could not get past all the orange still showing through. I LOVED "Classic Grey," but the look on Marek's face and his outright insistence that I will never sell this condo by laying down the grey, ... said, "No." And then, Mike walked in and kinda loved the "Ebony." Frankly, I worry it makes the ring stains (natural wood grain age marker thingies) look so black and then the other parts not black enough -- zebra-style). Marek assures me that it will darken with "sealing," but I'm not sure that's any assurance. I need to see it.

So, like any good internet user, I woke today to look up images of others' experience. I'm now thinking a blend might work, and then I find this lovely image of straight up Ebony on red oak. Pretty great, right?!

Contemporary Dining Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Michelle Winick Design

But so I had thought, "That's it. Done! I'm in!" And then I see this, which suggests they've used 2 coats of "Ebony."

Traditional Kitchen by Dallas Design-Build Firms Coats Homes

So now I will have a Monday session w/ my people. I hear the "sealant" darkens it, so maybs these worries are for nothing. Come Monday, think of me, swatching and hoping.