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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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December 12, 2016

Family Room Flooring Makeover with Shaw Floors

*I’m so thrilled to be sharing my family room Shaw Floors  makeover with you today*

Can we just all agree that home renovation and decorating TV shows have given us such a false sense of reality? These so-called reality shows are anything but.

They’ve created this illusion that we can all just wipe the slate clean in our homes and start from scratch. And it will all be done in 2 1/2 days right down to adding the last accessory. But, the real reality is that when most of us are making improvements to our homes, we have so many different factors to consider, not the least of which are budget and time constraints.  And what seems to really be lacking in these shows is anyone who has to think about how the new will match up with the old. Because, let’s face it, the majority of the time we don’t have the luxury of simply starting over. Most of us have to take into consideration how a newly renovated space will blend into our other spaces.

This is exactly what I encountered when it came to making flooring decisions recently. You see, I’ve partnered with the amazing folks at Shaw Floors to try out one of their incredible new flooring lines (jackpot right?!) and as I was going through the selection process I was even more aware of the fact that I couldn’t simply choose what I loved or what was trendy. I had to take into consideration my entire home; it’s style and it’s existing flooring.

Breakfast room and family room layout

 

We’ve been planning since we moved into our home (8 years ago) to have the kitchen and breakfast nook wood flooring replaced (it was in a very sad state after 22 years) and we knew that we would want it to continue into the family room, which is carpeted, in order to make the rooms appear bigger and also to no longer have carpet in the area of our home that gets the most use.

(family room before)

Family room windows with woven shades atthepicketfence.com

After visiting the Shaw headquarters over the summer and getting to see first-hand just how incredible the new Epic Plus line of engineered hardwood floors are, we knew that they perfectly fit the bill.

I’m not going to lie, it was really tempting to want to try out a funky, trendy color or something that was a little less traditional, but the truth of the matter is that my house is VERY traditional and at the end of the day, I knew that the wisest choice was to go with something that matched the style and architecture and flooring in other areas of our house.

It’s a decision I’m so thrilled with because just look at how beautiful the new flooring looks in my family room!

Shaw Epic Plus Wood Floors in a family room

So long carpet.

Sofa table and cabinet arrangement in family room

Hello beautiful wood!!

Wood flooring in family room atthepicketfence.com

The Epic Plus line of engineered hardwood is the most durable on the market. With 3 different types of wood to choose from, 5 textures and 4 different width options plus every color you can imagine, the possibilities for your floors are endless.

We went with the Arden Oak in Gunstock and a 3.25 inch width.

Epic Plus Engineered hardwood in gunstock

I found these beautiful scroll-y vent covers and think they go perfectly with the wood.

Scroll metal vent cover on hardwood floor

I think what I love the most is that the floors have so many different color tones which get picked up depending on the light in the room.

Hardwood floors from atthepicketfence.com

A new rug is on it’s way which will help to soften things and make my kiddo who likes to sit on the floor while watching tv very happy.

Engineered hardwood from Shaw atthepicketfence.com

While my floors are beautiful and have far exceeded my expectations, what I have been the most pleased about with this entire process is the professionalism, quality and integrity Shaw invests in not only their products but in their customers as well. Our local Shaw retailer, Cherry City Interiors, was so amazing to work with and monitored every single detail.

Christmas tree with white wood barrel tree stand

I’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of the makeover and I cannot wait to show you how the kitchen and breakfast room turned out as well as tell you a little bit more about this incredible line of Shaw flooring.

Winter woodland themed Christmas mantel decor atthepicketfence.com

Stay tuned and thanks so much for meeting me at the Fence today,

Vanessa signature

*I am compensated for my partnership with Shaw floors but all opinions are 100% my own*

13 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas, Sponsored

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynne says

    December 12, 2016 at 3:27 AM

    Beautiful choice on your wood flooring. Looks so elegant.
    Can you tell me the brand name and color of your woven wood blinds and where you purchased them?

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 12, 2016 at 7:01 AM

      Hi Lynne! The woven wood roman shades are from Lowe’s and they are by Levolor. Mine are in the ‘Natural’ color. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words about our new floors. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Paula says

    December 12, 2016 at 4:45 AM

    Very nice flooring, what is the color/tone? That’s was my first choice but mine are slightly darker. You’ll be happy you chose to replace carpet.

    Reply
  3. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    December 12, 2016 at 5:42 AM

    The floor is gorgeous….just highlights your beautiful room Vanessa! Looking forward to seeing the kitchen and the breakfast room. Have a Merry week Vanessa!!

    Reply
  4. Pat says

    December 12, 2016 at 6:11 AM

    Love the new wood floors, eager to see the rest of the redo
    Pat

    Reply
  5. Jeanie says

    December 12, 2016 at 6:19 AM

    Wow!! they are beautiful and such a good choice of color!! Merry Christmas!!

    Reply
  6. june says

    December 12, 2016 at 7:09 AM

    Beautiful…I love my new wood floors. We have had them for about two years. No more carpet on the main level of our home. We did a 3″/5″ variable board that is hand scraped. Sounds odd I know but when our grand dog that is a German Shepard comes over I just totally relax. Now to do a few new upholstery pieces in the living room – just can’t decide. Down came the heavy window treatments and I like the open feeling.

    I too would love the source of your blinds.

    Reply
  7. Becca says

    December 12, 2016 at 7:42 AM

    The new floors look fantastic … you guys must be thrilled! They’re the perfect backdrop for your beautiful holiday decor!

    Reply
  8. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:03 AM

    Vanessa, your new floors are beautiful! Also, love your Christmas decor! Everything is so nice! Have a blessed week!

    Reply
  9. Pam says

    December 12, 2016 at 10:15 AM

    Beautiful floors. Can’t wait for the rest tomorrow!

    Reply
  10. rose l. says

    December 12, 2016 at 11:44 AM

    I have the same vent covers in my place. Love your holiday scenes in the decor.

    Reply
  11. Eddie Malley says

    December 12, 2016 at 1:52 PM

    Really enjoy your blog but have never commented, but had today as we had Shaw Wood floors installed 2 years ago. They are as beautiful as the day they were installed and even survived a dishwasher flood in the kitchen! Good choice, have a Blessed Christmas.
    Miss. Eddie

    Reply
  12. Pamela-FromMyFrontPorchToYours says

    December 18, 2016 at 12:28 PM

    What a wonderful upgrade Vanessa. I know you must be over the moon!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
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Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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Where are things collecting in your house right now?
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I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

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It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

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