Oak Flooring in the Kitchen

After we demoed the existing cabinetry and the pantry framing in a weekend, we turned to the floor. The stuff put down by the previous owners was a laminate tile in a faux stone pattern. It was ugly and laid about 1/4" higher than the flooring in the dining room and hallway. So there was a tiny "step down" anytime you entered or left the kitchen.  NBD but one of the little things that starts to bug.  However, what I will say, is that shiz is tough!! We demoed out the entire kitchen, dragged items and tools and scraps containing nails across the floor and it took it all. Had we swept + mopped, I'm sure it would have cleaned up just fine.  Here's a shot of what they looked like under construction dust:

To replace the tuscan nightmare, I elected to use red oak hardwoods to match to the existing flooring in the adjacent dining room. The entire upstairs is red oak so I hoped this would improve the "flow" of the upstairs, which is a little choppy.

We hired out this work, no way could we DIY. The fellas arrived and promptly went to work weaving in the new floor boards into the old to create a seamless transition.

After the raw wood was laid, it's time for poly, baby! They did three coats in a satin finish. It turned out really pretty. Too pretty and now our old floors look pretty worse for the wear next to the new stuff!

Next up! Electrical, drywall patching and CABINETS!!!