Beautify Your Hardwood Floors with Hardwood Inlays

Hardwood floors are one of the most stunning and timeless flooring choices you can invest in. Hardwood inlay design is a way to turn those beautiful hardwood floors into a work of art. It is a process by which an artisan fashions a design pattern using finely-crafted hardwood veneers to create breathtaking designs and borders that are then "inlaid" into your pre-existing hardwood floors. Inlays don't come cheap, but if you have the means to afford hardwood inlay design features for your home, you'll be investing in one of the most beautiful additions to flooring of any kind, hands down.

Inlaid Borders
Hardwood inlay designs come in two distinct varieties. The first are inlaid borders. By this process, designs using carefully crafted hardwood veneers are installed as borders around rooms, fireplaces, foyers, and anywhere else you can imagine an attractive border might add to the overall beauty of a space. The possibilities are stunning. Using different hardwoods and stains, a talented artisan can create borders made of geometric shapes, flowing rope style designs, and even specific images if that's your thing.

Hardwood Inlay Medallions
The other popular application of hardwood inlay design pertains to what is commonly referred to as a medallion. A medallion is a circular design of hardwood inlay, and to be honest, these hardwood inlay designs put most borders to shame. Hardwood inlay medallions are perfect for foyers, landings, and as focal points in living rooms and other areas. Again, breathtaking geometric designs are by far the most popular, though pictures of animals, people, even astrological signs are popular as well. And if you've got the money to go custom, you can literally have any hardwood inlay design you can imagine installed into your floor.

Can I Afford It?
There's no reason to beat around the bush here. Hardwood inlay isn't cheap. It's more akin to art than craftsmanship, and the cost reflects that. However, keep in mind that technological advances, including the use of computers and laser cutting technologies, have transformed what was once the province of the extremely rich into something attainable to any homeowner willing to sacrifice a few months pay for the most beautiful floor in the neighborhood.

Can I Do It Myself?
The short answer is no. Few homeowners have anywhere near the knowledge, tools, and patience to create hardwood inlay of any quality. There are hardwood inlay professionals who still stick to the traditional method of crafting and installing each piece of wood using hand tools, and a homeowner willing to dedicate a few years to figuring out the process might be able to create something of value when it's all said and done. In the end, however, this is an art, not a craft, and an industry that uses computerized equipment far out of reach of the average homeowner. I'm not saying it can't be done, but if you're looking for quality hardwood inlay design, you're best off calling in a professional to install a flooring design that will take your breath away for years to come.