Disclosure: Karndean Designflooring partnered with Montana Ernschwender to provide the flooring materials for this project. Photo credit: Montana Ernschwender.
As the voice behind Instagram account “Honing Home,” Montana Ernschwender shares home tips big and small, thrifting advice and home décor hacks so that her followers can “hone their homes.” She and husband Cory, along with dog Cooper, have lived in their 1,200 square foot Ohio home for almost six years. During that time, they’ve tackled renovating the main bath, adding millwork to the living room, giving some care to hardwood that was hidden under carpet and more. “We initially thought we’d live within our home for 5-7 years, but the longer we stay, the less we want to leave,” Montana says.
When it came time to renovate the basement – an area that encompasses a family room, lounge space and laundry room - Montana wanted to design and create a space that looked and felt more in line with the rest of the home.
“The flooring was the first step in a full basement renovation which includes a ship lap ceiling and new furniture and accessories. We previously had gray carpet squares and while they were in good condition, it [the basement] didn’t feel like an extension of the rest of the home style-wise.”
In search of a flooring product that would add a more finished feel to the space, she found Karndean Designflooring luxury vinyl. “After speaking with the Karndean team, their loose lay format seemed to be the best fit for our project. I love the ability to pull up individual pieces should there be any damage or issues in the future.”
Products from the Karndean LooseLay collection feature our K-Wave® friction grip backing which helps hold the product in place. It creates a strong bond to the subfloor using a combination of weight and friction. It’s also our most ergonomic format of flooring, perfect for a basement setting, and can be installed over subfloors with up to 95% relative humidity (RH).
A main priority for Montana when choosing a color was matching the existing hardwood in the main floor of her home. “I ordered a few samples from light to dark and ultimately found Providence, which best matched our current flooring.”
With the installation of the flooring now complete, Montana loves the impact it makes on the basement as well as its everyday benefits.
“Our new flooring drastically changes the space and feels warmer and more welcoming. I love that they are easy to clean and waterproof, which is very important! Our family room certainly gets lived in – drinks spilled, dogs running round, kiddos – I didn’t want to have a product I needed to worry about. I want to be able to LIVE in my home.”
What words of advice would Montana offer to other homeowners looking at new flooring?
“ORDER SAMPLES and think on it! Unless you are on a tight timeline, really think through your decision. How will the flooring flow from one room to another? Does it look different from room to room due to lighting? How do you want your space to feel? Warm/neutral? Ordering large samples, or multiples of the same plank, will help you get a good feeling of the pattern and overall look.”
Keep up with Montana at Honing Home and watch this space for more home features!