If you remember, back in the summer I was working on getting my mom settled in her new condo. After my father passed away, we sold our family home and found a more manageable place for my mom to live. The whole process came with challenges, both emotional and logistical. But amidst all this, my unwavering goal was to help my mom create a space that felt comfortable and as much like home as possible as she took her first steps on this new journey of her life. It's amazing how much that sense of home was created through the details. Of course it's the family that makes a house a home but in my mom's new condo, so much of what makes it a beautiful place for her came in the form of our design choices. We tried to strike a balance between incorporating things that were reminiscent of the home she shared with my dad her whole life and adding new things that would in some ways help to guide her along a new path. New furniture and paint colours were chosen with care. For paint, we fell in love with Icing Sugar (SICO, 6092-11) and used it on the walls of all the common spaces. And when it came to flooring, my mom knew just what she wanted. While my preference is dark floors, hers was a red oak - just like what was in my parents' house. We found the perfect wood and colour combination at Lumber Liquidators where there was a wealth of options of premium hardwood flooring at amazing prices. The wood we chose was $3.99/square foot, compared to a retail value of $6.35/square foot. In the end, we were thrilled with the results and there's something about that wood floor that both rejuvenates my mom's new space, yet reminds us of our old, familiar family home. It's the first thing you really notice when you walk through the door of her new condo and in some small way, always reminds me of Dad. It's what he would have chosen, too. Here's what the finished space looks like - without furniture, you really get a sense of how beautiful the floors are. These red oak floors from Lumber Liquidators really make the space feel larger and brighter. This red oak is so warm and inviting, don't you think? What kind of hardwood flooring do you like best?