Installing hardwood floors in an occupied home sounds straightforward—until your condo turns into a dusty obstacle course full of moving blankets, leaf-bagged clothing, acclimating flooring stacks, and one deeply offended cat. In Part 2 of The Loooong Floor Install, I share the surprisingly chaotic reality of preparing for hardwood floor installation, including how I protected my belongings, survived living out of a hotel, and discovered an unexpectedly brilliant U-Haul stora

Driven by envy, deteriorating carpet, and one very yellow oak floor, I decided it was finally time to replace the flooring throughout my condo. In this post, I’ll cover how to choose hardwood flooring without losing your mind, the selection mistakes to avoid, and why you should never let a flooring salesperson rush you through a major purchase.

My kitchen was gloomy and dark. Kitchen cabinets would have cost over $20K. I decided the fastest way to brighten the space was painting the kitchen cabinets white instead of replacing them.