Blog
The Oshkosh Designs blog is home to the latest design ideas, trends, product information, tips and resources from the flooring and interior design industry. We want to help you create the home or office of your dreams with the perfect hardwood floor, wall accent or piece of home décor. Contact us today to speak to an expert if you have any questions or see something you like in one of our articles!
Wood Wall Panels: A Quick Guide to Installation and Design
Although there was a time when wood wall paneling was synonymous with dated décor, those days are fading fast. Real wood panels, parquet, and three-dimensional wall coverings are currently making a comeback in the design world. Forget cheap faux wood...
Tips for Effective Hardwood Floor Border Placement
Border designs can serve to define a space, accentuate elements within a room, and generate visual flow. Adding a floor border is an excellent way to bring out the natural beauty of your room and add that little extra something that will make your space...
Tips on Choosing and Placing a Medallion
Medallions are striking, memorable accent pieces. Though wood, stone, and mixed-media medallions can serve as standalone works of art, they’re designed to be fitted into floors. Not only are they attractive in their own right, they can also serve to complement and...
All About Wood Grades
If you walk through a forest, you’ll notice very little uniformity among trees. In woodworking, however, uniformity is desirable, both for functional and aesthetic reasons. This is especially true of wood flooring. Hundreds, if not thousands, of individual pieces must...
How Milling Affects Wood’s Appearance
You probably recall learning how counting the rings on a log will help determine the age of the tree it came from. These annual rings are what give planks of lumber the grain lines we associate with cut wood. The way wood is cut has a significant effect on its...
Sustainable Hardwood Harvesting: A Win-Win
If you’re environmentally conscious and considering renovation, you’ve probably found yourself in the difficult position of weighing aesthetic considerations against environmental ones. You want to try to live sustainably, but of course you also want your...
Moisture and Your Wood Floors
One of the biggest advantages of hardwood floors is their extremely long life. Nearly any well-maintained hardwood product can last hundreds of years. That said, wood must be cared for. One of the biggest threats to the integrity of wood floors is...
Adding Texture and Character to Your Wood Floors
The general trend in hardwood flooring over the past several years is a move away from formal décor towards spaces with a homier, more lived-in look. Rustic chic, for example, has been steadily gaining in popularity and shows no signs of slowing. Floors with greater...
Wood Species Spotlight: American Black Walnut and Peruvian Walnut
The unique character of every hardwood floor is largely a result of the species of wood used. In this month’s Wood Species Spotlight, we focus on two popular and attractive species, both from the same family: American black walnut and Peruvian walnut. Black Walnut...
Flooring Tips for Small Spaces
If you’ve ever lived in a dormitory or a studio apartment, you know that there is a fine line between cozy and cramped. Choosing a wood floor for a small room presents a number of unique challenges. Because you literally have less room to work with, compromises...