Good Bones: From Playroom To Family Room

Homes are a lot like the families they contain: they evolve and change over the years. And as with clothes and tastes, we all-too-often outgrow even our favorite rooms. So for Laurie and Jonathan Grossman, a floor restoration was about more than just a style update: it was an acknowledgment of a new phase of their family's life.

When the Grossmans set out to update their cozy, light-filled home in Mar Vista, California, one of the goals was to reimagine their kids' playroom as a space that was enjoyable for the family of four to share together. "The kids had their toys here. They played dress-up here," Laurie reminisces. "But, over the years, those toys go away. Now our kids are 9 and going on 13, and it feels like it's a good transition time for us."

As for where to start? Laurie's hope was that the room could be "a super-cozy place where we can either be on the ground on pillows playing board games or watching television." The bamboo floors, then, were —literally and stylistically—would be the foundation of this makeover. And what with the deep grooves, scrapes, and stains left by toddlers, dogs, toys, and furniture moves, the Grossmans were sure the flooring would have to be completely replaced. But, after some research, they learned about a cost-effective, less invasive solution: a floor restoration by a Bona Certified Craftsman. Jonathan was skeptical at first: "When we first heard about Bona restoring our floors, I didn't think it was possible, quite frankly," he recalls. "Because I thought that with floors like this you couldn't really sand them or refinish them."

_{A before/during/after look at the Grossmans' bamboo floors — which they initially believed couldn't be refinished}

Another concern they had was in order to restore the floors, they'd need use a darker stain to cover any flaws. But, after meeting with Bona Certified Craftsman Kirk Flooring, they were happily convinced otherwise. "It was really important for us to keep things light," says Laurie. "We live in California. And I love that whole light, airy feeling." She was excited to go back to the natural look they'd had when they originally moved in.

The results were even more impressive than they'd dared to hope for. The marks, scrapes, and discoloration were gone; the dark lines that had settled in the grooves had been completely erased. A natural-looking Bona sealer and matte Bona finish were applied to preserve the look of the original bamboo and to add the durability needed for the Grossmans' cleats, dogs, and everyday foot traffic. The delighted family ooohed and ahhhed over their better-than-new floor.

"What I'm most excited about with this floor restoration is the feeling of a new room and knowing that it's a place where our kids are going to want to hang out, which is fun for us, because we want to hang out with them."
- Laurie Grossman

The floor then became the foundation for bringing the family room they'd always imagined to life. Keeping with the airy theme, they went with bright white walls, neutral-toned upholstery and furniture, and lots of natural textures. They even added some abstract art to the walls for a fresh and modern feel.

The overall look is eclectic-modern and very comfortable. Mission accomplished.

"What I'm most excited about with this floor restoration," says Laurie, "is the feeling of a new room and knowing that it's a place where our kids are going to want to hang out, which is fun for us, because we want to hang out with them."

Jonathan adds, laughing, "I think what Laurie actually is going to be most excited about is this is going to be the greatest excuse for her to make me take my shoes off when I come in."

Now all that's left is for the Grossmans start making new memories. "We take a ton of pictures. And we're going to look back on this room five or ten years from now through our photos. And the bones of our home, the new floors, are still going to look great," Jonathan says.

"The only changes we'll see," adds Laurie, "are the changes in our kids as they grow."

1. Credits

Words: Siobhan Murphy

Images: Chase Brock