Pacific Palisades, California Completed project
Engineered Hardwood Floors and a Matching Curved Staircase in Pacific Palisades, CA
One continuous wide-plank floor, from the living room to the top of a curved two-story staircase.
- Location
- Pacific Palisades, CA
- Flooring
- Engineered hardwood
- Stairs
- Curved, matching treads
- Rooms
- Entry, living, kitchen area
In this two-story Pacific Palisades home, Los Angeles Hardwoods installed a light, natural-toned engineered hardwood floor through the living room, the step-down landing and the entry, then carried the same look up the curved staircase. The result is one continuous floor from the first room you walk into to the upstairs landing, with no change in color where the floor meets the stairs.
Planning floors and stairs together?
By Los Angeles Hardwoods ·
A wide-plank floor through a two-story entry
Tall entries show a lot of floor at once, so plank size and tone carry the room. Here, long, wide boards with natural knots and soft grain run from the living area, over two steps up, and across the foyer to the front doors. The light tone keeps the double-height space bright against the white walls, columns and railings, and the wide boards mean fewer seams across the open floor.
Step-downs and landings are where a floor either looks finished or looks pieced together. Each step edge needs a nosing that matches the floor, and the boards on the landing have to line up with the room on either side. On this job the steps between the living room and the entry use the same wood as the floor, so the change in level reads as part of the design.
Matching a curved staircase to the floor
The staircase was the centerpiece of the project. It curves as it climbs, which means most treads are a different shape: wide at the outside of the curve and narrow at the inside. Each tread and riser is measured and cut individually, and the nosing has to follow the curve so the stair edges line up from bottom to top.
Finishing the stairs in wood that matches the floor is what makes the entry feel complete. When the treads and risers are the same tone as the floor, the eye follows the floor straight up the staircase instead of stopping at a carpet runner or an old stained tread. See our custom stair treads and hardwood stair installation.
Have a staircase you want to match to new floors?
Installing hardwood during a kitchen remodel
The bay-window room in these photos was part of a larger remodel: cabinets and walls were still open while the floor went in. Installing the floor during a remodel takes planning. The floor has to be protected from the trades that follow, transitions to other rooms have to be decided early, and whether flooring goes under or around new cabinets depends on the product, the installation method and the cabinet layout. We work through that sequence with you before the job starts.
Why engineered hardwood suits Westside homes
Engineered hardwood is real wood on top, bonded to a cross-layered core. That construction resists the expansion and shrinkage that seasonal humidity causes better than a solid board of the same width, which is why most wide planks are made as engineered flooring. It is still wood, not a waterproof floor, so spills should be wiped up and indoor humidity kept within the manufacturer's range. The right product and installation method depend on the subfloor and the manufacturer's requirements, and we check both at the estimate.
Project specifications
- Location
- Pacific Palisades, California
- Flooring
- Engineered hardwood, light natural tone, wide planks
- Staircase
- Curved two-story staircase with treads and risers in matching wood
- Areas
- Living room, step-down landing, entry and foyer, bay-window kitchen area
- Project context
- Installed during a larger remodel, including the kitchen
Hardwood flooring and stairs in Pacific Palisades
Los Angeles Hardwoods brings hardwood samples to homes in Pacific Palisades and across the Westside, measures every room and staircase, and gives you a written estimate for materials and installation, or materials only. Learn more about hardwood flooring in Pacific Palisades, or see nearby projects like our Santa Monica European white oak installation. We also serve Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. See how our hardwood flooring installation works and more of our work.
Questions about floors and stairs
Can stairs be finished to match a new engineered hardwood floor?+
Usually, yes. Stairs are finished with treads, risers and stair noses in a matching or coordinating wood and finish. Our flooring collections offer matching or coordinating stair-nose solutions, subject to product availability, and we can provide custom hardwood stair treads when a stock part won't fit.
Is a curved staircase harder to do than a straight one?+
It takes more time. On a curved or winding staircase most treads are a different shape, so each one is measured and cut individually, and the nosing has to follow the curve. That is why curved stairs are quoted step by step rather than as a flat price per stair.
Can new hardwood go in during a kitchen remodel?+
It can, as long as the work is sequenced and the floor is protected. Whether the floor goes in before or after the cabinets depends on the flooring product, the installation method and the cabinet plan, so we work that out with you at the estimate.
Do you serve Pacific Palisades?+
Yes. We bring samples to homes in Pacific Palisades and across the Westside, measure every room and stair, and give you a written estimate for materials and installation, or materials only.