I love this kitchen, it's such a stunning example of old meets new. And the thought of wooden floors, especially a bit worn, in the kitchen appeals to me above all others. Well, with the except of vintage tiles from Belgium or perhaps France or Turkey. I have a friend who has vintage wood floors, lovingly worn, in her kitchen and whenever I would visit her in Boston I always cherished our times at her kitchen table because it was such a sensory experience to be with her in that space -- the aroma of apple cranberry muffins baking in the oven, the way the sunlight came through the windows, feeling that overall cozy "kitchen" ambiance, and admiring her gorgeous oak floors - warm and welcoming.

Here are more examples from Swedish Elle Interior magazine. I always refer to their website anytime I'm in need of inspiring interiors -- I love the beautiful homes that they feature and the combination of old architecture with fresh, modern furnishings and even a few salvaged and junk shop finds. Eclecticism is still a hugely popular decorative style and I'm guessing will always be, and though trends change I see eclecticism as more of a classic -- like jeans -- that will forever remain a part of certain people's life long after the current hype settles. It's relaxed, it's not governed by strict rules, there is no rhyme or reason to it -- just that you have a good eye, collect things that appeal to you, and build a home with the central focus being your family first, and your lifestyle, then your furnishings and decorative style are considered to support all of that.

When eclecticism is put on, it always shows and feels a bit distant and cold, or even cluttered and chaotic. Don't you think? That is why I believe the heart of pulling off the look is really digging inward and finding what you cherish, and discovering how you live (or how you'd like to live) and what you need to have that will support you and make your life run more smoothly. A little story about that.. When I had to pack and relocate abroad, the first thing I did was to make a list of my must-haves and then, if I couldn't recall something to list it, I would conclude that it obviously wasn't so meaningful or useful to me that I needed to take it. I sold 80% of my belongings over the course of two months -- I hosted several garage sales, an indoor moving sale, and even tweeted about my move and a few decor8 readers drove up to my home and drove off into the sunset with many of my personal belongings. But there was freedom in that and from that experience because I learned what REALLY supports my life. And I've learned that I really didn't use or need all of the things that I had. So now that I'm living abroad, with a fresh, clean slate, I'm deciding how to approach the accumulation of more things. I look at every object with a critical eye, and I think about the things that I left behind and that feeling of peace as people left my home carrying my belongings in their arms -- and I wonder if I ever want to have so much again that I really don't need or connect with. The answer is NO.

And so, back to hardwood floors. Yes, it seems the Swedish have them in some of their dream homes shown in Elle Interior, along with white kitchen floors that appear to be painted wood, and also black floors that look like either wood or vinyl (I can never tell as they are usually quite high gloss and appear seamless). I currently have tile in my kitchen, it is light gray and quite nice, nothing fancy or even "blog worthy" though it doesn't at all make my kitchen feel warm and cozy, but it's nice just the same. I have a pretty striped rug in the space and my open shelving with dishes and glasses and tea tins so together, without wood floors, I've made the space my own and I'm happy with what I have. But don't we all dream of having wood floors in natural, white or black? A true Elle Interior style kitchen!

(images: elle interior sweden)