Hootie hooo! The cork floor in both the kitchen and the laundry room is finished — well, almost. We still need to add shoe molding, thresholds, and apply a protective sealer, but the big installation is done, and it’s great to finally see the whole space come together.
Photographing the floor accurately has been a challenge. The color is a rich mocha that, in person, reads more like brown leather with a soft, flowing pattern rather than obvious shapes. The videos from our previous post captured it best, but we hope these photos are closer to real life than our earlier attempts—the top image is getting there. We’ll keep experimenting until we nail the right lighting and angle.
When finishing the corner where the kitchen meets the tiny laundry room, we followed the same method we used in our kitchen corking project. We were concerned about running short on material, so we used remnant planks along the left wall—leftover cuts from the kitchen—to make sure we had enough. Luckily, we finished with about four planks to spare. It was close, but having extras is comforting. We plan to seal the floors thoroughly to protect them. Cork can be sanded, restained, and resealed over time, so well-maintained cork floors can last for decades. We’ve even heard of very old cork installations still looking great, which is encouraging.
The transformation in the laundry room especially is dramatic. We already liked that room after earlier updates, but the new cork floor gives it a warmer, more finished feel. Here’s the room before the cork:
And after the installation:
We enter the house through the laundry room, so walking in and seeing the warm mocha cork greet us is a small daily joy. (For the record, the laundry basket you might spot is in the bedroom with a pile of “flu clothes” that have been washed but not yet put away.)
We’ve already covered why we chose this flooring and how we installed it in earlier posts, so consider this an exhale of relief that this big kitchen project is winding down. There are still a few finishing touches left: adding decorative trim to the back of the peninsula, deciding on a window treatment for the sink or whether to paint the stools, treating the side of the pantry, and bringing in a chair and rug for the fireplace side of the room. We’ll share detailed before-and-after photos along with a cost and timeline breakdown once the kitchen is truly complete. We’ve been working on it in stages since October 5th, so it feels great to be close to the finish line.
When we moved in, the space looked very different:
And now it finally feels like our home:
Looking ahead, we want a cohesive flooring palette through the main living areas. For continuity, we plan to refinish the other hardwood floors in the house to match the cork’s rich mocha tone. Some rooms will remain cork and others hardwood, but using the same deep color should create a more seamless, open flow instead of a patchwork of different tones.
Functionally, the cork has been fantastic so far. The darker color adds warmth to the previously whitewashed space, it hides everyday wear well, and it’s gentle on feet and joints. We haven’t seen scratches or dents from our dog Burger yet, and once we seal the flooring it should be even more durable. Cork is eco-friendly and sound-absorbing, which makes it comfortable and quiet underfoot. We’ll report back as we live with it and finish the final trim and sealer coats.
This weekend we mostly recuperated from a small flu bug while wrapping up the last few boards; the finished floors have definitely lifted our spirits. Onward!
More Flooring Projects
If you’d like to read about other flooring projects we’ve completed, here are some related posts:
- Refinishing Hardwood Floors 101
- How To Install Hardwood Flooring Yourself
- How To Select Hardwood Flooring
- How To Install Hardwood Floors Without Nails
- How To Paint A Floor
- How To Stain A Concrete Floor
- How To Remove Carpet