Thank you for coming by and checking in on my project. As part of Calling It Home's One Room Challenge, I'm renovating the formals area of my new house. To catch up, go here.

This week I've got lots to share. First off, I'm excited to share about my recent visit to The Shade Store. I'd never been before, and I was very impressed with the Dallas showroom. It's gorgeous, amazingly organized, and I highly recommend asking for Sean if you're in the DFW area.

When I arrived, I briefly talked with Sean about my project, and he directed me to these fantastic drawers that contain a dizzying number of wonderful and varied fabric samples. Thankfully, after hearing a bit about my project, he recommended a specific drawer which allowed me to focus only on what I needed instead of becoming distracted by all the lovely options.

These photos don't even touch the number of drawers in the showroom. The selection is amazing. Below is a room featured on veranda.com by Melanie Turner that shows the general idea of what I'd like to do with my windows. I only have two, but they're wide. They're the two windows on either side of the front door, so it's important that the treatment of each be identical as they can be seen simultaneously from both inside and from the street.

It's so helpful to be able to see the different panel styles in person. I chose the second from the right, the Tailored Pleat Drapes.

Here are all of the drapery rods and finial choices.

And, here are the shade options.

I walked into The Shade Store unsure of what to expect, and walked out impressed. I've gone through the window treatment process many times, but never so seamlessly.

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Next, I'll tell you about the new hardwood flooring (it's mostly down and I LOVE it) that has replaced the sea of brownish carpet that I did not love. I shared last week here about finding Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring online through the interesting and educational articles written by Jessica Hickman, a member of a family who has been in the hardwood lumber business for four generations. I wanted to learn all about hardwoods as I'd never had to purchase/install them before. I didn't know much about the species I wanted, or the different cuts. After spending time on the Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring blog, I was able to make decisions.

The image above and below are two from the AMHF site that really caught my eye. The photos, along with what I'd learned, led me to choose white oak. The drop dead gorgeous wood flooring, the impressively informational site, and these reviews I found about AMHF and Jessica made the choice to work with them very easy. Can you imagine my excitement to learn that AMHF would partner with me for my ORC?

I was so happy to see the wood coming off of the delivery truck. AMHF sent clear grade, rift and quarter sawn planks that are simply beautiful. The fact that it was going to soon replace all the carpet that came with the house didn't dampen my spirits either.

And, here it is being installed by Ben Ashmore's team.

If you happen to know about hardwood stain color, I'd love you to weigh in. Below is an image that shows the floors as they look right now -- unfinished. I had originally thought I'd just have a clear coat added and not have them stained. Now, I'm rethinking. I'd like them to be maybe a little warmer. I photoshopped the bottom half of the image to give an idea of what I'm looking for. If you know how to achieve this, please let me know.

If you're going to be purchasing hardwood flooring, I highly recommend Allegheny Mountain Flooring. I also can't say enough about how helpful their blog was in informing me on the topic. I'll be sharing some helpful information Jessica Hickman put together for you next week. For now, go see the interior design fun here:

Centsational Girl | Chris Loves Julia | Christine Dovey | Dwell With Dignity | The English Room

Nesting Place | Old Brand New | Old Home Love | The Pink Pagoda | Rambling Renovators

Erica Reitman | Sketch 42 | Suburban B’s | Erin Williamson Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by CIH

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