International Wood International Wood 2006 | Page 54

“The popularity of
exotic hardwood
floors has been on
the increase, so
we’re careful to
show off the beauty
of these woods in
our model units.”
Jill Riley
Designer with McGrath Associates
54 i m p o r t e d
wood
“There’s definitely a draw for people
who want to live in the heart of the city, but
I wouldn’t say it’s easy to profile them,” says
Jill Riley, designer for McGrath Associates, a
Madison-based developer with several projects
in the vicinity. Some are empty nesters. Some
are younger professionals. Some are retirees.
“The one thing that many of them do have
in common is that they’re well-educated, and
they’ve done their own research about the ma-
terials they want to have in a condo. They are
willing to forego the square footage of a tra-
ditional house in exchange for location and
luxurious surroundings, so we try to give them
a custom home right downtown.
“The popularity of exotic hardwood floors
has been on the increase, so we’re careful to
show off the beauty of these woods in our
model units. Brazilian cherry and Santos
mahogany in particular are very popular
right now.
“And from a practical standpoint, these
hardwoods stand up much better to the foot
traffic in model condos, particularly with
narrow-heeled women’s shoes.”
“These people are very design-oriented and
want up-to-date finishes,” says Becky Tauschek,
designer for Floor360, a Madison flooring
dealer that supplies McGrath’s and other
downtown projects.
“This usually isn’t their first home, and
they know they want something different.
Living downtown is a different way of life,
and they’re going for higher quality finishes
and more natural products, getting away
from stained woods even on cabinets. It’s a
different person, a different way of life, and
they want ‘nice.’
“The desire for richer interiors and colors
is a big trend, but they want more natural dark
woods, not wood that’s stained to look dark.
The grain of these exotic woods is so different
than oak, which was the prevalent flooring
choice in this region. These days, people really
seem to gravitate toward the woods that have
natural beauty.
“People are more educated about the prop-
erties of these woods, their hardness, and the
ease of care,” says Tauschek. “They’ve also
usually checked out the sustainability of these
species. Madison is a very, very ‘green’ town,
and knowing that these floors can be harvested
responsibly is a big plus to consumers. All of
our floors are certified, and we let our cus-
tomers know that when they buy them. It’s an