The Beauty of Aged Wood

 Lindy Donnelly with Deven Gadula of First, Last and Always

in front of Reclaimed American Oak

An aged wood floor tells a story. Standing witness to the countless steps, strides, paces and skips of lives lived and years past, it knows so much. Each mark, each scuff, each sign of wear enriches the aesthetic, speaking to its sustained service and stamina and calling to mind the material’s ubiquity in interiors the world over.

Deven Gadula, owner of San Francisco-based First, Last and Always has been aiming to highlight the very nature of wood in the floors he’s been creating since 1990. His business provides a rare level of service, eschewing mass-produced floors in favor of creative, masterfully crafted solutions to each client’s project. “We strive to install and finish floors original in concept, character and craftsmanship,” his website reads.

Gadula takes pride in respectfully keeping the tradition of crafting timber into flooring. Estimates date the practice back some 4,000 years to cultures from the Near East to the Mediterranean to Ancient Egypt and later Europe. This history imparts an authenticity to the presently emerging style of European wood floors with a seasoned appearance. The rich textures and distinct patterns are as at home in a grand English estate as in a sophisticated San Francisco high-rise pied a terre.  Complemented by one of these handsome floors, furnishings have the possibility of a traditional or modern approach. Here is a small sampling of some of the exquisite creations of wood flooring from First, Last and Always.

 

Basketweave: American Reclaimed Oak with Hand Wax Finish

 Herringbone: American and European Oak

River Recovered Heart Pine Square Tile

Walnut log