Jason Vivash of J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors created a stunning 700-piece equestrian-themed floor using exotic wenge, walnut and oak with intricate floral inlays that became the homeowner's favorite design element in their entire house.
- 700-piece custom floor measuring 12-by-6 feet featuring an equestrian motif with floral inlay design
- Three wood species used: wenge for rings and rivets, walnut for straps, and multiple oak subspecies for floral inlays and background
- Pieces were laser-cut and preassembled on a true-to-size paper template before installation
- Three-day installation timeline with careful finishing using Ciranova stain and Odie's Oil to match adjoining floors
- Floor won recognition as the homeowner's favorite design element of the entire house
If there were one word to describe Jason Vivash’s style in the 30 years he has designed and installed custom wood floors, it would be “intricate.” “It seems like every time I do an intricate floor, it’s always the most intricate floor I’ve done,” the owner of Paris, Ontario-based J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors says. “My level keeps jumping up and up every time.”
So when Neven Custom Homes’ Lead Designer Michelle Lamontagne had a client looking for a special floor, she knew who to call. “The client is really into horses and they wanted an interesting focal point in the main hallway,” Vivash says. “Michelle sent me a scarf design in the equestrian motif and I put together several designs. This floral inlay design was chosen.” The colors and species weren’t nailed down as quickly: “I love exotic woods, and I like to complicate things and go crazy with colors,” Vivash says, adding, “The designers always reel me back in because not everyone wants it all crazy like that.”
Jason Vivash's design for this hallway accent floor was inspired by an equestrian motif, to which he then added floral inlays.All images courtesy of Jason Vivash
The three-species, 700-piece, 12-by-6-foot showstopper was the result of Vivash “reeling it back in.” Wenge from a local Ontario exotics distributor was used for the rings and rivets, and walnut for the straps. Vivash used several subspecies of oak for the floral inlays and background, purposefully arranging pink- and green-toned pieces and various grains to achieve a deeper dimension. His team cut the solid lumber down to 8-millimeter pieces before laser-cutting them into their unique shapes and labeling each with a number (an important process Vivash had to learn the hard way). He and his wife and business partner, Connie, then preassembled the pieces on a true-to-size paper template. “What I do a lot of times for assembly is go to my local library and use their large-format printer to print a template in true size,” he explains. They face-taped it in sections, brought it to the jobsite, and installed it in three days.
After sanding and a light wire-brushing, Vivash used Ciranova and a dash of white pigment on the oak to match the adjoining floors. He carefully applied Odie’s Oil to the dark wood the next day. The care and attention to detail doubled the finish time on that small area, but Vivash says it was worth it in the end. His team didn’t waste a minute waiting for the stain to dry, because they were also responsible for the remaining 60 feet of hallway.
And what’s the use of doing the most intricate floor of his career if its timeline didn’t overlap with the next most intricate floor of his career? Vivash started cutting the pieces for his WFB Design Award-winning labyrinth floor at the same time the floral-equestrian floor was being installed. He had to “work like a madman” to get it done, but he says hearing that the floor was the homeowner’s favorite design element of the whole house made it well worth the work.
For many of his projects, Vivash uses his local library's large-format printer to print a template true-to-size.
Vivash learned the importance of labeling each piece of a complex design the hard way.
Vivash's team used Ciranova and a dash of white pigment on the oak pieces, then carefully applied Odie's Oil to the dark wood the next day.
Vivash purposefully arranged pink- and green-toned pieces of varying grains to achieve a deeper dimension.
The floral-equestrian floor was the most intricate floor Vivash had done ... until the next floor.
He and his team worked long hours to complete this floor and move onto the next; but Vivash (at center) says it was worth it for his floor to be the homeowner's favorite design element.
SUPPLIERS: Abrasives: Norton | Adhesive: Wakol | Borders/Inlays: J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors | Buffer: Pallmann Spider | Edger: Pallmann Gecko | Filler: Loba Easy Filler | Finish: Odie’s Oil | Moisture barrier: Wakol PU280 | Moisture meter: Wagner | Nailer: Primatech | Router: Festool | Sander (Big machine): Bona | Sander (Palm): Festool, Mirka | Saws: Festool Kapex | Stain: Ciranova
