The Ultimate Philadelphia Dream House: Get That Special Touch

Floors

Dan Boruta Custom Wood Flooring,
96 Egerton Road, Langhorne, 215-968-5650; borutawoodfloor.com

SPECIALTY: Inlays, in walnut, silver leaf, stainless steel and copper, plus in-depth knowledge of exotic woods like African paduke and Peruvian species; also bamboo, cork, wide plank and antique floors.
COOL PROJECT: For one horse-farm customer in Washington Crossing, Boruta made an inlay of a horse’s head and the  name of the farm in a grand foyer, out of four different woods.
WHO LOVES HIM: “He knows all about exotic species that high-end customers love, and he’ll even come back and do touch-ups after the job is done,” says Center City designer Mary Ann Kleschick.
PRICE: Around $8 to $9 a square foot; costly wood can run $50 and up a square foot.


Inglenook Tile Design,
136 Stoney Hill Road, Quarryville, 717-786-1334; inglenooktile.com

SPECIALTY: Ceramic tiles that look like antique brick. They’re made of stoneware red clay, other clays and ash to make them look old; no two tiles are ever the same, and they’re stronger than real brick. Great for floors (each tile is only three-eighths of an inch to half an inch thick, so you don’t have to lower the floors as you would when installing real brick), but also an option for walls, walkways, porches, fireplaces, even arched ceilings. Homeowners can customize their tiles with fossil imprints, a pet’s paw prints, or kids’ names.
COOL PROJECT:  Easton designer Sheila Gallagher just used the tiles for a farmhouse kitchen with distressed cabinetry, and says they “made” the room: “It looks likes an old-fashioned brick floor, but it’s no different from laying a tile floor.”
WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT: The floor of Pemberton Hall in Salisbury, Maryland.
WHO LOVES THEM: Gladwyne designer Ann Arader discovered Inglenook and immediately chose the product for a mud room. “Real brick is too thick for most people to use in their homes,” says Arader. “This looks real, and it’s as strong as the real thing.”
PRICE: $8 to $16 per square foot.