Bring a picture of your space. If you are building or remodeling, bring a drawing of the proposed area. When redoing a kitchen or bathroom it is important for the designer to see any existing cabinetry, flooring or other features that are going to remain as is. If you have already selected an element for your space, bring a sample or a picture. 

Countertop, cabinets and paint color samples are key in helping your design consultant envision your space.

Unfinished hardwood is installed in your home and then the finish is applied, which can be matched to existing or surrounding hardwood floors. Prefinished hardwood is stained and finished at the factory under carefully controlled conditions, which provides a more consistent appearance and superior durability. 

Prefinished floors allow you to enjoy your new floor much sooner, without the dust, noise, and time spent waiting for finishes to be applied and cured.

Yes, there is a natural variation in hardwood. Some species have more variation than others. Each piece will not be identical in color or grain pattern.

Solid and engineered hardwood floors are a great choice for most rooms in your house, but are not recommended for rooms that are moisture prone such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and mudrooms. Solid hardwood should also not be installed in a basement. In basements, engineered hardwood is a better option.

A solid hardwood board is milled from one piece of wood and is typically 3/4" thick (although some come in 5/16" thickness). These products can only be installed on or above ground. Solid hardwood should not be installed below ground level, such as in a basement or walk-out basement because it can react strongly to moisture or high humidity.

A major benefit of solid hardwood is it can typically be sanded or refinished more than one time. It must be installed with nails, staples or glue.
An engineered hardwood floor is made up of layers (plies) of real wood that are adhered together to make the board more structurally stable than solid hardwood. Whether (and how many times) engineered hardwood can be sanded and refinished depends on the thickness of the top layer of wood. Refer to the warranty for your floor to determine the feasibility of being refinished. 

A benefit of engineered hardwood is that it can be installed on any level, even in basements, and typically has multiple choices for installation, such as floating, gluing or nailing/stapling down.