Hardwood, Redefined
Engineered hardwood: not your parents’ wood floor
Hardwood flooring brings warmth, character and timeless appeal. But while solid hardwood was once the gold standard, engineered hardwood is now the preferred solution for modern homes. It offers the same natural beauty with added strength, stability, and moisture resistance that suit Ontario’s extreme temperature and humidity variations, and busy lifestyles.
Rêve Interior Design carries leading brands of engineered hardwood flooring, many of them Canadian-made. Drop by to have a look at the woods, textures and finishes we offer. Our team would be happy to offer any advice you need.
Major brands we carry
The ‘engineering’ in engineered hardwood
Engineered hardwood is built differently. A thin top layer of real hardwood—called the lamella—is bonded to a multi-layered plywood or composite core. This construction method creates a highly stable flooring product that resists warping, cupping and cracking, while maintaining the look and feel of solid wood.
Thanks to its engineered core, this flooring handles the seasonal humidity shifts of North Simcoe and Georgian Bay with ease. It stays flat and secure, even in moisture-prone areas like basements and cottages, where traditional hardwood often struggles.
Design without compromise
Engineered hardwood offers more design flexibility than solid wood. Whether you want a hand-scraped hickory with rustic character or smooth maple for a sleek, modern vibe, there’s a product that fits your vision. You’re not limited by tradition—you can match your floor to your style.
Engineered hardwood is also the environmentally smarter choice. Unlike traditional hardwood, it uses only a thin layer of hardwood on top, so that the same volume of raw wood results in more floors. Many cores also contain recycled materials, reducing waste and maximizing resources.
Preparing for success: subfloor matters
Even the best flooring fails on a bad subfloor. Before we lay a single plank, we prep the subfloor meticulously—checking for squeaks, sanding seams and levelling dips. A flat surface ensures your floor installs smoothly, locks correctly and lasts for years.
Floors don’t have to be perfectly level—but they do need to be flat, clean and dry. In heritage homes and cottages, we often work with off-level floors. What matters is eliminating humps and valleys that disrupt the installation. We use grinding, self-levelling compounds, and structural corrections to make it right.
Moisture control is essential Performance first, not price
Most top engineered hardwood brands offer high resistance to scratches and wear. Pre-finished planks, cured in controlled factory settings, carry upwards of a dozen coats of finish, outperforming any site-applied finish. While pricing reflects material and aesthetic qualities, it’s not a reliable indicator of durability. We help you choose based on how you live—not just what you spend.
Ready for what your space demands
Whether you’re building a modern cottage or renovating a century home, engineered hardwood offers the right balance of performance, sustainability and style. At Rêve, we install floors that fit your life—seamlessly and beautifully.