When Oliver Barajas of Garibay Hardwood Floors was approached by an architect working on a full-home remodel in Saratoga, California, immediately he saw an opportunity to create something special. The 6,000-square-foot home, previously owned by a current NFL coach, featured tile floors in several areas and 4” rift and quartered white oak in others. Initially the new owners wanted to tear out the existing wood and replace it with prefinished flooring, but Barajas encouraged them to reconsider.
“I told them what they had was valuable,” said Barajas. “Rift and quartered white oak in that width is not always easy to source. I explained that removing it actually could be seen as a downgrade.”
After several conversations, the direction of the project shifted. The team would
retain the existing flooring, remove the tile, and expand the hardwood footprint with matching white oak from Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring. They also planned to upgrade the staircase and refinish the upper-level hallway. In total, Barajas, his father, Javier Barajas, and his crew laced in approximately 800 square feet of new wood in the entryway, mudroom, and upstairs, along with various patch-ins where walls had been moved or adjusted.
With the tile gone from the entry, the architect and homeowner were open to incorporating a design element to make a bold first impression. Barajas proposed installing a handcrafted starburst pattern to anchor the space and add visual interest. Rather than outsourcing a medallion, Barajas wanted to build it on-site to maintain control over every detail and ensure continuity with the surrounding floor.
“For us, the most important part of doing a circle is having great craftsmen and a
skilled mathematician,” he said. “I handled all the math myself. Knowing the radius, calculated the circumference so I could determine the size of each wedge.
These pieces taper from about five inches to a sharp point, so you lose a lot of material. If you want a five-inch-wide piece at the outer edge, you have to start with a seven-inch plank.”
To make the most of the visual impact, Barajas selected the most quartersawn pieces for the circle and carefully mirrored each wedge with its counterpart across the pattern. Every segment was cut from the same piece of wood as its opposite, creating symmetry and
balance that rewards a closer look.
For the perimeter of the circle, his father, Javier Barajas, worked alongside two additional craftsmen to gradually bend thin strips of wood into a clean radius that enclosed the starburst design.
“You need the right team and the right tools,” said Barajas. “And patience. You can’t rush it.”
Once the pattern was complete, they sanded and stained the entire floor with DuraSeal Antique Brown and finished it with Bona Traffic Satin for a rich, classic look. The goal was to achieve a sense of elegance that felt timeless rather than trendy.
“The architect wanted something that said ‘elegant and timeless,’” Barajas said. “Not modern, but not overly rustic either – just warm, clean, and classic.”
Throughout the project, Barajas made a point to educate the homeowners on the value of what they already had.
“As craftsmen, when we walk into a home and someone tells us they want to rip out their floors, it helps to explain what they really have,” he said. “In this case, they were
going from a Rolex to a Casio watch without realizing it. Sometimes the customer just doesn’t know the value of what they have. In the end, it is always their choice. We just want to help them make an informed one.”
Make sure you have helpful (and proper) information available to pass along to
homeowners. Visit nwfa.org to find out more about how to download the “Real Wood.
Real Life.” materials or NWFA guidelines.