How the Right Floor Created a Relaxed, Contemporary Farmhouse in Houston

Product: Eighteen Seventy-Five – Surrey
Project: Butler Brothers
Location: Houston
Room: Living Room, Kitchen

February 16, 2026 | All Projects, Collection, Eighteen Seventy-Five, Houston, Kitchen, Living Room, Location, Room

“Surrey just felt right for this house,” recalled Elizbeth Reynolds, designer for Butler Brothers in Houston, Texas. Creating a “relaxed, contemporary farmhouse” look called for finishes that were comfortable, relaxing and effortless.

This Butler Brothers home featured an open floor plan with smaller spaces within. Designing for a large space that still felt homey and natural needed to be grounded with the right kind of flooring.

To complete the look, Reynolds went to one of her go-to floors – 1875 Surrey.

Reynolds’ vision for a contemporary farmhouse aesthetic including pairing warm, natural finishes with classic farmhouse elements. The dining room contrasted a modern, organic table with iron chairs.

Setting The Right Foundation

In an era of extra wide planks being the trend, Reynolds suggests considering the width of the planks in light of how much it impacts the scale of a space.

“With tile, going larger often makes a space feel bigger, but with wood flooring, I’ve found that using a smaller width can make rooms appear larger. It also helps rugs look better because the scale of the floorboards complements the items placed on top.”

1875 Surrey’s 6″ planks enhanced the open layout while complementing the relaxed, modern stylings.

Continuing the styling to the kitchen, Reynolds chose porcelain countertops, bringing a chic contrast to the real wood floors and farmhouse touches.

Creating a Warm and Modern Look

To create the relaxed, contemporary look, Reynolds chose traditional touches to contrast with the contemporary space.

“The highlights of this home are definitely the floors, countertops, and lighting. Those were some of the most fun elements for me to select as an interior designer.”

The wood floor and the brick bring warmth and texture, while the porcelain countertops mimic quartzite.

“I also loved incorporating some of these really kitschy, fun lighting pieces made from rattan, iron, and brass,” she recalls.

Eighteen Seventy-Five has been one of Reynolds’ top flooring choices. In this home, the medium warm brown tones grounded the open concept to create a comfortable, livable space with modern touches.

Designing With Real Wood Floor's 1875 Collection

For Reynolds, the 1875 Collection has been a go-to for many projects with a variety of styles and requirements.

“1875 is such a chameleon when it comes to design. It works beautifully in both traditional and contemporary spaces, and in my opinion, the color range is one of the best out there.

“The colors have evolved over the years, but what stands out to me — and says a lot about RW — is that the product quality and consistency have always remained the same.”