SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 2, 2011) – Palmetto Road Floors announces the launch of its innovative line of premium, yet affordable, hardwood flooring planks made using the techniques of the fine furniture industry. Known as the Reserve Collection, the line for the first time brings the hand-stained beauty of fine furniture to hardwood flooring, as well as the unique design potential offered by exclusive 4”/6”/8” variable-width planks.

Most furniture is typically stained multiple times by hand to produce the rich layered colors buyers of such furniture have come to expect. In contrast, hardwood flooring products are usually stained just once by a roller which produces a more uniform look and more superficial wood coloring.

In a revolutionary innovation never before applied to the manufacture of hardwood flooring, Palmetto Road leverages the techniques of fine furniture craftsman, hand-applying two coats of stain to its Reserve Collection planks.

“Our dual-coat Valspar stain is custom formulated to heighten grain patterns and deepen rich brown and red surface tones,” said Jeanette Lam, the company’s president. “Most hardwood stains are machine rolled on, but we hand-apply a bright undertone followed by a darker UV stain. This sets rich, bright undertones aglow.” The effect, she added, is different hews and unprecedented color depth and richness highlighting the natural beauty of the wood.

“Detail is everything,’” said Lam. “We really believe that. We work extra hard to create a product unrivaled at this price point.”

Another unique feature of the Reserve Collection series is its 4-, 6- and 8-inch variable or random width planks. Unlike uniform machine-milled boards, Reserve Collection variable width planks reflect the random sizes and shapes of wood found in nature.

“Random widths offer subtle but unique variations to floors as a design element,” said Lam. “This gives homeowners an opportunity to create their own look, whether using the boards randomly or in a pattern.”

And like all Palmetto Road products the Reserve Collection line is also hand-scraped by craftspeople, as opposed to machine scraped.

To produce the line, Palmetto Road starts with high quality Maple, Hickory, Cherry and Walnut hardwood planks. Using up to 32 different hand-held tools, the company’s highly trained artisans then meticulously hand scrape each plank and hand carve the edges and ends.

“We let the wood dictate the scraping, as opposed to a machine,” said Tony Robison, Palmetto Road’s hardwood flooring expert. “Our craftspeople are trained to read the wood and use the right tools to bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

he result, Robison explains, is a natural look of time-worn elegance, as opposed to the unnatural repetitive patterns of machine-scraped wood.

The Reserve Collection is sold as part of the Palmetto Road product line via a network of flooring specialty stores across the Southwestern United States, including California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.