When Brit Arnesen began her Instagram account to showcase ongoing DIY renovations and her love of interior design, she didn’t necessarily envision creating a full-blown lifestyle blog. However, her popular britdotdesign blog has now evolved into furniture plans, design concepts, project tutorials, and more, as she lives the dream with husband Derek and two kids in their Midwest fixer upper. Her self-appointed ‘desert deco’ home style is the perfect combination of natural, regional inspiration and chic, fashion-forward touches.

 

After being selected by Better Homes & Gardens to be one of the twenty featured designers for the exciting 2021 Spring One Room Challenge, Brit was incredibly motivated to convert the attached garage of their home into an additional “den” with a fireplace. Converting the small garage to additional living space was an original goal of hers when purchasing the home in 2015, to the point that the home purchase was contingent on this renovation possibility during the inspection phase.

 

While chronicling her weekly One Room Challenge progress and highlighting major steps such as completing the drywall and grouting the fireplace terrazzo, Brit took a moment to highlight her waterproof hardwood Raintree Castle Creek floors from the Aspen Estates Collection in Week 6:

 

“The main reason I decided to partner with Raintree is the fact that their flooring has the characteristics of authentic wood; yet it’s waterproof and scratch resistant, making it the perfect choice for a household with two young kiddos, three cats, and a dog. It was also super easy and convenient to find the right one. Their website was a breeze to navigate, and I was able to order free samples to ensure I got the perfect style for our home. Not only that, but Raintree provides installation and maintenance guides on their website, making it beyond easy for DIYers like us.”

 

     

 

Citing Castle Creek’s 100% waterproof core topped with sliced European white oak as the characteristics that caught her eye, Brit also noted the ease of installation, low maintenance, and sound insulation as reasons for the forthcoming replacement of all the floors throughout the home with the same variety:  

 

“It was really fast and easy to install due to its locking tongue and groove system. It’s also easy to clean – it can be swept, vacuumed, or wet mopped without worry because of the topcoat that protects it not only from moisture; but from scratching too! Such a major upgrade from the laminate floors we have throughout the rest of the house that I’m SO thrilled to be replacing with Castle Creek in the coming months after the ORC! I love the way it feels underfoot and also the fact that it’s super quiet – that is, no annoying clicking or creaking sounds as I walk on it.”

     

This efficient floor installation helped Brit and Derek complete their biggest project in the shortest amount of time, also their first project using every valuable skill learned since completing their first home remodel. Their official Spring One Room Challenge “Desert Deco Den” Reveal is nothing short of stunning and Brit notes that the Castle Creek planks made all the difference: 

“Then there’s these oh so beautiful waterproof hardwood floors from Raintree. Honestly, these floors might make the biggest impact of anything we’ve done.” 

To complement the brushed matte finish of airy, natural Castle Creek, Brit added a Maman Rugs and britdotdesign collaboration called The Sadie rug for added softness and texture. Along with stylish lighting choices, original artwork, and other Art Deco furnishings, Brit has crafted a custom vibe for her den that’s equally relaxing and eye-catching:

          

Make sure to follow all of Brit’s incredible ideas and DIY adventures on her blog, and visit our Pinterest for even more waterproof hardwood inspiration. When you’re ready to begin your own amazing remodel project, contact us to order your favorite Raintree samples sent directly to you!