Here we created a traditional craftsman look while taking the advantages of modern technology on. Our process begins by evaluating your needs. We provide free in-home consultations, where we will inspect job-site conditions and provide advice relating to your larger project. We may bring with us flooring and stain samples to start the conversation, and then schedule an appointment in our cutting-edge designer showroom to delve into more options. After you have found the floor you love, we will provide you with a detailed estimate that goes over all the options and alternatives you are considering.
Services
For over 30 years we have been serving the high end market in the Bay Area. We have a unique collection of beautiful wood floor from around the globe. Although mostly serving the high-end market we also have a large selection of carefully selected value floors. We are unique in our ability customize the flooring to your needs through sourcing the material from dozens of suppliers and and having our experienced and knowledgeable staff to further customize and fabricate in our shop.I have always loved wood.
Reviews (20)
Elena S.
Jan 05, 2021
Glen C.
Oct 08, 2020
Honey N.
Aug 14, 2020
We are remodeling our home office and had Jeff and his team come in and replace some Walnut boards after removing built ins and refinishing the whole room. They did an excellent job matching our color and were complete professionals. In addition, we had water damage on some hard woods by a French door. They replaced and stained those as well. They couldn't match exactly due to sun fade etc but over time, I believe they will match perfectly once the sun fades them a bit. I give these guys a solid five star rating due to their quality of work and professionalism!
Fuck Y.
Jul 06, 2020
Bob G.
Dec 12, 2019
Tulip recently refinished our Brazilian cherrywood floors and extremely pleased with the quality of the workmanship, professionalism of the crew, and great communications from the estimator start-to-finish. Kudos to Gene. I was also really pleasantly surprised in how LITTLE dust there was throughout the house. Awesome job and would highly recommend them. Can't wait to have them back for other projects.
Hillary S.
Nov 22, 2017
We had a really hard time finding a flooring product we liked. We were so happy when we finally found Tulip- they have stuff you just don;t see elsewhere. Their products are a lot more natural looking than the current polyurethaned stock in most places. While we ended up sourcing the floor elsewhere and having others install it- we would have never found it if not for them (and we love it).
They were very helpful giving us estimates as well. In the end, we went elsewhere for two reasons: 1. a better price, and 2. a more flexible installation schedule that worked better with our needs. But I would definitely recommend going to the showroom to help generate ideas and see some really beautiful wood options.
They were very helpful giving us estimates as well. In the end, we went elsewhere for two reasons: 1. a better price, and 2. a more flexible installation schedule that worked better with our needs. But I would definitely recommend going to the showroom to help generate ideas and see some really beautiful wood options.
Jm C.
Jul 08, 2017
This review is long overdue. Exactly one year ago, Tulip installed white oak floors in my recently purchased condo, and I could no be happier! Jeff was great to work with, from helping me select the wood (he let me hang on to a few samples while I mulled them over), to scheduling installation, and then making sure I was 100% pleased with the job. As a first-time homeowner, I was anxious about the whole process, including applying for permission from the HOA to install, but Jeff was totally experienced (and had done work in other units in my complex) and so the whole experience was smooth sailing. Every time he said "piece of cake" I was happily reassured and he was right! And the floors are just beautiful. Highly recommend.
Lynn A.
Apr 14, 2017
Tulip put in the most amazing floors in our home! They were highly professional, and easy work with with. We put in oiled white oak floors, and they are just beautiful. The job included a stairway, which turned out to be a showstopper. They have extremely high craftsmanship, with great attention to detail. We have just engaged them to come back to install the same flooring in our master bedroom. From initial phone call with Rhonda, to the final inspection the project was seamless -- very friendly and professional. We highly recommend them!
Heather S.
Nov 14, 2016
Patrick H.
Sep 24, 2016
My experience with Tulip is "wasted 4 months of my valuable time and ended up with nothing" To review Tulip Hardwood Floor, it has to start with Rhonda, the so called office manager who thinks she can bullish and abuse anyone including the customers. On the other hand, Mark, the estimator, is a super nice guy who works with you. Unfortunately everything came down to Rhonda for scheduling.
In my case, I placed the order on May 23 and was scheduled to install on August 8 because they do not have the wood. On August 10, Rhonda forwarded an email saying the shipment from oversea was delayed and our schedule has been moved to September 14 (what, the wood was supposed to be from Canada as I understood, why it ended up coming from oversea).
The original schedule was already 10 weeks and now they want to add another 5 weeks to it. But I allowed this to happen and waited patiently. On September 9, I received another email from Rhonda, without a word of apology, saying we are not getting the wood, the ship went bankrupt and stuck in Southern California. (Is it real?) Rhonda sounded like she is not involved and she is a bystander doing us a favor passing on the information.
Finally I realized this project is not getting anywhere and I have to get my 50% deposit back. Conveniently, Rhonda is going on vacation for 2 weeks starting the next day. Good thing my wife got hold of the owner and demanded the deposit to be returned immediately. We wasted 4 months of our valuable time and ended up with nothing. Rhonda is not Tulip but Tulip allows Rhonda treating customers the way she likes it, is the problem.
This company is not up front with what you are getting. Oversea vs Canada, can be a deal breaker to someone like me. One thing worth mentioning is my deposit. Rhonda said we can have a $200 discount if my check was written to the owner instead of Tulip. That raised the question, Why and What is going on. Of course I did not take the "discount". The bad experience with Tulip has a good ending.
I scrambled to get my floor done and stumbled into Lumber Liquidators which carries a full spectrum of hardwood floor materials and has a system that you can work with local licensed contractors to get the job done. My new floor was done in 25 days including 10 idle-days for the wood to acclimate in my house. I ended up with a beautiful hardwood floor and saved myself $3000 off what Tulip quoted me.
On top of that, instead of a 1/2" engineered wood floor from oversea, I got a 3/4" solid hardwood floor made in USA. Should I recommend Tulip for your next project? Ask yourself that question and answer it honestly.
In my case, I placed the order on May 23 and was scheduled to install on August 8 because they do not have the wood. On August 10, Rhonda forwarded an email saying the shipment from oversea was delayed and our schedule has been moved to September 14 (what, the wood was supposed to be from Canada as I understood, why it ended up coming from oversea).
The original schedule was already 10 weeks and now they want to add another 5 weeks to it. But I allowed this to happen and waited patiently. On September 9, I received another email from Rhonda, without a word of apology, saying we are not getting the wood, the ship went bankrupt and stuck in Southern California. (Is it real?) Rhonda sounded like she is not involved and she is a bystander doing us a favor passing on the information.
Finally I realized this project is not getting anywhere and I have to get my 50% deposit back. Conveniently, Rhonda is going on vacation for 2 weeks starting the next day. Good thing my wife got hold of the owner and demanded the deposit to be returned immediately. We wasted 4 months of our valuable time and ended up with nothing. Rhonda is not Tulip but Tulip allows Rhonda treating customers the way she likes it, is the problem.
This company is not up front with what you are getting. Oversea vs Canada, can be a deal breaker to someone like me. One thing worth mentioning is my deposit. Rhonda said we can have a $200 discount if my check was written to the owner instead of Tulip. That raised the question, Why and What is going on. Of course I did not take the "discount". The bad experience with Tulip has a good ending.
I scrambled to get my floor done and stumbled into Lumber Liquidators which carries a full spectrum of hardwood floor materials and has a system that you can work with local licensed contractors to get the job done. My new floor was done in 25 days including 10 idle-days for the wood to acclimate in my house. I ended up with a beautiful hardwood floor and saved myself $3000 off what Tulip quoted me.
On top of that, instead of a 1/2" engineered wood floor from oversea, I got a 3/4" solid hardwood floor made in USA. Should I recommend Tulip for your next project? Ask yourself that question and answer it honestly.
Mark L.
Aug 31, 2015
The floors that Tulip put in our house were a highlight of our remodel. The workmanship was flawless and the attention to detail exceptional-- which was a welcome relief given other aspects of our remodel. The workers were professional, courteous, showed up when they said they would, they were excellent craftsmen, and the whole organization clearly took pride in their work. Tulip installed face-nailed oak in several rooms (both new and old construction), and performed repairs to holes in our existing doug-fir subfloor.
In addition, our remodel included removing 120 year old 1x8 douglas-fir sheathing and replacing with plywood. Avi suggested using the old sheathing as flooring instead of taking it to the dump. I thought it was a great idea and after many weekends removing boards, and Tulip's expert installation, I'm glad I followed Avi's advice! Avi worked with us to helped us choose sustainable / FSC options, since that was important to us.
He also walked us through all the various material and finish choices and advantages of the various types. Excellent experience. Highly recommend to anyone considering work on floors.
In addition, our remodel included removing 120 year old 1x8 douglas-fir sheathing and replacing with plywood. Avi suggested using the old sheathing as flooring instead of taking it to the dump. I thought it was a great idea and after many weekends removing boards, and Tulip's expert installation, I'm glad I followed Avi's advice! Avi worked with us to helped us choose sustainable / FSC options, since that was important to us.
He also walked us through all the various material and finish choices and advantages of the various types. Excellent experience. Highly recommend to anyone considering work on floors.
I. V.
Mar 20, 2015
We did a renovation a couple years ago and used Tulip to install and refinish floors. My father accidentally scratched up the new floor last fall with his chair, and I called to ask Tulip to give us the color of the floor so we would touch up the scratch. They refuse to give colors out. It seems they would rather back their customers into a corner than earn their trade on the basis of their service and work.
This unethical behavior guarantees they will not get our business when we finish the rest of the floors in the house. I recommend you insist on getting the formula for the color of your floors before you hire *anyone* to finish them for you unless you too want to be held hostage.
This unethical behavior guarantees they will not get our business when we finish the rest of the floors in the house. I recommend you insist on getting the formula for the color of your floors before you hire *anyone* to finish them for you unless you too want to be held hostage.
Ina Pockrass
Nov 22, 2014
Kristianne K.
Jul 31, 2014
Tulip removed our hardwood floors from a prior bad install, then did a beautiful job of installing nail down of one inch yellow oak hardwood. They sanded our uneven subfloor, then expertly laid out the new flooring, sanded, stained, and coated. The installers told us when they would arrive, came right on time, and worked continuously until the job was completed.
They also cleaned up at the end of each day. We could not be happier with the job they did. Mark Velez was our contact. He made sure the project was done to our specifications and satisfaction. We'll be contacting Tulip for our next flooring job and recommending them to our friends.
They also cleaned up at the end of each day. We could not be happier with the job they did. Mark Velez was our contact. He made sure the project was done to our specifications and satisfaction. We'll be contacting Tulip for our next flooring job and recommending them to our friends.
Phil G.
Jul 28, 2014
The arrogance of the latest Berkeley housing upswing has clearly hit Tulip bad. Here's what you get from Tulip after paying them $3,308 for a full-house sanding and finishing in 2006 -- the height of the last bubble -- when you ask them to replace a few partially stained floor boards. Go somewhere else. We have a $3,000 minimum but there are other places that will do that job. Rationale: resurfacing the stained boards would so terribly discolor them as to be incompatible with the rest of the house.
So Tulip generously offered to resurface the entire floor for full price. No problem. We'll move all our furniture and belongings out and stay in a hotel so you can get the full value of your priceless service. This is ridiculous. Our floor has multiple shades, the boards date back to 1953 and are by no means uniform in size, shape or pigmentation.
The technorati etc. have apparently provided Tulip so much business that they can turn away their otherwise loyal and erstwhile high-paying customers. Yeah, we'll go somewhere else. And we won't be calling you when this latest bubble bursts.
So Tulip generously offered to resurface the entire floor for full price. No problem. We'll move all our furniture and belongings out and stay in a hotel so you can get the full value of your priceless service. This is ridiculous. Our floor has multiple shades, the boards date back to 1953 and are by no means uniform in size, shape or pigmentation.
The technorati etc. have apparently provided Tulip so much business that they can turn away their otherwise loyal and erstwhile high-paying customers. Yeah, we'll go somewhere else. And we won't be calling you when this latest bubble bursts.
Chris M.
Jun 29, 2014
We've worked with Tulip a couple times before, but we're finally done with them. The straw that broke our back was when we recently had a customer who wanted a bedroom, stairs, and downstairs office redone in new oak flooring. Mark Velez was our contact and he was okay to work with at first; not great, but okay. One part of the job was to blend the top of the old stairs in with the new work.
The rest of the house has walnut dowels so the contract called out specifically to blend the new in with the old: "Supply install sand and finish 12 stair treads and upper landing to match floor. Upper landing to have walnut dowels and match existing top floor." When the job was complete, though, the new upper landing did not have any walnut dowels and thus did not match the existing top floor. It's right there in black and white and they failed to do it.
When I called Mark about it he was annoyed. He explained that walnut dowels are only used on end joints (true) because they were historically used to hide the fasteners and since the installers didn't install the top landing with any end joints, there was no need for the dowels. The problem here is that the installers didn't look at the original contract and Mark, as job supervisor, didn't point it out to them to make sure it was done correctly. Further, when talking to Mark about this it was clear that he didn't want to install the dowels as specified in the contract that he wrote up.
He was audibly annoyed and at one point I could hear him talking to someone else about "dealing with this walnut dowel bullshit." Another issue with the install came when moisture was discovered in the downstairs office area. Mark was less than helpful in recommending a solution for this and basically said we should contact someone else. While moisture mitigation isn't the area of expertise of a flooring contractor, it's something they should definitely be familiar with.
Even if they aren't, I think the attitude should be one of helping the customer instead of abandoning them after the carpet demo has been done. After the moisture hiccup they stopped work on the bottom landing of the stairs for fear of moisture migrating to that area. We gave them the go ahead to finish installation in that area, but it took two months and many many calls to get them back out to install just 20 square feet of flooring.
The bottom line is that the front office is horrible. Calls aren't returned reliably and jobsite supervision is lacking - at least in the case of Mark Velez. When there are hiccups (as there usually are in construction), things aren't dealt with well. The attitude is one of annoyance rather than problem solving. The installers are good to work with and are clearly what is keeping this place productive. I'd give the installers and finishers 4 stars. I'd give the customer service and administration 0 stars.
The rest of the house has walnut dowels so the contract called out specifically to blend the new in with the old: "Supply install sand and finish 12 stair treads and upper landing to match floor. Upper landing to have walnut dowels and match existing top floor." When the job was complete, though, the new upper landing did not have any walnut dowels and thus did not match the existing top floor. It's right there in black and white and they failed to do it.
When I called Mark about it he was annoyed. He explained that walnut dowels are only used on end joints (true) because they were historically used to hide the fasteners and since the installers didn't install the top landing with any end joints, there was no need for the dowels. The problem here is that the installers didn't look at the original contract and Mark, as job supervisor, didn't point it out to them to make sure it was done correctly. Further, when talking to Mark about this it was clear that he didn't want to install the dowels as specified in the contract that he wrote up.
He was audibly annoyed and at one point I could hear him talking to someone else about "dealing with this walnut dowel bullshit." Another issue with the install came when moisture was discovered in the downstairs office area. Mark was less than helpful in recommending a solution for this and basically said we should contact someone else. While moisture mitigation isn't the area of expertise of a flooring contractor, it's something they should definitely be familiar with.
Even if they aren't, I think the attitude should be one of helping the customer instead of abandoning them after the carpet demo has been done. After the moisture hiccup they stopped work on the bottom landing of the stairs for fear of moisture migrating to that area. We gave them the go ahead to finish installation in that area, but it took two months and many many calls to get them back out to install just 20 square feet of flooring.
The bottom line is that the front office is horrible. Calls aren't returned reliably and jobsite supervision is lacking - at least in the case of Mark Velez. When there are hiccups (as there usually are in construction), things aren't dealt with well. The attitude is one of annoyance rather than problem solving. The installers are good to work with and are clearly what is keeping this place productive. I'd give the installers and finishers 4 stars. I'd give the customer service and administration 0 stars.
Matthew E.
Nov 22, 2013
Tulip was great. The crew was very courteous, clean and knowledgeable. Their pricing is spot on, and the quality of what we received is fantastic. The crew showed up on time, walked me through three different finish options and got the job done earlier than expected. Would I recommend them? Yes. Would I use them again? Oh yes. Will I use them again? Surely. Thanks again you guys for doing a killer job!
Kevin F.
Aug 10, 2013
We had a disappointing experience while attempting to work with Tulip. We recently closed on a new house (how exciting, right?!) and our one big investment was to switch from carpets to a hardwood floor. Last week, we met with 4 different vendors to solicit bids. In each case, we received a prospective contract in less than 48 hours of our meeting.
We made it clear that there was some urgency (we were motivated to move into our new home) but we had some flexibility to give us the best chance to get a floor we'd love for the next quarter century. For Tulip, we worked with Mark V. Our first impression was that they had a high attention to detail since Mark requested that we send him an email with all our thoughts/preferences ahead of our first meeting. Great, we sent him as many details as we had so that our time in person would be more productive.
We met last Friday when we did the walk through of the house and further refined our preferences. It was a productive conversation, but he suggested that we go into their warehouse in Berkeley on Saturday to lock in on our selection. He explicitly stated that we would have their estimate first thing on Monday morning. So on Saturday, we spent an hour with their color specialist in their warehouse.
He had 11+ years experience with Tulip and he was quite knowledgeable in helping define exactly what we wanted (wood, grade, prefab vs sand & place, color/stain, etc). Their specialist promised that we could have custom samples on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. We eagerly awaited for the estimate on Monday. Unfortunately, we didn't hear anything.
After waiting most of Tuesday, we finally reached back out to Mark to request their estimate so we could make a decision. He promised that we'd have their estimate the next day (wednesday) and also custom samples. Well. wednesday passed with no word from Mark or Tulip. Then Thursday slipped by with no word from them. And now Friday is done and calls to them go directly to their voicemail since it's after 5pm on a Friday. It's frustrating to think we were ready to invest $25 - $30k+ on a brand new hardwood floor for our home sweet home.
But instead we wasted an entire week that we could've started with one of our other vendors. And worse, they've made almost no attempt to make us feel like a wanted customer.
We made it clear that there was some urgency (we were motivated to move into our new home) but we had some flexibility to give us the best chance to get a floor we'd love for the next quarter century. For Tulip, we worked with Mark V. Our first impression was that they had a high attention to detail since Mark requested that we send him an email with all our thoughts/preferences ahead of our first meeting. Great, we sent him as many details as we had so that our time in person would be more productive.
We met last Friday when we did the walk through of the house and further refined our preferences. It was a productive conversation, but he suggested that we go into their warehouse in Berkeley on Saturday to lock in on our selection. He explicitly stated that we would have their estimate first thing on Monday morning. So on Saturday, we spent an hour with their color specialist in their warehouse.
He had 11+ years experience with Tulip and he was quite knowledgeable in helping define exactly what we wanted (wood, grade, prefab vs sand & place, color/stain, etc). Their specialist promised that we could have custom samples on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. We eagerly awaited for the estimate on Monday. Unfortunately, we didn't hear anything.
After waiting most of Tuesday, we finally reached back out to Mark to request their estimate so we could make a decision. He promised that we'd have their estimate the next day (wednesday) and also custom samples. Well. wednesday passed with no word from Mark or Tulip. Then Thursday slipped by with no word from them. And now Friday is done and calls to them go directly to their voicemail since it's after 5pm on a Friday. It's frustrating to think we were ready to invest $25 - $30k+ on a brand new hardwood floor for our home sweet home.
But instead we wasted an entire week that we could've started with one of our other vendors. And worse, they've made almost no attempt to make us feel like a wanted customer.
Giorgio E.
Sep 02, 2010
Tulip installed my new hardwood floor- white scraped oak, very unique. Excellent customer service, Avi - the owner - and his team are personable and still very professional. They did an amazing job, within budget and mostly important within the timeframe I asked. They were very patient with me throughout the wood selection process and very flexible in working the final price as well. The onsite crew was very respectful of the HOA rules (noise awareness, cleaning after themselves, security in the building), a very good experience!
Ann N.
Jul 27, 2009
Haha! I win again! The Hubs and I just bought a house, and had essentially decided to live with the scuffed hardwood floors for the time being and get the more practical repairs out of the way first. Then I started to think about having to move all of our furniture *again* in a few months, and having to deal with the dust and hassle smell of having floors sanded and stained while we were trying to live there.
It took me to unhappy places. So I freaked the Hubs out completely by suggesting that we push out our moving schedule and get the floors redone first. After I calmed him down, we compromised and decided to at least get quotes so we could make an informed decision about when we should do our floors. We got a recommendation from a friend, I call them and next thing you know, Tulip sends a guy over, spends 10 minutes answering our questions, another 5-10 measuring (I drooled over his nifty laser measuring tool), and voila we had a quote in this handy folder with information on their policies and procedures.
Very thorough! The hubs is now so not freaked, and seeing the wisdom of my demanding ways. Tulip actually recommends that we shop around, but we're go with our gut folks, and we book them without talking to any other vendors. To make a short and sweet story even shorter and sweeter: Tulip arrived exactly on time the first day, they always called exactly when they said they would, finished 3 whole days sooner than they originally told us they would (managed to complete two coats on the second day, and worked one weekend day for a small additional cost per our request), and their work is flawless.
They warned us of possible residual dust after they finished their job, but we swear our house is cleaner than when they started. The whole process took 19 days from when I first called, to when they handed our keys back to us. That's pretty much whiplash speed for home owner stuffs. Thanks, Tulip, for showing the Hubs that the little woman knows what she's talking about.
It took me to unhappy places. So I freaked the Hubs out completely by suggesting that we push out our moving schedule and get the floors redone first. After I calmed him down, we compromised and decided to at least get quotes so we could make an informed decision about when we should do our floors. We got a recommendation from a friend, I call them and next thing you know, Tulip sends a guy over, spends 10 minutes answering our questions, another 5-10 measuring (I drooled over his nifty laser measuring tool), and voila we had a quote in this handy folder with information on their policies and procedures.
Very thorough! The hubs is now so not freaked, and seeing the wisdom of my demanding ways. Tulip actually recommends that we shop around, but we're go with our gut folks, and we book them without talking to any other vendors. To make a short and sweet story even shorter and sweeter: Tulip arrived exactly on time the first day, they always called exactly when they said they would, finished 3 whole days sooner than they originally told us they would (managed to complete two coats on the second day, and worked one weekend day for a small additional cost per our request), and their work is flawless.
They warned us of possible residual dust after they finished their job, but we swear our house is cleaner than when they started. The whole process took 19 days from when I first called, to when they handed our keys back to us. That's pretty much whiplash speed for home owner stuffs. Thanks, Tulip, for showing the Hubs that the little woman knows what she's talking about.
