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Sonoma

Kamloops Home Tour with Cristalee Brinkworth, Clay & Oak Design, May 2023

Cristalee Brinkworth, founder of Clay & Oak Design, recently welcomed CRAFT to explore her latest home interior project in Kamloops, BC. We discussed her passion for designing authentic and inspired homes, and saw first-hand Cristalee’s holistic perspective infused into every facet of a beautiful, large new rancher.

A CRAFT Sonoma floor sets a foundation of timeless elegance for the texture-rich interior.

CRISTALEE: The holistic approach is huge for us. We take a holistic approach to the entirety of the home so that we’re blending the indoor and outdoor environments visually.

This newly constructed home is located along the South Thompson River in Kamloops, surrounded by wide-open grasslands, sagebrush and ponderosa pine forests. The area is blessed with many beautiful lakes and rivers, sandstone canyons, and exceptionally striking time-chiseled hoodoos, on the north slope behind the home shown here at right.

Q: You mentioned you’ve developed a strong appreciation for local and expertly crafted finishes, and that natural materials are close to your heart. How did you cultivate the vibe of this home’s living spaces?

A: What most inspires me is the context I get from the client. This determines the direction and the actual structure itself. Moving beyond that, I tend to look to designers that I admire, and how they approach their designs and their aesthetics.

I also hone in on my own Clay & Oak aesthetic. I’m influenced mostly by my surroundings, and if that be the landscape, then I always take cues from that. I feel it’s important to have a seamless transition in the environment, so its not shocking to your senses as you move between environments throughout the day.

Q: What are your top priorities and values when designing homes that meet both your clients’ standards and your own?

A: I think the biggest factor for me is that it be ‘Custom’ in the sense that it doesn’t look like everything else that’s being designed in the mainstream.

The holistic approach is huge for us, having a holistic approach to the entirety of the home blends your environments visually, so it feels like the same environment but there’s always a little bit of a difference so it doesn’t become too mundane. I really like to try as hard as I can to have our designs come out looking as sophisticated but not pretentious in appearance. So you feel like you can work in it and live in it and not be afraid to do so.

Q: How do you view the role of flooring in your designs?

A: Because it’s such a huge investment it’s important because you not going to be replacing it anytime soon. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t replace anything in a home for a very, very long time.

The floor is being used more than any other finish in a house. You’re walking on it constantly, so having something that is durable, natural, and will stand the test of time is essential. When it’s outlived its years it’s not a detriment to the environment because it’s made of a renewable resource, not plastic or petroleum based materials.

The healthy house issue

Q: Sustainability is important, what do you bring to your clients in regards to the materials you specify?

A: The term sustainability can be used so loosely in marketing purposes and branding so much of the time; it seems to get misused. I try really hard to come at is as a really simple timeless approach that is the simple natural materials will always be the better more responsible choice for a home, and educate our clients on products that we think will be the most responsible to use for their situation. Wood is a natural material and will age naturally, unlike laminate. At the end of the day when you have to get rid of it it’s not going to have as much of a footprint on our environment as manmade materials.

Growing up rurally in the Kamloops area, Cristalee developed a strong appreciation for local and expertly crafted finishes. Cristalee holds dear to the craftsman’s stories of their trade and thrives on their expertise to develop ideas for her projects.

“I’m obsessed with natural materials. They age beautifully just like humans.” -Cristalee Brinkworth

Q: Do you remember your ‘first meeting’ or introduction to CRAFT?

A: I initially discovered CRAFT at a local flooring dealer, and shortly afterward, I was contacted by Brandon Merchant, the local CRAFT representative. Brandon made it easy to establish a productive relationship, always reaching out and making life so much easier.

CRISTALEE:(Cont’d) When I first saw the flooring from CRAFT, I felt relieved to have access to such high-quality options. The depth and finish of CRAFT floors surpass those of other brands. The staining and DuRa MATTE finish give the floors a natural look with incredible depth, ensuring they don’t appear flat under different lighting conditions. This is not often the case with other flooring options that tend to look like painted finishes, which is not desirable.

Q: Why did you choose CRAFT Sonoma Oak for this home?

A: With this project I went to CRAFT right away, and it was just narrowing down the selection that worked with the overall palette and character of the home. Not too rustic, not too modern, some character, some texture, good livability, and just what will tie in with the rest of the finishes well.


Q: Which additional CRAFT Design elements are in this home?

A: 30% LongCRAFT, and stair nose. Because the home is so continuous and long thru the main floor I just knew that we would have to have the LongCRAFT pieces of all 10-foot lengths to mix in in and draw the eye thru.

Behind the scenes in the making of a CRAFT SONOMA floor:

Sonoma floors are made from CRAFT Natural Grade white oak, specially selected to limit excessive colour variation while highlighting some of the wood’s natural characteristics. The wide and long planks of Sonoma feature artful details, including ample stretches of clear grain and, occasional natural figure patterns.

For all its natural good looks, Sonoma is made with North American White Oak and a 100% certified-sustainable Canadian Spruce wood core, and Red List Free Glues and Coatings. Review our higher standards.

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CRISTALEE: “It’s not just the functionality of the home that’s important, it’s the livability, so not being worried about nicking the floor, or chipping the countertops, so it looks beautiful as it ages.”

Q: Can you give examples of how you source materials that meet your criteria for durability?

A: Finding materials that meet both durability and aesthetic requirements can can be a little tricky because budgets are always going to play in as a factor.

The status quo with a lot of clients is they want their durability so it’s very hard to convince a client to appreciate aging of a home with authentic materials VS just a more durable made-made material.

The touch test:

CRISTALEE: For example, this ensuite’s porcelain floor looks like chipped slate. It’s not too stark, it has a ‘real’ texture to it. I will never ever source a material unless I can feel it with my hands.

There are certain criteria, for example with ‘matte’ finish floor tile –you just know that if you walking on it, especially with socks, that it’s going to drive you nuts because it’s too grippy, or sandpapery. So it has to pass the actual touch test.

CRISTALEE: (Cont’d) Because there’s a lot of materials out there that look beautiful, but when you touch them, you know that they are not going to wear well in the home, or are going to cause a lot of issues.

For example, shower tile –showers get used, and they get cleaned, and they being cleaned with cloths, and if the showers matte tile has that chalky grippy texture to it you just know its not going to be a good fit.

Learn More about: Cristalee Brinkworth, founder and principal of Clay and Oak Design.

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