Alla Prima reads as a layered, painterly color, its name borrowed from the wet-on-wet oil technique, and that layering shows up as visible depth rather than a single flat tone. White oak underneath keeps that depth cool, since straight, tight-grained white oak resists the warm amber cast that runs through so many domestic species. Shaw wire-brushes the Expressions plank and holds the UV-cured aluminum oxide topcoat at a matte 7% gloss, so the brushed texture carries the light instead of the finish. With an Extremely High character rating, Alla Prima pushes further than most of the collection, knots, mineral streaking and sapwood showing up on nearly every board. No two boards match.
Alla Prima's layered, cool tone fits a coastal cottage living area especially well, paired with rift-sawn walnut cabinetry, a dusty rose wall, Danby marble surfaces and brushed brass hardware that all pick up its undertone rather than clash with it. A cottage that gets decades of use, sandy feet, salt air, the occasional dog, needs a floor built for the long haul, and this Expressions engineered hardwood carries a 4.0 millimeter wear layer, the thickest veneer in the lineup. That thickness leaves room for more than one full sand-and-refinish over the floor's life, so a future owner isn't limited to a single restoration the way a thinner veneer would force. It can be refinished more than once.
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Shaw Expressions SW707-01094 Alla Prima 7.50" x Random Lengths up to 74.8" Engineered Brushed White Oak Hardwood Flooring (23.31 SF/Box)