In today’s luxury real estate market, second homes are no longer just weekend retreats - they’re meaningful investments in lifestyle and wellbeing. Homeowners now expect their vacation residences to provide the same level of luxury, functionality, and health benefits as their primary homes, if not more.
At Sesshu Design, we’ve seen this evolution firsthand. Through thoughtful material selection and wellness-driven design, a vacation home can become more than a beautiful escape. It can be a sanctuary that rejuvenates body, mind, and spirit.
Wood flooring stands out as a natural fit for these elevated spaces, adding warmth and sophistication while supporting our core commitment to sustainability. We exclusively select sustainably harvested woods with low- or zero-VOC finishes, ensuring your home is as healthy as it is beautiful.
Our signature philosophy at Sesshu Design centers on creating deeper connections to nature through intentional patterns, colors, materials, and styles, a fundamental aspect of our WELL Designed Homes methodology. Projects like our Scottsdale contemporary home and Desert horse property exemplify this biophilic approach, where materials, views, and organic patterns work in harmony to create spaces that feel inherently right.
Our message is simple: Sesshu Design's approach makes homes more livable and comfortable, with biophilic design serving as a cornerstone of that vision.
Most clients are initially drawn to wood floors for their undeniable beauty. They trust us to ensure these materials also support health and sustainability—aspects that become increasingly important as they learn more about biophilic design principles.
When it comes to healthy finishes, wax or oil treatments represent the gold standard. In our Tahoe project, we utilized Mafi floors, which feature only natural balsam oil, considered the ultimate in healthy wood finishes. These treatments allow the wood to breathe naturally while providing necessary protection.
We often encounter hesitation about engineered wood floors, with clients concerned they're choosing a synthetic alternative. Part of our role involves education: engineered floors are indeed real wood, but constructed in layers to prevent common issues like warping, cupping, and twisting that can occur in solid hardwood installations, especially in vacation homes that may experience periods of vacancy with fluctuating climate conditions.
Mafi's unique three-layer approach deserves special mention. Unlike conventional engineered floors, Mafi uses the same wood species for both the top and bottom layers, with a middle core running perpendicular to provide stability. This symmetrical construction eliminates the common problem of uneven expansion and contraction, ensuring exceptional stability in even the most challenging environments.
Beyond aesthetics, biophilic flooring delivers practical benefits that vacation homeowners particularly appreciate:
Our recent projects showcase how biophilic flooring choices can transform vacation homes across diverse environments, each with unique challenges and opportunities.
Perched on a hillside overlooking Lake Tahoe and surrounded by majestic pines, this mountain retreat built in the late ‘90s needed a comprehensive refresh to match its breathtaking setting. We replaced all Berber carpeting with Mafi all-natural European wood flooring—specifically recommended for its ability to withstand significant snow, dramatic temperature swings, and humidity fluctuations common to the area.
The three-layer construction provides exceptional stability, while the natural oil finish creates a surface that isn't slippery when wet—a crucial safety feature where snow and water are regularly tracked indoors. Unlike conventional sealed wood floors, Mafi's natural oil finish allows the wood to breathe, supporting healthy indoor air quality by avoiding off-gassing associated with polyurethane finishes.
One of the most surprising aspects for our clients is learning that these floors actually "love" water, making them suitable for entries and even bathrooms. Years after installation, the flooring continues to look and perform flawlessly, with straightforward maintenance that maintains the protective oil layer. The authentic wood grain creates visual interest while maintaining a sense of calm—exactly what our clients seek in their mountain retreat.
This contemporary home in Scottsdale was designed with wellness as a primary focus. The clients sought a space that would support their active lifestyle while providing a serene retreat from their demanding professional lives.
We selected white oak flooring to add essential warmth to the predominantly white and blue palette. In the loft and exercise room, we introduced cork flooring to address specific functional needs while maintaining our biophilic approach.
The white oak keeps the space light, fresh, and inviting—particularly important in a desert environment where heat can feel oppressive. The cork provides a softer surface with excellent sound absorption properties, creating an ideal environment for exercise and relaxation.
Both flooring choices feature natural oil and wax finishes with low VOC content, ensuring they're non-toxic and safe for our wellness-conscious clients. These materials support the home's overall connection to nature, bringing organic elements indoors in a sophisticated, contemporary way.
Located in the rural desert between Scottsdale and Rio Verde, this property celebrates its natural setting with native plants and regular visits from desert animals. With minimal grass and maximum respect for the desert ecosystem, the home serves as headquarters for an active family with a dog, horses, goats, and frequent visits from grandchildren.
For this high-activity home, we selected a medium-toned European oak flooring known for its exceptional durability and practicality. To define walkways and seating areas, we incorporated wool rugs that add texture and color while serving important functional purposes.
The medium tone proves remarkably forgiving for the inevitable dust and tracks that come with desert living and animal companions, while the oak's natural hardness resists scratches from paws and boots. The wool rugs cushion footsteps, reduce noise, and are surprisingly easy to clean despite their light appearance.
We selected organic patterns that evoke clouds, canyons, water, and raindrops—elements that create a subconscious connection to nature. The color palette complements the desert surroundings without mimicking them directly, creating a harmonious transition between indoors and out.
The family frequently comments on the soothing qualities of their home, noting how the colors, patterns, and materials create a sense of belonging within their surroundings. Rather than fighting against the desert setting, the design embraces it, creating a home that feels right for both the location and the lifestyle.
We've observed a significant shift in client requests toward wellness-supportive homes—a trend that accelerated dramatically during the COVID pandemic. As people spent more time in their homes, they became increasingly aware of how their surroundings affected their physical and mental wellbeing.
This awareness has driven a movement toward wood floors that create nurturing, comforting environments. Many clients are moving away from cold, sterile tile floors in favor of the warmth and character that wood provides. Similarly, natural fiber rugs are replacing synthetic alternatives as homeowners recognize both the aesthetic and health benefits of these materials.
As designers, we see our role as both educators and stewards, guiding clients to balance their personal priorities with broader environmental needs. At Sesshu Design, we're committed to this stewardship, believing firmly that what's good for people is ultimately better for the planet as well.
If you're considering incorporating biophilic flooring into your vacation home, consider these practical guidelines:
Your home is your sanctuary. With thoughtful design, it can be a source of renewal, inspiration, and connection to nature every day. The flooring beneath your feet represents one of the most significant opportunities to bring biophilic principles into your living spaces, creating environments that support both physical health and emotional well-being.
At Sesshu Design, we're passionate about creating homes that nurture their inhabitants while respecting our planet. We invite you to schedule a consultation to discuss how your home can better support wellness and sustainability through thoughtful material selection and biophilic design principles.
Schedule your Discovery Call today to explore how we can bring your WELL Designed™ home to life.