When it came time to expand his flooring showroom, Michael Caroll, owner and operator of M P Caroll Hardwood in Buffalo, NY., had a vision to extend the existing clear maple flooring into an adjacent 12x14 room and embed a medallion as a focal point in the floor. He worked with Czar Floors, renowned for their expertise in technology-driven design, to create and install an oval medallion featuring eight wood species, including maple, ash, cherry, pear, white oak, kempas, merbau, and wenge.
Caroll selected a stunning medallion design from the Czar Floors catalogue, added strips of wenge to the perimeter of the design, and sent a sketch of his vision to Czar fabricators. From Caroll’s sketch, Czar made a scaled rendering and used their in-house laser design technology to manufacture the medallion. The fabricated floor arrived pre-cut and packaged. Caroll’s team of expert installers was able to install the intricate pattern with precision, seamlessly integrating it with a reverse perspective mitered pattern of clear maple. The pattern employed maple strips mitered outward combining four segments to form a graceful pattern around the periphery. The dark wenge border strikes a contrast with the surrounding maple field, further demarcating the medallion.
SPOTLIGHT ON: JATOBA / BRAZILIAN CHERRY
SPECIES: Hymenaea courbaril
ORIGIN: Central America, Southern Mexico, Northern South America, and the West Indies
COMMON APPLICATIONS: Flooring, fine furniture, cabinetry, architectural details, shipbuilding, joinery and turnery, and small specialty items.
CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE: Heartwood varies in color from a light orange-brown to dark reddish brown, sometimes with contrasting grayish brown streaks. Color tends to darken upon exposure to light. The sapwood is a light grayish yellow, clearly demarcated from the heartwood. Grain is typically interlocked, with a medium to coarse texture, and good natural luster.
JANKA HARDNESS SCALE: 2,690 lbf
COMMENTS: Jatoba bears little relation to the American cherry (Prunus serotina). Jatoba can be moderately difficult to work with because of its density and hardness. It can be machined to a smooth surface except when planing where tear-out occurs due to interlocking grain. Jatoba glues, stains, turns, finishes, and responds to steambending well.
Caroll’s long collaboration with Czar Floors demonstrates how technology can enhance traditional craftsmanship. The Czar Floors team used AutoCAD software to create a design. The design was then fed to a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine which precisely cut the wood mosaic pieces. Every piece was cut individually. “It is a very meticulous process,” according to Caroll. Some of the elements of this medallion were as tiny as kernels of corn.”
Installation of the 168-square-foot floor took five days—one day to glue down and four days to sand and finish—and he notes that it went together flawlessly with all eight species fitting together perfectly.
Of the eight species in the medallion, four were domestic and four were imports, with each species lending distinctive color and character to the piece.
Caroll says he especially enjoys working with exotic woods. “Exotics have a life of their own. Their grain patterns are artwork in themselves. I love to watch the wood come alive with that first coat of clear finish,” he said. Some of his favorites are Jatoba, Santos mahogany, and Cumaru. “As a wood-only company offering only hardwood flooring, our showroom is vital,” said Caroll. “It reflects the craftsmanship we offer and shows clients that every plank of wood is installed and treated properly.”
M P Caroll has been recognized twice before by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), first in 2012 in the Best Prefinished Floor category and again in 2014 in the Best Use of Technology. “We pride ourselves on being an elite company that can pull off anything in hardwood flooring. My roots are in woodworking, and I am determined to carry the real hardwood flooring flag forever,” Caroll said.
Learn more about why they won the 2025 Best Use in Technology Award, from the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
