Boy, am I glad I found this website! So I have a basic design question I am hoping for input on. Although I am handy with tools, design is not my forte! Any help in that area would be welcome even if just to provide books or websites to refer to (I don't want anyone to feel they are giving away their trade secrets). So here's the generals....we have a 2-story great room (slant ceiling angling up from W to E) covered in what appears to be cedar plank (5 inch width, running N to S). Ceiling is reddish with fairly prominent knots). Room is about 20 by 20 with a kitchen off the northeast and dining room off the northwest corner (open floor plan) and a bank of french doors along the west wall. So, I am looking at knotty pine or possibly australian cypress but should I make sure to orient the boards N to S as well? Also, I am debating putting tile in the dining room (I will tile the kitchen) because it has similar cedar plank along its east wall covering to the floor and I am scared of the match (or lack of it). Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

DVMMom (Martha I ain't )

Unfortunately the floor joist direction is going to determine the direction you should take the wood. You should cross the joists by at least a 45 degree angle. Most are put in 90 degrees to the joists, and considering the rustic looking species you are looking at, 45 degrees would look odd.

thanks for the reply. Dumb newbie question, huh . Joists run E to W so I guess N to S is the best bet, which matches the ceiling. Given the wood on the ceiling, I may just run straight runs, but I guess all the pics on the site got me thinking fancy!! This would be my first floor so best to just go with a basic design, I was just hoping to jazz up the design a bit!