Okay, this is getting fun. Yesterday you selected (by an overwhelming margin, I might add) the flooring that will soon go in our beloved Lodge. Secretly, I think Option 1 had also been my preference, so I was relieved to see it take such a sweeping victory. Your advice and perspective also confirmed my concerns about pine, and I feel great about installing the solid, durable oak floor you chose. Thank you for making these decisions much easier for me. Well, I should say, thank you for making these decisions for me, period. For an indecisive nitwit like myself, I couldn’t be any more fortunate.
I do have one last matter, however, one that might not be so cut-and-dry. With this floor we (i.e. you) chose—quarter-sawn white oak, planed, distressed—we have the option of having it installed in widths ranging from 3″ to 8″, OR choosing just one width—say, 8″ wide planks. I like the random nature of the varied widths, but I’m wondering if using one width of wide plank throughout is more authentic? More ranchy? More raunchy?
I’m sorry, but I can’t type the word ranchy without then typing the word raunchy.
What do you think? Would you go for the varied widths and lengths? Or one width throughout? (Note: the wide planks would also be laid in a random, offset pattern.) Would love to hear your perspective, as the only experience I have with wide plank flooring is…well, I don’t have any.
Feel free to leave your thoughts/vote here in the Comments. Or, if you’d prefer to use the poll, it’s on the lefthand side of the Lodge Page.
Thank you again! Next week: KITCHEN. Don’t even think about leaving town, as you’ve got some important decisions to make.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
