"This collection conveys a connection to the natural world -- looking at things like pine needles, wheat fields, and acorns, adopting them into the color palette through tones and finishes that speak to the times in which we live." ~ David Senise, Spectrum Design Group

Pioneer Millworks Natural Expressions line is a collaboration with Rochester, NY-based interior designer David Senise. Gleaning its motivation from nature and applying that inspiration to contemporary design styles, the collection crafts a range of shades that run the gamut from light to dark and feature a range of details.

The color wheel of the outdoors doesn’t work in absolutes. It lives in beautiful shades, contrasts, and blends that elicit a feeling that only mother nature can express.

“I had used Pioneer Millworks on a number of other projects in the past, and their sister company New Energy Works was already involved in a project providing the heavy timber work, so it just seemed natural to approach Pioneer Millworks to develop a custom floor that would fit the space,” Senise says. “One thing led to another after that, and I found myself in Pioneer Millworks shop in Farmington New York designing the floor finish with the team. We spent a few days coming up with the look and format, then tested a few finishes, and eventually came up with what is now known as our Driftwood finish.”

What began as a singular experiment became a full-scale and natural collaboration. With Pioneer Millworks production capabilities, and David Sense’s eye for design working together resulted in a diverse collection that takes biophilic intent to a new place.

“That’s how the Natural Expressions Collection got started,” Senise recalls. “It was such an enjoyable and inspiring process to go through that it really opened the door to the idea of doing a full collection together. For me personally, developing this collection with Pioneer Millworks was a wonderful opportunity to create a more natural look and feel than other flooring options on the market and provide a truly modern palette for designers and homeowners to utilize that is also healthy and responsible.”

“For this collection we found a supplier that offers a base oil and a large number of separate individual pigments that truly allowed us to formulate specific, unique, and exclusive colors for the Natural Expression Collection based on David Senise’s design and vision,” says Pioneer Millworks production supervisor Chip Hormess.

Combining our technical expertise with the creative drive of Senise, the Pioneer Millworks team experimented and tweaked, refining colors through multiple processes until everyone was satisfied with the results. There was a modicum of trial and error, but a singular focus to bring Senise’s ideas to fruition in a way that would also increase the viability of the product line.

“Each of our twelve finish color options is achieved through a multi-step stain and finish process, but each one is a little different. At minimum, each board goes through our UV roll coater production line twice. The UV roll coater line applies a layer of finish to each board as it passes through the machine, evenly brushes it in, then cures it in the UV oven at the end,” says Hormess. This finish is UL Greenguard Gold certified, and it will not off-gas over time, making it the healthiest choice for indoor air quality. 

The Natural Expressions Collection is made right here in New York at our employee-owned mill in Farmington. The White Oak is domestic, not shipped in from Europe with a heavy carbon footprint. And this wide-plank Oak is FSC Chain-of-Custody Certified, ensuring it was grown and harvested in a way that preserves forest and soil health.

Pioneer Millworks sales manager Jered Slusser smiles as he says, “We want this collection to offer our customers a dynamic modern color palette with versatile installation options that once installed will last for generations.”

Hormess agrees, “We took our time to make this collection a reality, a lot of work and skill and effort went into these finishes, and seeing clients and coworkers respond to it so positively is truly rewarding. It was challenging, and it was difficult, but the results reflect all of our collective efforts, talents, and craftsmanship, and that really says it all.”