First, I asked builder Mark Franzoso, of Franzoso Contracting in Croton-on-Hudson, what “builder’s grade” means. “Never heard the term,” he said. “Any type of hardwood floor could be refinished, so it ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. At the start of a renovation project, many clients share a folder brimming with images to use as inspiration.