My tips on various flooring options
for various rooms in your home…
Kitchens
The type of flooring you choose for your
kitchen is one of the most important
decisions you can make. Flooring can
have a big influence on the overall
look and feel of the most popular room
in the house when hosting. There are
many types of flooring that you can
choose from such as tile, hardwood,
stone and laminate.
Your choice of flooring should depend
on the type of environment you live in.
If you have children in the home, you
should look for a kitchen floor that can
easily resist spills. You should also
make sure that your flooring selection
can handle thousands of footsteps and
kitchen mishaps.
Many homeowners tend to make the mistake
of not giving enough thought to flooring
options. For instance flooring with light
or neutral tones creates an impression
of light and space. Stronger colors might
work in a small kitchen, but not in a
larger one.
When selecting kitchen flooring or backsplash
tile, it is a good idea to select something
that has elements of beauty and durability.
Flooring and backsplash tiles can accent
the counters, cabinets, and appliances.
When it comes to choosing materials be
sure to take into consideration both your
budget and lifestyle.
- Laminate kitchen flooring is popular
across the country and has a quick installation
time and is very durable.
- Bamboo kitchen flooring is made from
the fastest growing plant on earth and
is a beautiful and renewable resource.
- Cork floors are great in kitchens,
because they give and are easier on
the legs and stain resistant.
- Ceramic,
which is beautiful as well as sturdy,
can be used on floors, countertops and
backsplashes and is the ideal material
to clean up spills.
- Stone is a good choice if you are
looking to create a unique, beautiful
kitchen floor.
- Hardwood kitchen flooring lasts much
longer than many options and will increase
the value of your home the most.
Bedrooms
After the kitchen, the bedroom is the
most designed room in the house. Your
bedroom floor no longer has to be a
plain ordinary carpet. With a little
bit of imagination you can transform
a mediocre boring floor into a work
of art.
Many believe that the bedroom should
be a cozy and restful place. It’s
one room where bright colors are not recommended
because they aren’t exactly calming.
The colors best suited for bedrooms tend
to be the warm and neutral colors.
The first step in preparing your bedroom
interior design plan should be to choose
the fabric and the base wall color you
will use. Once the fabric and base color
is selected you’ll be better prepared
to select furniture and flooring that
matches. Flooring in your bedroom is an
important choice you will need to make.
Aside from carpet, laminate, wood and
bamboo are the most popular choices for
bedroom flooring.
Hardwood or laminate flooring is a great
choice for a bedroom. The look of wood
makes a room feel warmer and more welcoming,
which may be exactly the look that you
desire.
- Real wood makes your home feel more
alive. And it’s important that
the wood you use changes as you do.
Let your floor age and wear, this is
what makes wood such a warm material.
- Laminate is practical, clean, isn’t
too hard to lay, lasts for years and
isn’t that expensive. With laminate
flooring you can change the color of
your walls as many times as you like
without having to buy a new carpet to
match.
If you are not sure about the warmth
of wood on your bare feet in the morning,
then you can add a rug to keep your feet
warm. The options are endless in wood
flooring. You can even design your own
floor by choosing different woods and
arranging it in different and unique patterns.
Be creative and you will have a floor
that is the envy of others.
Natural stone tile may be an option that
you want to consider for your bedroom
floors. There are so many different types
and colors of stone that will go with
any kind of decor. Choose tile that flows
with the rest of your home and that makes
your bedroom feel like a sanctuary. Natural
stone tile flooring gives any room a more
expensive feel and a spa-like look. If
this is what you have in mind for your
room, then you will want to look at all
of the natural stone tile options that
are available. Mix and match colors and
be creative to create that custom look
that you desire.
Whichever bedroom flooring you choose,
keep in mind that you spend a large portion
of your life in the bedroom, and in the
end it is your most private personal space
so it should reflect this fact clearly.
Don’t choose flooring based on what
others are doing, but choose the flooring
for your bedroom based on what makes you
feel warm and secure.
Bathrooms
There are lots of options for your bathroom
design and each has its own pros and
cons. Picking the right bathroom product,
whether it be for the floor, tub-surround
or shower walls is a very important
decision and should be based on factors
such as safety, maintenance, and overall
theme of the bathroom. When designing
remember that “matching” is
not a style, just an old habit. Feel
free to really be bold, mix patterns
and experiment with texture.
When you are thinking about the design
of your bathroom you must also bear in
mind the flooring in the master bedroom.
You should ideally try to link the design
of your bathroom to your master bedroom
and hallway.
When choosing a vanity top you should
try to choose one which suits and compliments
the design of the bathroom and your house.
Floor & Decor offers beautiful vanity
tops at reasonable prices. Choosing material
for your floor, tub-surround and shower
is also very important and may options
exist that will not only make our bathroom
your oasis but most likely, your favorite
room in the house.
- Hardwood may be a more expensive option
but the mood and effect it sets to the
entire bathroom design makes it worth
the cost. When you opt for hardwood
floor, coat it with clear gloss sealant
to keep it watertight.
- Natural stones such as travertine
and marble create natural beauty that
is very durable and requires less maintenance.
However, stones in polished form can
be slippery when wet.
- Ceramic and porcelain tiles are the
most common option for tub-surrounds,
shower tile and bathroom flooring because
its impervious to water, extremely stain-resistant,
inexpensive, easy to install and replace,
very durable, hygienic, and has a vast
variety of sizes, colors and patterns.
Outdoor
The outdoor flooring you choose needs
to be easy to maintain and clean, as
well as durable. Flooring is one of the
most important features outside your
home because it is so visible. No matter
what type of furniture you have, if you
do not have appealing flooring, your outside
space will not look as elegant as you
want. The flooring must be able to withstand
the weight of the furniture you have and
the constant pulling and pushing that
you often do with patio chairs. Weather
is another factor to consider because
even though you may not use you outdoor
space during the winter, the flooring
is still exposed to the elements.
Slate, porcelain and granite are popular
outside flooring options. The pattern
you choose will affect the overall structure
of the space because before you install
the flooring you have to consider the
size of your outdoor area and where you
want to place railings, grills or planters.
- Both slate and porcelain make beautiful
additions to your outdoor landscape.
They might just be the thing you need
to update your existing look. Both slate
and porcelain add a sophisticated, natural
feel to outdoor living areas.
- Granite in exterior home use has the
best all round value for money, design,
durability and enduring style, according
to interior designers, engineers and
home decorators. This type of stone
has been a staple for good quality construction
and design, and used on opulent homes,
front porches and courtyards for centuries.
Green Products
There are many green types of flooring
now available. Today, home planners
have a range of choices when it comes
to biodegradable floors such as bamboo,
cork, or recycled wood. Flooring made
from recycled wood uses wood that has
been taken from old or disused buildings,
which is a smart way to recycle. Bamboo
flooring is a popular alternative to
laminate flooring. Bamboo comes in various
shapes, sizes and colors and can even
be dyed to suit the interior color themes
of a home. Bamboo is comparable to oak
in terms of its stability and dent resistance.
Cork is another great flooring option
and is far easier to grow back. Being
cultivated every 10 years, cork floors
have become increasingly popular in
kitchens because they give and are easier
on the legs.
Green flooring...
- Is usually a longer lasting option
than your conventional flooring
- Is safer for the occupants of the
home and the environment at large
- Is mostly possible to recycle and
does not contribute to landfills
- Leaves you feeling a sense of pride
in contributing to the environment
Choosing green flooring presents exciting
options for your environmentally friendly
home. Not only are these options resilient
and sturdy, but they are also not as prone
to price fluctuations as conventional
flooring options are. They come in various
shapes, sizes and colors. If it is a green
home you want, then the type of flooring
you opt for will make a significant difference
to enhance the value of your home and
minimize the impact on the environment.
New Trends
As time passes home trends come and go.
Whether you are shopping for a new home
or just looking for creative remodeling
ideas, be on the lookout for the following
new features in home construction and
remodeling:
- Hardwood Floors - Realtors overwhelmingly
agree that most buyers are looking for
hardwood floors. It is a safe bet that
wood flooring will never go out of style
and appeal to the majority of homebuyers.
Bamboo flooring is also a hot new “green” trend
that can give you a natural wood feel
without harming the environment.
- Fantastic Vanity Tops - Replacing
your vanity top is one of the easiest
and cheapest ways to make over any bathroom.
Most new homes are constructed with
chintzy vanity tops and give a cheap
feeling. Update your vanity top to add
a stylish new look to your bathroom.
- Quality Countertops - It’s really
all about slab granite countertops.
Everyone wants them, and everyone’s
getting them. Can’t afford them?
Not a problem. Floor & Decor
sells granite tiles that can give that
sleek and contemporary look to any kitchen.
Ceramic tile, marble and various stones
are also all the rage this year.
- Glass
Tile - A new design trend in kitchens
and baths is glass tile. Some of the
most popular applications are kitchen
backsplashes, bathroom shower and tub
surrounds, fireplaces, swimming pools,
and spas. It is not recommended to put
tiles onto a countertop because of all
of the grout lines where food can get
stuck. However certain glass tiles can
be used on floors. Glass tiles are available
in hundreds of colors including those
hard to find reds, oranges, and yellows.
There are also many sizes but by definition
they’re
usually no larger than 2”. Glass is
easy to clean, scratch resistant and will
add magnificent beauty to any room.
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