From the Floors Up

Choosing the Perfect Bathroom Tile

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When deciding to begin a bathroom remodel, we get excited to explore all the different ideas that can be incorporated. We look at countertops, sinks, cabinets, bathtubs, but most importantly, we look for the perfect tile. Tile is a timeless bathroom remedy that can functionally enhance the aesthetics of the the room. We generate a theme from what we have seen before and have liked. Maybe you saw a rustic design at a restaurant, or perhaps your friend’s house has a simply beautiful, all-white design. While we search through a plethora of Pinterest pins and available options in a store, you begin to form an idea of the direction you want your bathroom design to go. To help you guide you during your decision process, here are our top three rules to follow in choosing the perfect bathroom tile.

Design

The first step is that you will need to select a design style that is meaningful to you. Decide if you want dark or light tiles, ceramic or stone, a lot of character or simple, textured or smooth. Perhaps you want a patterned tile to be the focal point of the room. Try not to select more than three tile types in your bathroom. It’s not cost effective and as a general rule, too many styles can feel busy and chaotic. To make your design feel more uniform, you will want to pick a primary tile and secondary tile. Your other tile choices can be used for trim, accent, and added character throughout the room. Use accent tiles to create a dramatic effect or a custom look on the floor, in the shower, around the tub and even as the sink or tub splash.

Scale

If you are stuck on the size tile, consider the relative scale. If you select a 12×24, you can use it to accentuate the length of a room or give interest to the space. You can use more uniform and symmetrical options like 12×12, 16×16, 18×18 or 24×24 tiles if your bathroom has multiple fixtures to cut around in a small space. If you go with a larger tile, it can make a small room feel larger. Don’t be shy about using a large format tile in a small space, but be careful not to go too big in very small spaces, or it can look out of balance. Another general rule of thumb to consider is to never put larger tiles on the walls than the tiles on the floor.

Maintenance

Ask about the maintenance for different types of tile or stone. Be sure that the maintenance of the products aligns with your commitment to maintaining the product! Glass tiles are beautiful and can make great for accents but require a little more maintenance to keep them clean and bright. Look into some mosaic glass designs to add even more character in your showers or bath and only add a small amount of overall maintenance.

Picking the perfect tile can be fun. Trust your instinct, but do the math. Take the time to create a rough layout to make sure the size and pattern of the tile make sense for the layout of the space. Tile can be a significant investment so lean on the experts to help guide you. With these simple guidelines in mind, you are ready to create your bathroom that feels like your own personal sanctuary!

Ways to Use Patterns in Your Home

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Many designers use different elements to help create a well-balanced and aesthetically-pleasing space. While the design may seem to be somewhat subjective, these elements can help create some backbone to the science of creating your design. For instance, designers try to incorporate lines, space, forms, light, colors, textures, and patterns. In particular, using patterns in your home is a great way to create a uniform atmosphere. Patterns are used to visually connect non-similar items and allow them to communicate with one another. Repetition can draw attention and add a dramatic effect; however, there is more to patterns than just buying a polka dot throw pillow. To help, here are some great ways to use the element of patterns in your home:

Herringbone

Traditionally, we install flooring all running the same direction. For example, consider plank flooring systems; they may run all vertically down a hallway. However, some hardwood floors, tiles, and vinyl plank flooring choices can be installed in a herringbone pattern. This pattern is when every other board is facing a 90-degree angle from its adjacent board. It can help create a very visually-encapsulating design via your floors. Using a herringbone pattern can elevate the look of any space.

Textiles

Textiles are another area to add patterns. Think of two striped throw pillows lying on a bed. These two throw pillows can complement one another. However, now envision having window treatments with the same striped patterns on them. This now takes two separate areas of the room and allows them to communicate and complement each another. You can go a step further and add a rug to the room with the same stripes to help create a very well-balanced and uniform space.

Curvature of Furniture

With all of that being said, patterns do not need to be just polka dots, stripes, or repetition in geometrical shapes. The curvature of your furniture is another opportunity to create a pattern. If you have very square and boxy furniture, they can complement each other. Likewise, if you put round and curved furniture in a room, you should add more curvature to the design. A room with a circular window, circular table, and curved sectional will visually complement each other.

Artwork

Your artwork can also create patterns in unique ways. While placing a patterned picture on the wall is the easy way to create this, you can go a more advanced route. Consider the image in the picture. Perhaps, you have artwork of a garden. Now, if you add floral print pillows and curtains to your room, your picture will still flow with the pattern.

There are thousands of ways to explore patterns. Think outside the box and do not neglect this powerful tool when creating your home design. What are some of your favorite patterns to use? Let us know below in the comment section.

Expert Tips for Choosing Your New Floors

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The time has come and you are ready to replace the floors in your home.  After a lot of thought, you are prepared to transform your home. Before you begin, we recommend giving serious consideration to the rooms that you are going to be updated. Below, we have shared a few tips to help you get started. Let’s take a look!

Inspiration

Determine what style you love the most. Do you lean towards traditional, contemporary, transitional, industrial, eclectic, or maybe another design theme? If you are unsure, you can read design magazines, browse Pinterest, scroll through online boards and blogs, and attend home shows for inspiration. Also, consider visiting new home models that are open to the public. This is a great way to see everything new and current in today’s market.

Lifestyle and Function

Lifestyle and function are considerations that are most often overlooked! There are many factors to consider after…is it pretty? Are there children and pets in the home? Do you spend a lot of time outside? Do you have a pool? Is your yard grass, natural, sand, rock, or mulched areas? Think about the outside debris that is tracked inside of your home. Are you a clean freak or a hit and miss housekeeper? Does anyone in the home suffer from allergies or asthma? Once you gathered answers to these lifestyle questions, make sure you choose a floor that will withstand and last according to your household. If you are unfamiliar with the choices that match each type of lifestyle, no need to worry! We have an expert sales staff ready to answer any and all of your design questions.

Lighting 

Lighting, natural and artificial, affects everything in the home from flooring to paint to fabric and even furnishings! The best advice for choosing your flooring regarding lighting is to take samples home and lay them out on your floors. Take a look at how the sample looks in daylight and in the evening with interior lights. This will help with not only color, but with surface finish, and the texture of the floor. You will be surprised how much lighting can affect the overall look of your home!

We hope these tips help you make a more informed decision when it comes to your next flooring project. Remember to lean on the pros. Share information about your style and how you live. Then, shop and buy with confidence that you will have floors you will love for years to come.

Carpet Shopping Tips

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In the market for new carpet? Purchasing the right carpet involves so much more than just finding a style and color that you’re in love with. There are a number of important factors to consider.

It’s best to think through and do a little research on the options available to you before you head to your local flooring store. This will ensure that you feel confident with your choice.

When shopping for a carpet you must first think of function. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. In what room(s) will this carpet be installed?
  2. Does the room have heavy or light traffic?
  3. What types of messes, stains, spills will happen? Will I be able to keep up with the required maintenance?
  4. Will the carpet be installed near other types of flooring?
  5. Do vacuum marks make me feel like the room is clean or will it drive me crazy?

The answers to these questions are essential because it helps you determine how to move forward with your carpet selection.


There are literally hundreds of thousands of carpets featuring different colors, patterns, and styles that make the carpet selection process overwhelming. If you’re having trouble settling on a carpet, lean on the experts! Asking a qualified and experienced flooring retailer like us about all of the features and benefits of carpet that match up with your lifestyle!

Talk to your salesperson about how the room will be used, what types of activities will happen in the room and your budget. When you lean on the experts for help you get to focus on the fun part which is how the product feels and what color you like.

If the idea of choosing the right color is something you struggle with, bring in pillows, fabric or a photo of the area and choose a salesperson that you feel comfortable with them helping you choose the right color and style for your home.

Remember when you are looking at carpet, place the carpet on the floor where it will be. People tend to look at carpet up high on a table that’s close to their faces. Unless you plan to lay on the floor most of the time, this isn’t how you will see the carpet. Looking at carpet close to your face is about as useful as sitting on the edge of the mattress to get a feel of what it will be like to sleep on it lying down.

When looking at patterned carpet, walk back a few feet from the sample to get an idea of what the pattern will really look like. Ask about visualization software so you can see what the product will look like in a room scene.

When it comes to budgeting for carpet, a common thought is to get the cheapest thing you can and plan to change it out later.  If this is your thought process, we urge you to take a look at the reality of this actually happening. Then factor in the cost and the reality of moving all of the furniture out of your house, paying for all new carpet and labor and moving all of the furniture back in. If your budget allows for it, choose a higher quality carpet in the beginning, pay for installation once and don’t pay for moving furniture multiple times!


Ask questions! You should be well informed of the maintenance a carpet will require before you make the decision to buy it. Taking care of your carpet will help it last longer and stay beautiful.

We hope this advice helps you feel more comfortable and confident in your carpet shopping experience!

Five Advantages to Laminate Flooring

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So you are finally ready to update the flooring in your home. While new flooring can transform spaces, comparing flooring to determine what is best suited for your home can be a chore! If you’re interested in flooring that’s attractive yet affordable; laminate flooring may be a great option for you. Here are five reasons why.

  1. Super Durable

Perhaps the greatest feature of laminate flooring is its durability. Laminate has a tough exterior, with a special coating making it resistant to scratches and heavy impact. When compared to vinyl, hardwood and other types of flooring, quality laminate products can last much longer. The surface makes it ideal for homes that experience a lot of traffic like households with children and pets.

2. Style and Versatility

Laminate flooring can simulate the look of your favorite types of flooring including hardwood, stone and tile. Laminate is available in many different colors, styles and thickness giving you the opportunity to find a style that works for the style of your home. The variety of hues and patterns allow you to get a product that may be more durable than the product it is simulating, like a hardwood that is too soft for your household traffic.

Laminate floor products can be easy to install for experienced DIY-ers. They can be installed over pre-existing subfloors as well uninstalled when it’s time for an update. When doing it yourself, the simple installation process can save both time and money.

3. Affordable Pricing

Laminate floors are inexpensive when compared to some hardwood or tile and stone flooring products. There is laminate flooring available for every price range. You can choose a laminate floor that looks like a wood, tile or stone floor that would be outside of your budget if you bought the real thing. When shopping for laminate flooring, take note or ask questions about the different levels of quality in relation to pricing. When you take into consideration the longevity of laminate floor it is a great economical choice.

4. Easy Maintenance

Forget about the labor intensive cleaning methods with laminate floors! Laminate floors are easy to maintain. They can be cleaned with a daily sweeping, a damp cloth or simple cleaning solution and standard cleaning products as directed by the manufacturer.

5. Environmentally Friendly

Since laminate floors are derived from wood by wood products, that means that it doesn’t use harvested or endangered tree species. Because it is made from wood products, it is an ecologically low impact product. Unlike other types of flooring, laminate does not trap dust particles and other allergens.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about laminate flooring!

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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