From the Floors Up

Modern Flooring Trends

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Are you now in the process of building your dream home? Are you thinking of giving your house a whole new look but do not know where to start? Well, here’s an idea. Did you know that changing your floors can do wonders for home? If you are contemplating on giving it a modern feel through your floors, read on and find out what’s trending on modern floors.

Hardwood:  It’s a very great choice for modern floors. There is a wide variety of plank sizes and colors to choose from. However, the trend today leans toward wider planks with darker and elegant colors. Although the traditional hardwoods like teak, walnut, mahogany, cherry, birch and oak are still popular options. You can also go for the distressed and hand scraped ones. Surprisingly, even exotic choices are great. If you want to go with the green revolution, you can opt for those salvaged hardwoods.

Carpet: It actually never goes out of style. They give a luxurious and comforting feeling to any room. However, unlike hardwood floors, you need to choose more neutral and earth tone colors for your carpet. Many modern homes use hardwood flooring in all rooms except the bedrooms or den where carpet feels wonderful underfoot.

Today’s Patterned Carpet

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In the world of flooring, neutral colors dominate most carpet and hard surface flooring like woods, laminates, stone and tile.  While there are some homeowners and decorators who choose to do bright or deep colors for their carpet and flooring, the majority of us stick to the steadfast idea that neutral is best. You can always add bold color with an area rug or throw rug.

Neutral carpet is a builder’s favorite because it sets the tone for personalization on the walls and furnishings. But neutral carpet doesn’t have to all be the same type.  In fact, a trend for carpet right now is patterned like the one pictured here.  Low pile with a subtle texture can bring added life to a neutral carpet.  Geometrics, subtle stripes, dots and even vines add interest and texture to carpeting without adding color. Even more traditional Berber carpets have a subtle dot pattern that adds visual interest. Keeping the color neutral allows these patterns to stand out more.

Carpet tiles are also allowing people to use patterned carpet in their homes without the commitment of installed wall to wall carpeting.  These carpet tiles can be arranged to create runners, area rugs and even room sized carpets.  Of course, for durability and comfort, an installed carpet with a good pad is worth the investment. Investing in a good quality, stain-resistant neutral colored carpet with a subtle pattern is a good idea for your home and its resale potential.  Neutral doesn’t have to be boring with great texture and patterns available in today’s carpets.

Traditional Dining Room Style

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Formal dining rooms often follow a pattern in their design. Many formal dining rooms have a traditional style even if the rest of the home is more casual and comfortable.  In many minds, the dining room should be formal and for many of us formal means traditional.  This is the room where we dress up for dinner and celebrate holidays and milestones.

Achieving a formal feel in the dining room is often done with traditional design elements and furnishings.  Even if your style is more modern, these traditional elements are the foundation of any formal dining room.  You can take the traditional elements and modernize them to suit your taste, but you’ll find that you use the same pieces as a traditional style dining room does.

The dining table is the focal point of the room. Surrounded by a set of four, six, or eight chairs, the table is centered in the room by a light fixture, most often a chandelier.  The chandelier is typically hung thirty-six inches above the table, low enough to relate to the table and high enough not to interfere with the sight lines from the chair.  Other pieces in a traditional dining room include a sideboard or buffet and often a mirror above it.

This dining room has all the classic elements of a traditional dining room. The large area rug ties in the artwork and the colors of the table and chairs.

Life’s Little Messes

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25714482_SCheese puffs on the rug, dirty paw prints on the wood floors, juice spilled on the sofa… life’s little messes can happen throughout the house, and they do on a daily basis.  Having the right flooring and upholstery can help make sure life’s little messes can be easily cleaned up.  The perfect house that is never dirty or the perfect sofa that never has popcorn between the cushions might exist somewhere, but for the majority of us, it isn’t a reality. Homes and rooms are meant to be lived in and enjoyed. So eat your cheese puffs and let the dog into the house.

When shopping for carpet or area rugs, look for materials that are stain-resistant. Ask about stain fighting properties when purchasing your carpet and rugs. Wool is a natural stain-resistant material because of the natural oils in the wool yarn. Other types of carpet and rugs may be engineered or treated to fight stains.  To hide stains and dirt, look for rugs with deeper colors and complicated patterns.

For new upholstered furniture purchases, ask about stain fighting properties in the different upholstery options.  Some retailers offer a stain protection plan that will protect your investment with professional treatment of stains. Using outdoor upholstery indoors is a smart idea if you have kids or pets. Outdoor fabrics are designed to withstand moisture and dirt more than delicate fabrics.

Messes happen. This is a fact of life. Choosing the right flooring and upholstery means the little messes are no big deal.

Decorating with Area Rugs

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There is no easier way to change a room quickly than by putting down an area rug. While some designers actually suggest picking your rug first and then choosing your furniture, not all of us have that option.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind while shopping for your carpet. If you have a family and pets, be sure to choose your color and material carefully. Wool rugs with a pattern are best to hide the signs of your active household. Area rugs should not cover an entire room. Be sure you keep at least a 12-inch border. Likewise all furniture does not need to be placed directly on the rug. Position just the front legs of your chairs and sofas to help anchor the carpet. Be daring and unexpected.

If you have a monochromatic room use a rug with a vibrant pattern or color as a visual surprise. Area rugs come in all sizes and shapes. Use the shape of the room as well as the shape of your furniture to help choose which rug would look best. Use round rugs under round tables, rectangular rugs for long tables and hexagonal rugs with square tables.

If you have a long narrow room, choose a long, narrow rug. Area rugs define space. If you have a very large room don’t be afraid to use two rugs. Just be sure that they complement each other.

If you have a very colorful or busy room (think patterns) a neutral area rug is best as it can tone down and bring unity to the space. Always use a non-skid pad under your area rugs. Pads should measure 2 inches smaller than the rug so that it won’t peek out but still allow your rug ends to lay flat. Excited to go rug shopping now? We have the rug for you!

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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