From the Floors Up

Show Your Floors Some Love!

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Spending time at home due to Covid and got some time on your hands? We’ve got some tips to help you show your floors some love. You’ll be surprised at what showing your floors some love can do for how you feel about your floors and the room they are in!

Give your floors a good clean.

Properly and thoroughly cleaning your floors can change the look and feel of an entire room. If you’ve got a stubborn stain that has become an eyesore, removing the stain can visually make the room feel completely different because the focus is no longer on the stain.

If the stain is too old to be removed and the room is a high traffic area or common place for stains, you might want to consider newer floors that are either lower maintenance or a different color that hides stains better.

Click here to see how to properly clean most any stain our of all types of flooring.

Rotate your area rugs.

Rotating your area rugs will help the rug wear and age evenly. Area rugs should be rotated annually unless they are in a heavy traffic area. In this case, they should be rotated twice a year. Rotating your area rugs will help hardwood floors that receive sunlight fade evenly. You’ll thank us later when it’s time to move or change the room and you’ve done the work to avoid uneven fading.

Add an area rug.

Don’t have an area rug? Adding an area rug can completely change the look of a room. Consider adding an area rug that introduces color to the room or a pattern that helps the room feel larger. Adding an area rug and a few decorative items can refresh a room and breathe new life into it!

Read this post on to get more ideas on decorating with area rugs.

Clear out the clutter from your door mats.

Dirt and other aggregates can collect in your doormats. Once enough dirt and debris collect in your mats, they no longer serve their purpose. The dirt and debris on top just gets carried into your home via your shoes as if you didn’t have one at all. If your doormats are work or too hard to clean, consider replacing them. Doormats have come a long way! There are doormats with cute and clever sayings on them as well as classy and decorative looks that are easy to maintain.

We hope these tips help you fall in love with your floors or your room again or at least give them a fresh feel!

Updating Your Space

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If you’re spending all of your time at home these days and find your interior spece is tired looking, we’ve got some tips for you! Don’t worry, you don’t have to redoecroate the entire space and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

Rearrange what you already have! Rearrange shelves, china cabinets and bookcases. Simply rearrange the items. Try adding or removing items to give your space a more updated look. Try turning items horizontally and vertically. Add items on top of stacked items. Introduce different textures. Consider adding items from other rooms that you wouldn’t normally consider in a particular cabinet or bookshelf. Have fun, get creative!

Re-evaluate your color palette. Are your colors outdated? Does your home feel too dark? Have your tastes changed? You may need to streamline your colors by using more neutrals with less pops of color. Maybe it’s time to introduce pops of color! Would a new area rug introducing new colors make your space feel different? Ask yourself how your current color palette makes you feel. If you don’t love it, start making changes to update your color palette to your current tastes.

Emphasize vertical lines. This will elongate your ceiling height and make your space feel larger. One way to achieve this is to hang mirrors vertically. Install drapery that hangs down to the floor. This will give the appearance of a higher ceiling and a polished look. Once hung, you can let the drapery hang naturally or use interesting tiebacks. This method can also be used for shower curtains to introduce a new look in the bathroom.

Get organized! If you have visual clutter, start working on finding a place for all of that clutter. For example, keep smaller items in decorative baskets or boxes or use a tray to keep television remotes together. Once you have organized clutter, your space will look updated and clean. You’ll be surprised at how much better your space looks after some decluttering!

Switch around your accents. Take a look at the accents in each room and try them out in different rooms or spaces. You already know you like the items so trying them out in a different room can give new life to something you already own. Try moving smaller tables from one room to another and see how they look. Swap out accent pillows and throws from one room to another. Move rugs around within the room. Play around with your furniture layout. This is a great way to achieve a fresh look!

Relocate your artwork. Hang new artwork or switch out artwork from one room to another. You might be surprised at how one piece of art can transform a room with different light or different surroundings.

The end result of these exercises is to breathe new life into a tired space. It is much easier to do than one would imagine. Have fun and think outside the box, then enjoy your new interior!

Home Check-Up List

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With how much time people are spending at home, we thought now would be a good time for a home check-up list. Here are five things you should do every year to ensure you’re running a well-oiled machine.

One: Replace the batteries in the smoke detector

Ever heard of the old adage “better than safe than sorry”? Yes, every year you should be switching out the old batteries in your smoke detector for new ones. Modern smoke detectors feature hard-wired backup batteries that must also be replaced. However, it doesn’t stop there. After trading batteries you should ensure that all the smoke detectors throughout the house are in working order.

In addition to the smoke detectors, you should also check your carbon monoxide detectors. Every year thousands of deaths occur due to faulty carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure you change the batteries at least every six months to a year.

Two: Inspect the chimney

Before you fire up your fireplace during the cold winter months you must fire perform a thorough inspection of your chimney. Make sure the gas logs are positioned correctly, look for cracks in the glass door and make sure the burner holes aren’t clogged.

Even when the fireplace is not in use it should be inspected because the chimney has dangerous gases that can be carried to the stove and that shouldn’t be inhaled. Be sure to clean it periodically or make an appointment to have it serviced by a professional.

Three: Gutters

Gutters that become clogged with leaves and other debris restrict the water from flowing easily preventing them from doing their job! This preventative maintenance will save you time and headaches down the road. If you aren’t comfortable on a ladder, hiring someone to do this for you will be worth it in the long run.

Four: Doors and windows

Before winter hits, you should perform an inspection of all the doors and windows in your home. Check for weather stripping around the front and back door. Look for cracks in the windows and tears on the screen. Checking for signs of wear around the window frame is important for safety issues.

Five: Rotate Area Rugs

If you have area rugs that get any exposure from the sun, you’ll want to rotate them to ensure that your rugs receive the same amount of sun exposure on each side for even fading. This is normal and natural for any material that receives exposure to sunlight. If your rugs are on top of hardwood floors, you will want to rotate your furniture where possible so that your hardwood floors receive the same amount of sun exposure for evenness as well.

We hope you find these tips useful in maintaining a healthy home. Take care of yourself and your home!

Refresh Your Home For Summer

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Whether you are looking to completely redecorate some rooms in your home or just spruce up what you have with something fresh for the summer season, there are plenty of easy ways to brighten up your home now that summer is here. Check out these tips below to refresh the look of your home this summer.

Refresh a small powder room by painting an accent wall a bright summery color. Try a matte teal or pale yellow to offset the other white or cream-colored walls. Accessorize the bathroom with a matching soap dispenser and new towels. If you have any wall-worthy paintings from your kids, consider framing their artwork and hanging it on the accent wall.

Add a pop of color to your sunroom, back patio or foyer by adding accent pillows to the furniture in each respective area. Grab some coral, yellow or green throw pillows for the sunroom and foyer. Get weatherproof pillows for your outside furniture.

If you are able to go to the farmer’s market, pick up fresh flowers for your home. Add a large vase of flowers to your entryway, your kitchen island and your dinner table. Fresh flowers really bring in color and fresh scent to make your home feel clean and welcoming.

If your home’s bedrooms have dark curtains or heavy drapes, try refreshing their look with something lighter. Add light-colored curtains to drape over your windows or try making a window treatment with light, beach home-like fabrics, such as linen.

Feeling adventurous? Sand and repaint a piece of furniture! It could be an old desk or dresser or a chair or table. Sand off the old finish from the piece of furniture and clean well. Then, paint a bright color or a chic, clean eggshell white. Allow to dry and it will surely brighten up the room it was in before.

Hopefully, some of these tips will help give you a fresh look for summer or just give you something new and cheery to look at if you’re stuck at home. Have fun! We’d love to see your projects!

Create Your Own Reading Nook

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After a long and tiring day at work, wouldn’t it be nice to find a spot in your home where you can just curl up, relax and read a good book? If you’re thinking, “Yes!” then it’s high time you created a comfy reading nook all your own.

Creating a reading nook isn’t difficult. All you need is a small unused space in your home, a comfy chair, an ottoman, a bookcase and a small table accented with a plush area rug and a reading lamp and you are good to go. Oh, and don’t forget the latest book you can’t put down!

First, find a perfect spot in your home where you think you can relax. It can be in a corner of your bedroom, beside a window where you have a relaxing view, or wherever you would be comfortable. It doesn’t matter which area you choose so much as it does making sure it is away from any noise. This will make for a very relaxing experience and keep you deeply engulfed in your reading.

Once you’ve selected the spot, it’s time to accessorize your nook. First, define the space by putting a plush area rug underfoot. Selecting the right area rug can set the mood for your nook so make sure that you select a pattern and texture that is relaxing and comfy.

Then place a comfy chair or chaise atop the rug. Make sure your seating is comfortable, so you can enjoy spending hours there with the company of your good book.

Good lighting should also be a part of your list when creating your reading nook. You don’t want to have a headache from reading due to poor lighting. Choose one that casts a sufficient glow for reading comfortably without being too dim or too bright.

And lastly, place a table or bookcase where you can put and organize your books and your cup of coffee.

Any book lover dreams of having a place where they can escape and a cozy reading nook can make it a reality.

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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