From the Floors Up

Decorating with Blonde Woods

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As with any other trend, wood floors and cabinetry go in and out of color trends. For a number of years dark cabinets and floors have been the favorite tones and types of wood for the home. Painted cabinetry comes in and out of style and trend as well.  Lighter wood tones on floors and cabinets are due for a return to popularity. It is just a matter of time now that the pendulum has swung over to the dark tones before it will return to the light.

 

Birch, ash, beech and maple are all naturally pale woods. These woods are favorites of Scandinavian design which favors lighter wood tones and colors.  Other woods like pine and oak can come in lighter shades or be stained with a white wash to make them as pale as possible. Light woods with tons of grey can recalled sun and salt water bleached driftwood, making them perfect for coastal style.

 

This picture illustrates how blonde woods can be used together to create an interesting and stylish design. The heavily figured wood on the chair backs adds pattern to the overall neutral space. Blond woods on table tops, the banquette, shelves and the room divider help unify the seating around. Pairing blond woods with pale neutrals creates an open and airy design.  Accents in darker wood tones or color can easily be added to such a neutral design. A few touches of black on the chair legs and table bases ground the overall pale palette.

Light Colored Floors

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A big design trend of the past few years has been deep, dark stained wood floors. Ebony floors can be found in homes that range from traditional to contemporary and everything in between.  On the opposite end of the spectrum from these super dark floors are ultra-light wood floors.  Pale woods like beech and ash as well as floors that have been lime stained or painted white are showing up on blogs and in design magazines.  Lime stained floors have a white, almost light gray look to the wood that recalls Scandinavian style and works well with both traditional and contemporary styles.

These light floors work well with contemporary and modern spaces in homes, apartments and lofts. This living room features very pale wood floors that perfectly suit the all white furniture scheme. The textured area rug helps break up the smooth surface of the floor.  Texture is important in monochrome or neutral spaces that don’t rely on colors for interest.  Sisal or jute would also bring texture to the floor without adding too much pattern or additional color.  Having just a pop of color in a throw on the sofa doesn’t take away from the white floors or furniture.

Lighter floors can be a bonus because they don’t show as much dirt as dark wood floors.  This is good if you have a pet or kids who track in dirt from outside.  With any flooring choice, wall colors and other features in the room should be taken into consideration to make the best choice.

Let Your Small Kitchen Sparkle

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When a small kitchen sits to one side of an open living space, the general tendency is to hide it with neutrals. This kitchen breaks that rule and the design decision works.

Red cabinets grab and hold the eye when you first look at this kitchen, but there’s more happening than red. White, silver and green with touches of yellow also help this kitchen to stand out.

The extensive use of white keeps the red cabinets from overwhelming the space. White and silver are the only other tones that play permanent roles in the space, and silver is the unifying element. If you count, there are nine stainless features in this kitchen, scattered throughout, particularly around the boundaries.

Ebony wood flooring always works well with a contemporary environment. Its rich dark tones support the other color choices while grounding the room. This choice will also work well in the rest of the living space due to its versatility and automatic style.

The plant styles and positions are cleverly planned to add another color and also as a connecting feature. At first glance, the vases of greens above the sink appear to be an image or perhaps a tile backsplash. In reality, they are real plants set in an opening over the sink. The consistency of size, material and spacing turn houseplants into art. You can do the same thing if you use the same vases or pots and space them evenly.

Altogether, this kitchen invites you to cook, despite its small space. What can you do to your own kitchen – of any size – to add to its warmth and charm?

 

 

Flooring Favorites from Boen

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The Boen Floor Studio offers floors that feel modern and natural.  Grouped by shade, from lights to deep dark stains, Boen hardwood floors come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and sizes.  We had so many favorites we decided to just share what we love about each of the collections.

The Nordic Light Collection focuses on light floors that recall summer days.  Paired with strong, fresh colors or blues and whites favored by Scandinavian design, these floors can feel modern or traditional. We love the birch floors with their natural, dark flecks.

The Natural Feeling Collection features warm, golden toned floors. A golden toned floor works well with natural colors, earth tones, stone, leather and natural linens for a relaxed, inviting space. The Doussie wood floors, from Africa, are a light brown mixed with a pale straw color with well defined pattern from the heartwood.

Beautiful Shade Collection offers dark wood floors which are a hot trend in design. Boen offers a range of warm tones to ebonies to fit traditional to very contemporary designs. The Smoked Oak is one of our favorites. It is created by exposing oak timber to ammonia vapor, which turns it black throughout the wood.

My Dreams Collection has four groups: Stonewashed, Patterned Floors, Boen Chalet and Solid Oak Plank. We love the reclaimed wood feeling of the Stonewashed floors.

Maritime World Collection was inspired by the Scandinavian boat building tradition which gives these floors a distinct maritime feeling. You can even opt to have the wood pegs at every joint. Love this look!

Shaw Floors Chosen by House Beautiful: Kitchen of the Year

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Shaw Floors has been chosen by House Beautiful magazine for its fourth annual “Kitchen of the Year.”

As the flooring sponsor, the kitchen will feature Shaw’s Grand Canyon, a hardwood style made from 100% post-industrial wood byproducts.

The design reflects Tyler Florence’s vision of the kitchen as “the new American living room,” incorporating his concepts of family, cooking, entertaining, comfort, design and heritage.

This year’s Kitchen of the Year will be held in conjunction with “Tastes of Summer,” an outdoor food festival that features samples from Rockefeller Center’s most popular restaurants.

Thanks for FloorDaily.net for supplying this article!

About House Beautiful

House Beautiful (www.housebeautiful.com) is a leading authority on American home design and decoration, reaching more than seven million readers every month. Founded in 1896, House Beautiful is the oldest continuously published shelter magazine in the United States. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with House Beautiful mobile (m.housebeautiful.com). In addition to its U.S. flagship, House Beautiful publishes two editions around the world. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation’s largest diversified communications companies with interests in magazines, newspapers, digital media, business media and television.

About Shaw

Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $5 billion in annual sales and approximately 31,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and cradle to cradle design solutions, collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawfloors.com.

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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