From the Floors Up

5 Remodeling Projects To Take On Before the Holiday

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Is your list of home improvement projects piling up? If you plan on hosting guests in your home during the holiday season you no doubt want it to look its best. Since it can be a huge challenge to get everything done in the nick of time, we’ve created a list of home improvement priorities you’ll need to focus on in order to get your house ready for visitors.

Below are five home improvement projects that will make a huge difference in your holiday season and for years to come.

  1. Get New Floors: Now is a great time to get new floors! New flooring can change the entire look and feel of your home. Many flooring retailers offer financing programs that can help you get the floors you really want before the holiday. When you get new floors it also provides great timing for changing furniture layouts, cleaning out drawers and cabinets – all good things to do before the end of the year.
  2. Upgrade Your Kitchen: Since there will be a lot of food preparation during the holidays you’ll want to ensure that your kitchen is both functional and stylish. Now is the time to invest in a new backsplash. Be sure to select a pattern that best represents your personality or that will be a timeless choice for resale, depending on your plans for your home.
  3. Install A New Stair Runner: Do your stairs look old and tired? Chances are your staircase is in the middle of your home where everyone can see it. Stairs get so much traffic it’s expected that after a while, they begin to look used, worn and even dirty despite regular cleaning efforts. Before your guests arrive, wouldn’t it feel great to update your stairs with a new runner or new carpet? There are numerous style options when it comes to choosing a stair runner. Will you choose a pattern? Or something with color?
  4. Make Over the Fireplace: Who doesn’t love to gather around the fireplace during the holidays? Give your fireplace a modern look by making an update. You can update the existing tile or stone that you already have. You can add more tile or stone by running it all the way to the ceiling creating a dramatic focal point for the room. You can add or update a mantle and change the look entirely!
  5. Create A Focal Point in the Room: Why not do something to wow your guests a little and create something that you can enjoy the rest of the year and for upcoming years? Do this by adding a focal point to the room. A focal point could be painting an accent wall a bold color or even a beautiful painting. You can mix prints as well as layer different shades within the same hue.

Give yourself the gift of something new for your home this year! You’ll be glad you did!

Designing Your Guest Bathroom

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There’s nothing that makes a guest feel more welcome than being able to use a stylish and comfortable bathroom. Often, the guest bathroom is neglected and cluttered because isn’t used as frequently as the other restrooms in the house. However, it’s time to take your guest bathroom from drab to fab by implementing crafty design schemes into your bathroom’s decor.

How can you make your guest bathroom more appealing to visitors? Below are some tips that are useful for decorating a guest bath.

It’s important to provide enough space for styling tools and toiletries. Leave the pedestal sink in the powder room. Be sure to install an outlet near the vanity so that your guests can have the option of utilizing a flat or curling iron.

Balanced or equal lighting should be used in the guest bathroom. Options for lighting placement include sconces placed on both sides of the vanity mirror, a small chandelier or attractive lights mounted over the mirror. Using framed mirrors instead of flat glass can really elevate the look and feel of the room.

Make use of shelves and baskets to add extra storage space. Decorative storage accessories can hold hand towels and soaps. If you travel, collect soaps, lotions and toiletries from hotels and display them in a basket for your guests to use.

Try Unique Designs

Since your guest bathroom won’t experience a lot of wear and tear because it’s not being used on a consistent basis, you can use materials that you might not ordinarily choose for a bathroom. Laminate or luxury vinyl that looks like a rich and exotic hardwood can give the room a warm and inviting feeling. Tile can also achieve this and provide durability for years to come. You can also purchase waterproof laminate flooring or waterproof vinyl flooring for extra durability. Or, go with something natural and durable like waterproof hardwood flooring!

Because your guest bathroom is typically a smaller space, this is your opportunity to incorporate materials that are a little more expensive like glass mosaics, metal tiles, natural stone accents. Using these materials will make your guest bath the topic of conversation! Don’t forget the sink splash. This is a great place to add a decorative tile to give the room a little more personality.

When decorating the guest bathroom, you can play with contrasting colors to create a stunning effect. So, if you always wanted a vessel sink or a bold pattern flooring, then now is the time to try it. You can push the limits and try unique decor with the guest bathroom. Have fun!

Creating Your Space

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!

Expert Tips for Refreshing Your Living Room

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Whether your style leans more towards traditional, modern or even bold, you should love the way your living room looks. After all, it is the place where you will most likely be spending quality time with the family and entertaining guests. What many people do not know is that there is an art to decorating a living room. Before you tackle the task, check out these few expert tips:  

1. Contrast Neutrals. If you enjoy a traditional style living room, neutrals are probably your go-to when comes to decor. While hues like white and black add an air of sophistication, contrasting neutrals is the key to making this space feel warm and welcoming. Using colors like white, beige, grey or other neutral shades within the same room will help bring out the undertones of each color.  

2. The Right Mix of Dark and Light. Achieving the right mix of dark and light is crucial. When a living room is too dark, it can bring down the mood and feel like you are hiding in a cave. On the other hand, if the space is too light, it will come off as unapproachable. Achieving the right balance will help to create a dynamic look with more depth and dimension.   

3. Say Yes to Wood Accents. A living room just is not a living room without wood accents. Adding hints of wood instantly adds a sense of warmth and there are so many ways you can do that. You can introduce wood through side tables, carved artwork, entertainment console etc. The warm details of the wood will help to bring back comfort and coziness to your space.  

4. Mix Upholstery. Having trouble deciding between a leather or linen sofa? Why not both? You will find that most furniture stores give you the option of purchasing an entire sofa set with matching upholstery; however, you are not required to do it. Welcome in a mix of furniture in different fabrics and shapes. This will help to give your living room a more trendy look.   

5. Durable Fabrics. The living room should not only be comfortable but you will also want to preserve it. This is done by opting for fabrics that are durable and that can be easily maintained. This is especially important if there are pets and small children in the household. Just be sure to find a fabric that withstands your household’s activity levels.   

We hope you enjoyed these expert tips! Be sure to check back next week for more expert advice. 

What Décor Does Your Design Style Demand? | Part Three

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Interior design is a science and an art. It balances aesthetics as well as functionality. Some styles and themes have been created throughout time, which have mastered not only the look but the functionality. They are thoroughly created with guidelines and structure yet give homeowners the freedom to create and design their own version themselves! The structure and guidance can create a science where the freedom to express and break the rules can come down to your own artistic touch.

When designing a room, there are many elements used to create the space. From colors, flooring, lighting, furniture, and even architecture, we see many design themes that flourish with these features. As we have seen in some of the prior themes, the décor you choose can help express yourself while also enhancing your overall design. We previously looked at some of the most popular designs and saw how some styles could use fine details to capitalize on our design themes. Well, we realized there are still many popular themes to explore. Here are several more themes that you may have in your own home:

Southwestern

Southwestern design is a blend of Latin American culture and West Coast styling. It uses earthy tones and accent colors of turquoise, reds, oranges, and yellows. With enriched textures and upholstery, this design prides itself on traditional Latin American styling. Help enhance your space by adding clay vases, culturally-influenced patterns, and vibrant accent colors to pop against your earthy toned atmosphere.

Eclectic

This style can be the easiest yet the most challenging. Eclectic is a style that blends and mashes many designs together to create a unique, artsy styling. From the most contemporary elements to the eldest antiques, every piece of décor has a purpose and meaning. All colors are welcomed; however, this design can be the most challenging to prevent from becoming too chaotic. Additionally, it is not uncommon for a dining room table to have several different, unmatching chairs. The pride of every piece’s individuality works together to create harmony. Remember, nearly all décor is welcome, yet understand how everything works together and flows.

Traditional

Traditional interior design was inspired by the 18th and 19th centuries. These designs have very bulky and ornate furniture. While these pieces can take up a lot of space, they are very well-crafted and made to last. This design is a very orderly and relaxed environment. Symmetry is at the forefront of the styling. Two matching chairs, two matching end tables with duplicate lamps are very common. Keep this in mind with your décor. While nothing is really a focal point, focus on balance and symmetry with your antiques to master this style.

Interior design themes are great to use in our own homes. We all love different styles for many different reasons. So, make sure you get the most out of your designs by adding the right décor since it is the best way to express yourself in your design.

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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