From the Floors Up

Wallpaper in the Kitchen

By 1 Comment

Screen Shot 2013-05-21 at 2.24.59 PMThere is a current design trend for wallpaper throughout the home. Wallpaper was once thought to be old fashioned and outdated, but not anymore. The patterns and colors of today’s wallpapers are anything but the wallpaper your mother or grandmother had.  Beautiful colors, historic and vintage patterns, and new materials mean that wallpaper is one trend that will be with us for a while.

Because of the popularity of wallpaper, we are seeing it used throughout the home; from bathrooms to hallways and every room in between.  There is a wallpaper design that can work for any room.  Some wallpaper is subtler than others in their color and patterns.  We are even seeing wallpaper used in kitchens.

The kitchen pictured here has a subtle diamond patterned wallpaper design throughout.  If you choose to use wallpaper as a way to add color to a backsplash, consider covering the paper with glass for protection.  However, some wallpaper can be wiped with a moist cloth. These are probably a good choice for the kitchen with all of the splashes and spills.

When adding any color or pattern to a kitchen or any room always take into consideration your flooring. If you have a tile or patterned floor, also consider the color and scale of the floor pattern when choosing a pattern for the walls.  The same is true for stone or wood floors. Choose a wallpaper design that will coordinate with your floor, cabinets, and hardware for a cohesive looking kitchen.

Accommodating Homes

By Leave a Comment

The desire for a lovely home for homeowners and their family is important, but equally important is a home that can accommodate certain requirements.

For people in wheelchairs, there are requirements that can make a home work well. Basic elements such as halls and doorways wide enough to allow for wheelchairs to pass through are a must.  Open floor plans often help provide the space for wheelchairs to maneuver among furniture and architectural elements.

Flooring is also important. The best choice is tile for a number of reasons. First, the smooth surface makes it easy to move through a home in a wheelchair. The sturdy nature of tile also means that it will hold up under some potentially rougher than usual traffic. Finally, it’s one of the easier materials to maintain.

Kitchens and bathrooms require some special consideration. They have to be large enough to handle a wheelchair, include a shower with easy access and toilet that is set higher. A lower sink with space underneath works well, and drawer storage is obviously better than a traditional medicine cabinet.

For a kitchen, upper cabinets are not particularly useful, although most homes include them. Plenty of lower cabinet or open shelf space within reach from a sitting position is critical. Having a prep/work surface at table level will make fixing meals much easier, and a faucet with a pull-out spray helps with cleaning up.

Today’s designers and home suppliers are addressing the needs of people with wheelchairs. If this is a concern for you or a member of your family, let us know if you would like more information.

Rubber Flooring for the Modern Home

By 2 Comments

10778064_SThe layout of modern homes nowadays are no longer restricted to just the basic rooms in the house, but can now include a playroom, playground and even a home gym. For these specialized rooms, a special type of flooring should also be used to better serve its purpose in providing comfortable and safe flooring and a better fit to this requirement is rubber flooring.

Since rubber has a hard wearing nature, it is the perfect flooring to use for rooms that have a lot of activity as it can bear the pressure brought about by heavy foot traffic. The rooms in the house where rubber flooring will fit well include:

  • Children’s play areas. Rubber flooring is a smart choice for rooms that are mostly used by kids as it keeps them safe in case they trip, fall or slip as they play. Since rubber flooring also comes in different colors and pattern, it makes the playroom
  • come to life with its bright colors and beautiful patterns.
  • Kitchen. The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house and so a durable and easy to clean flooring, like rubber flooring, is a good option for this room.
  • Bathrooms and Garage. For safety purposes also, rooms where the floor is always wet like the bathroom and garage, a corrugated rubber flooring can be used to prevent slippage and for added protection.

Aside from its durability and the safety that it provides, here are a few more reasons why to choose rubber flooring:

  • Variety. Rubber flooring tiles come in different colors, pattern, and sizes so with a little bit of imagination and creativity, you can turn any room into a work of art by using rubber flooring.
  • Eco friendly. Manufacturers of rubber tiles are making them from recycled materials thus reducing the need to cut the trees to produce products for the flooring needs of every home.
  • Easy to Clean and Maintain. Rubber floors do not need special cleaning materials to retain its quality as it is spill and stain resistant. So a simple mop and rug is all you need to keep rubber flooring clean and dirt free.

Rubber flooring is truly the answer to the flooring requirements of active families and modern homes.

 

Where Do You Find Inspiration?

By Leave a Comment

24021915Those who are familiar with Greece will recognize this typical street scene. The bright white sun-washed stucco walls provide an inviting contrast to the vivid blues that pepper the country as doorways and railings.

One couple wanting to remember their dream vacation decided to use these images as a starting-point for their kitchen renovation. This is a fun approach to designing – thinking beyond the traditional sources of inspiration by drawing on memories and photographs of a favorite country, season or moment as the foundation of any room in your home.

Take a look at the kitchen they designed in the photo below. You can see many aspects of this street scene echoed in the room. The flooring is the most exciting match – finding a good quality vinyl with a similar pattern of grey stones against the white concrete edging was a stroke of luck. The stones pictured in the kitchen are smaller, which suits the smaller proportions of a kitchen as opposed to a street.

30485736The white stucco walls are reproduced here as white cabinets, and the rich cobalt blue that is uniquely Greece covers the back wall. The softer blue of the door to the left is reflected in the countertops, and even that splash of turquoise with the upper right railing comes into the kitchen with a vase in a lighter tone of that same hue.

When you plan a redesign or choose options for a new home, take advantage of the opportunity to think outside the traditional box. This couple made a daring choice, and has the chance to be reminded of the trip of a lifetime every time they step into their kitchen.

Professional Kitchen Designers

By Leave a Comment

For a full down to the studs kitchen remodel or an update, working with a professional kitchen designer can be a great idea. Professional kitchen designers can help you design your dream kitchen or choose new countertops for a quick update.

 

Flooring, counters, back-splashes, cabinets, appliances and lighting can each change the look and feel of a kitchen. On their own they can update the kitchen; together they will give your kitchen a whole new look. Selecting a single one of these to work with your existing kitchen can be tricky. Choosing a combination of new counters, cabinets and flooring can be downright daunting. Enter the kitchen designer.

 

Kitchen designers can help you select a stone backsplash that coordinates with granite counter tops that also work with your existing cabinetry. Larger guts and remodels can be planned by a kitchen designer to change not only the look of your kitchen but its functionality.  These designers can recommend changes to floor plans that can up the function of your kitchen without expanding the floor plan.  For major projects an in home consultation to take measurements is a must.  Even for surface changes, a home appointment should be done for measurements and color samples.

 

To hire a kitchen designer you can begin by asking friends and neighbors for recommendations who have recently remodeled their kitchens. If there is a local kitchen showroom, visit and ask for a consultation. Get several estimates before deciding to make sure you find the right kitchen designer for your home and budget.

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!

Recent Comments

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive new post notifications via email.