From the Floors Up

Decor – The Modern Kitchen

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The modern style kitchen is a popular choice in kitchen design.  Unlike its sister design, the contemporary kitchen, modern kitchens blend Mid-Century style with today’s must have features. Contemporary kitchens are all about the new while modern have a few nods to vintage Mid-Century style.  This kitchen is a good example of the blend of new and vintage in a modern kitchen.

 

While white cabinets are a big trend right now, wood cabinets are still a popular choice in kitchens. These flat front cabinets with sleek stainless pulls have the clean lines that suit modern taste.  The stainless pulls nicely relate to the commercial quality appliances, including a high end professional range and refrigerator.  The stainless and wood combination is a classic modern blend of natural and industrial elements.

 

Dark counters are highlighted by under cabinet task lighting.  These lights keep the space from feeling too dark, and highlight the modern tile back-splash. The colored glass tile back-splash is a classic modern design. Small square tiles create a modern feeling grid pattern on the wall. The color from the glass tiles adds a nice bit of color to the room that doesn’t overwhelm the space.

 

In a modern kitchen you would expect to see wood, tile or cork on the floor.  Marmoleum or linoleum would also work, as would slate and bamboo.  These natural materials, like the wood cabinets, would nicely complement the more industrial appliances and design accents to create a classic modern style kitchen.  Throw in a few vintage inspired counter top appliances for additional modern style.

Designing a Room from the Floor Up

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If you have wood floors or carpet that you love, you can build a room design from the floor up. Often when designing a room, we begin with an inspiration fabric or accent color. Flooring is typically 30% of a room, so it should be a big factor in the overall design of the space.  Taking flooring into account at the beginning of your design will create a beautiful polished room in the end.

 

Even if you don’t love your existing flooring, choosing your flooring at the beginning of the design process is a good idea. Think of how you will use the space. Kitchens and bathrooms have different flooring needs than living and bedrooms. Do you have pets? Kids? High foot traffic? All of these should be taken into consideration when choosing flooring types and colors.

 

Once you have your beautiful floors selected, you can begin building your room.  Get samples of paint, wallpaper, fabric and accent colors to create a unified design.  When selecting colors for the room, take into account the color and tone of your floors.  Dark or light, warm or cool tones in the flooring will make wall and fabric colors look differently.  Keep floor color in mind especially if you have wood furniture on wood floors. A little bit of contrast between the woods will make the furniture stand out more; similar colors will make the two elements blend together.

 

Remember, if it all seems too overwhelming, involve the help of a flooring professional. They can help you pull everything together.

 

Mixing Light and Dark Woods

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With wood floors being so popular in homes these days there is a new discussion about matching or mixing wood tones between flooring and furniture. Having all the same type of wood furniture in a room is an older way of approaching design. Very formal rooms, such as dining rooms, often had all mahogany or cherry furniture. Today’s design style is more apt to mix one or more woods in a room’s design, including the flooring.

 

If you have light floors like maple or dark floors like ebony stained hickory, you are not held to only have light or dark furniture to match the floors.  Placing dark wood furniture on light floors and vice versa can make the wood of both pop. Using similar wood, dark on dark or light on light, will cause your furniture to blend in more with the flooring. This can be remedied by using a colorful or patterned area rug to break up the unified wood tones.

 

The contrast between light and dark has a more modern and contemporary feel than the traditional style of using similar wood tones. Using different wood tones can give your space more visual interest while also creating a more eclectic style that is favored by many designers today.

 

When mixing woods, pay attention to the undertones of the color just as you would when mixing paint colors or fabric colors.  Cherries and mahoganies have red undertones while maple has a more yellow undertone. These undertones will be more noticeable when you mix your woods.

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.

Choosing the Best Flooring for Kids

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The flooring in your child’s room has to be versatile: safe, easy to clean, and hopefully durable enough to withstand all the jumping, scraping, and playing that is bound to happen. Luckily, there’s a wealth of choice available—all you need to do is pick the one best suited to you and your child’s needs. Some of the pros and cons to consider: 

 

Carpet

 

Crawling toddlers and active kids will appreciate the soft surface. Easy on knees and elbows, carpet also helps cushion falls. Children with allergies may want to stay away as carpet can breed mold and mildew if, for example, a drink is spilled and left there for too long (as is prone to happen in kids’ rooms). While carpets are vulnerable to stains, certain types are available that are stain-resistant.

 

Hardwood

 

Hardwood can be made to be scratch-resistant and more durable with protective coatings, or by choosing particularly hard species on the Janka scale. However, the downside is that it can also be less comfortable to play and take tumbles on. Thicker boards allow for several refinishings, which can minimize marks of wear and tear. However, boards may swell if exposed to excessive moisture. Solid hardwood flooring requires more environmentally-controlled conditions for these reasons. However, engineered hardwood floors can compensate in areas where higher moisture levels are more common.

 

Bamboo  

 

Eco-friendly and high-replenishing bamboo offers a trendy floor that is easily refinished if scratched or marked. Unfortunately, the softer, carbonized bamboo floors are more susceptible to scratches. The harder ‘blonde’ or ‘natural’ bamboo may be your best bet. Natural anti-bacterial qualities make it a good choice for kids sensitive to irritants.

 

Laminate

 

Spills won’t leave a trace and are easy to clean up. The slippery surface can be a concern for small ones learning to walk or kids running in socks, although zoning a kids room with brightly colored area-rugs can help to minimize slippage. Individual boards can be replaced, with laminate offering the look of wood but requiring less surface maintenance.

 

Cork

 

A good option for kids with allergies or sensitive to irritants, cork is hypoallergenic and resistant to bacterial growth. This antistatic surface is a plus for playtime, while the softness is a good shock-absorber for clumsy toddlers. Heat-retaining floors make it comfortable for kids to sit and play on. Unfortunately, the softness also means the floor can be more easily gouged or scratched than a choice like hardwood might be. However, Cork absorbs noise more than a laminate or hardwood floor, keeping parents happy as well.

 

As with any flooring decision, there are trade-offs that need to be made. Harder floors are typically easier to clean, but are not as comfortable for playing or falling on. Soft floors are comfortable, but are also more easily dented or scratched up. Ultimately, your flooring choice will be decided by the needs of your child, such as their age, allergies, and level of activity.

 

Alexandra Wong is a writer for BuildDirect, leading online supplier of wood flooring and other quality building materials.

 

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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