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WALKER ZANGER LAUNCHES THE WORLD’S FIRST LINE OF EXQUISITE BAMBOO TILES

The Exclusive Sobu Collection Leads The Trend In Green Design

Sylmar, Calif., Feb. 28, 2008—WALKER ZANGER puts a new spin on the traditional beauty and versatility of bamboo with its exclusive line of mosaic tiles. Crafted from renewable bamboo, the Sobu Collection is truly an innovative design product. This environmentally friendly product is made of a renewable resource; indeed some species of bamboo can grow as much as three feet a day. The Sobu Collection of bamboo mosaics adds warmth and depth to any room and is a visual and responsible delight for homeowners and building professionals committed to using green building products.

While Sobu is made of bamboo, it can be employed in the designer’s palette just like tile.

It’s available in multiple mosaic patterns: Straight, Basketweave, Herringbone, and Random Planking, all of which showcase the material’s delicate veining, rich linearity, and subtle variations of texture and hue. Three colors are available: Gold, which highlights the classic look of cut bamboo; Sable, which adds a warm, reddish brown; and Espresso, a deep, dark brown which complements virtually any color. All colors feature a matte finish and a smooth texture.

WALKER ZANGER Sobu is at home in a wide range of decorating styles, ranging from Asian Zen to Classic Modern to Contemporary. It can add a modern green design to a traditional kitchen backsplash or evoke a sense of serenity for a home spa.

WALKER ZANGER is the world’s most comprehensive stone and tile company. WALKER ZANGER combines traditional tile-making techniques with a modern sophistication that transcends any singular design style. A leading choice for design professionals and consumers, WALKER ZANGER natural stone and tile products, as well as, its new line of exquisite bathroom vanities, can be found in luxury homes, trendy boutiques, lavish spas and resorts, famed museums and fine restaurants around the globe.

WALKER ZANGER is available through 17 beautiful showrooms and exclusive distributors nationwide. To learn more about Sobu and the full line of WALKER ZANGER products, visit www.walkerzanger.com.

Color Trends - Color trends in fashion and home styles often cross paths. The thing to remember is that trends are always changing, changing with the seasons. Don’t feel pressure to change your home’s color palette every time fashion trends change! The natutral time to change your home colors will happen when you are ready. These changes over time will help create your own personal style. Over time you will have an eclectic look that you can be proud to call your own.

The ultimate source for color forecasting in fashion is Pantone. Click here for Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2008 and Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2008. My favorite color from the spring report is Cantaloupe!

Hot Colors

• Purple – in fashion and home, purple is the front runner of color.
• Yellow – Yellow is the new orange! Orange will still remain with a presence, but not quite as hot as yellow.
• Blues – varying shades from soft spa blues to robin’s egg blues to deep sea blues. Many nature inspired blues.
• Greens – with all of the buzz about the environment, natural greens are making their way into the home
• Browns -look great with other hot colors, especially the softer colors where black would be too harsh. (more…)

Flooring, no matter how new or beautiful, is meant to be walked upon. Vinyl flooring is no exception. Time and the onslaught of foot traffic will most certainly take its toll. But take heart, keeping your vinyl flooring as beautiful and inviting as the day it was installed just requires a little knowledge. So, check out the following advice and be a little smarter about smart and stylish vinyl flooring.

New vinyl floors are extremely durable and long lasting, but like any floor covering they still need regular maintenance to stay looking like new. Follow these general guidelines for vinyl flooring. For more detailed information always refer to the manufacturer’s written floor care procedures. You can’t avoid wear on your vinyl flooring, but knowing how to care for and maintain it can keep you floor in beautiful condition and make it a source of pride for years to come.

• For the first 24 hours after your new vinyl floor is installed, protect all the seamed areas. Also, don’t walk on the seam sealer. The seams in the floor need time to set properly.
• Keep the room at 68° F or greater for at least 2 days after installation. This allows the adhesives to setup properly.
• Do not roll heavy objects directly on to a newly installed vinyl floor for at least 5 days. This can cause the vinyl and adhesive to become compressed, and once the adhesive sets up any compressed marks will become permanent. (more…)

New carpeting can be elaborate and elegant, cool and contemporary or tasteful and traditional. It’s one of America’s most popular floor covering choices, enhances virtually any room and it can add value to your residence. Keeping that feeling, and your carpet in beautiful condition, is a challenge if you don’t know the proper steps of maintenance. And that’s why we created this section. We want you to know that, with the care guidelines below, your new carpet can stay attractive for many years, and many bare-foot crossings, to come.

DO’s

• Place walk-off mats wherever there are entrances to your home from high-soil areas like backyards, garages and so on. A few dollars invested in these mats can prevent a lot of dirt and grime from being tracked across your beautiful new carpet.
• Buy a quality vacuum and use it regularly. There have been significant improvements to vacuum cleaners in the past few years, making them easier to use, and better at doing their job. They’ve gotten lighter in weight, stronger in suction and loaded with convenience features. A good vacuum cleaner can be your carpet’s best friend so vacuum as often as you want! Thorough vacuuming removes loose dirt and dust from the fibers. Over time these particles dull your carpet’s appearance; frequent vacuuming maintains the beauty of your floor covering and extends its life.
  

• Use a machine with a good beater bar and maximum suction. High traffic areas may need more vacuuming more often. Also, get attached to using the cleaner’s attachments. They make it easier to clean the tight spots – along walls and up and down the stairs. Be sure to set your vacuum settings to the proper carpet height. (more…)

I was tagged in a game – an exercise to get to know fellow bloggers by Christine Whittemore . She is the highly motivated and generous author of Flooring The Consumer and co-author of Carpetology.

I am a December baby – snow is one of earth’s best floorcovering!

The rules of the game are simple

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Pick your month of birth.
3. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you and if you would like write some wit or not.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

DECEMBER’S CHILD IS: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

In more detail…. (more…)