Floor Talk! A Guide to Fabulous Flooring and Design

Question:I am getting my apartment painted and want to redecorate a little but don’t have a large amount of $$$$. My question is the area rug should you make sure it matches the furniture or the wall color?
Answer: The area rug needs to have a color in the rug that coordinates with the wall color. Matching is hardly ever necessary in decorating - it just needs to blend. The color in the area rug needs to be the same family of color, not necessarily the exact shade or a complimentary color like in the picture above.

This question arose from yesterdays post: 10 Quick ways to decorate and update your home

Is your home boring and tired? Are all of your walls and floors beige? There are many simple ideas that you can do to spruce up your home and make it feel almost new again.

1. Rearrange the furniture. Changing the way the furniture is laid out can make a room feel completely different.
2. Paint an accent wall. This is a fast, easy and inexpensive way to change the look of a room.
3. Add an area rug. If your floors and walls are all neutral and your furniture is wood and solid colors, an area rug can add color and life to a room.
4. Change a few key light fixtures. Updating light fixtures can add more light to a room as well as more stlye.
5. Change plumbing fixtures. Changing facuets to a more updated style and finish can make a bathroom, especially look more updated.
6. Declutter. Take a serious look around at what you really need versus what you have collected over the years!
7. Recover or slipcover worn upholstered pieces. If you have chairs or barstools that are worn or the fabric is last decades style, a slipcover is a fast and easy way to get a whole new look.
8. Add greenery. If your home doesn’t have greenery, adding it can make a room feel more complete. The greenery doesn’t have to be real if you don’t have a green thumb!
9. Change cabinet hardware. Changing cabinet hardware can change the whole look of a kitchen. Be careful to make sure the replacement hardware has the same type hole as the previous or that the new hardware will cover the old holes.
10. Add a backsplash. Adding a backsplash is not only a great idea from a functional standpoint, but it can make a room feel put together and stylish!

Trying any of these quick tips can help change the look of a room. Everyone doesn’t need all of these tips, but one might inspire you to get the look that you want. Happy Decorating!

As a former designer that used to work with other designers, I have come to realize that designers almost need continuing education when it comes to floors. What I mean by that is, times change and with it comes change in technology. Not staying on top of that technology can cause a designer to make an expensive mistake that costs them their reputation.

Examples are:

• Finishes on Products- New finishes are available that need to be maintained differently from older finishes.
• Installation Techniques- These techniques are being updated and improved all the time. Knowing what is most current will keep your clients happy and satisfied. Suggesting an improper technique can cost you a client.
• Colors and Styles- Colors and styles change as often as the fashion industry. Keeping up with these trends will help ensure that your current designs are in fact current.
• Discontinuation of products- We all have our favorites. There is nothing worse than selling a client your very favorite product, designing a space around it, only to find out that it is discontinued.

Your flooring consultant should keep you informed of new products, new trends, discontinued products and supervise installation techniques, but in reality, this doesn’t always happen. Staying on top of new flooring trends will keep your designs current and your customer satisfaction rate high. Use the tools and the advice on the WFCA site to help with those issues in conjunction with a local retailer.

Bentley Prince Street Provided All-Star Game Red Carpet

Friday, July 18, 2008

New York, NY, July 18, 2008– Bentley Prince Street provided one of the longest–and greenest–red carpets ever for the 2008 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade. The eco-friendly carpet that stretched across 18 blocks of Manhattan and made from 100% recycled fiber content and 100% of the electricity used to produce the carpet is made renewable through an on-site solar array and the purchase of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates.

The carpet is part of a series of initiatives MLB has implemented in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to make the 2008 MLB All-Star Game the greenest event in MLB’s history. MLB and NRDC have partnered together since 2005 on a league-wide environmental initiative, both for League events and also to help individual Clubs build on the good environmental work they have been doing for years.

“Major League Baseball takes great pride in showcasing these environmentally-friendly practices on one of the biggest stages ever - All-Star Week in New York City,” said John McHale, Executive Vice President, Administration and Chief Information Officer, Major League Baseball. “With the guidance of our partners at the NRDC, these efforts surrounding the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium are Major League Baseball’s grandest demonstration of our commitment to going green.” (more…)

Natural Fiber Floorcoverings - Sisal and Seagrass

Of all the natural fiber materials, sisal and seagrass are the most widely used and well known.

To spruce up your home for spring or summer, try changing out your area rugs to sisal or seagrass. This will lighten and brighten your home for the spring and summer months. You can even use area rugs over your existing wall to wall carpet. There are many different patterns within each category of natural floorcoverings, including colors other than the natural color.

These products can be installed wall to wall, (seams are very noticeable and are simply a characteristic of the product and are to be expected) area rugs and even on stairs. They can also be installed in wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens provided water is not continuously splashed and left standing.

For installation on stairs, the longitudinal weave must be 90 degrees to the riser and fixed securely. This installation is more labor intensive and may cost more to complete.

Most natural fiber floor coverings can be installed by gluing directly to the floor or with padding. It is important to check with the manufacturer’s guidelines before making these decisions.

The beauty of these products being installed as area rugs is the different binding options that can be used. These products can be bordered with fabric, leather, and many other textile choices.

The latex backing makes these products easy to care for because the latex prevents the build up of dirt underneath. They can be vacuumed with a regular vacuum with a beater bar. Like any flooring material, spills should be wiped up as soon as possible and treated properly. For a natural fiber stain removal chart, click here.

Most natural fiber floor coverings are very durable and will wear as well as or better than conventional carpeting as long as they are properly maintained. Many are rated for commercial use!

Warning: If your sisal carpet or area rug stand between you and your coffee pot in the morning, you may want to invest in slippers. Part of the beauty of sisal is its texture. That comes with a price. This is not a product that is soft and soothing under your feet. Although some say your feet will get used to the texture in a few days.

There are sisal and seagrass carpet alternatives that have a similar look that is more comfortable underfoot.

Another great reason to choose a natural fiber rug is that they are eco- friendly and sustainable. These products are 100% bio degradable and made from real grasses making them an earth friendly choice you can feel good about making.

So, go to your local floorcovering store and check out some samples of natural fiber floorcoverings and see if there is one that is right for your home’s style or lifestyle.

Hakatai Launches the Emperia Series

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Do you know someone in the flooring business? Have you even been in a social setting where you meet someone in the flooring business, say at dinner at a mutual friends house or restaurant and had questions about how much it might cost to add flooring to your home?

Don’t be surprised if you don’t get very far when asking for price ranges for flooring in a social setting! There are many many factors that determine the cost of flooring so even if this person could tell you $12 per square foot - that still doesn’t tell you at all how much your project will cost. In the end, it will only end up leaving you disappointed.

Here are some of the factors that prevent someone from being able to give you a price for flooring on the spot.

• Existing flooring removal
• Furniture removal and replacement
• Floor prep
• Underlayment depending on your foundation type
• Direction of installation (more complicated patterns cost more to install)
• Transitions to other rooms
• Options within a category such as type of finish coat on site sand and finish wood flooring
• Size of the room. Just because a room is 14×14, that doesn’t mean that it needs 196 square feet of flooring.

There are other factors, but this gives you an idea of how each flooring project is different and that there are many factors in determining the price of flooring.

For a flooring retailer in your area, click here.

For more detailed information on what to expect when you are expecting floorcovering installation, click here.

Reader Question: Is white the best color for a ceiling?

Answer: Not always!!

Think of your ceiling as the 5^th wall in a room. If white is a perfect compliment to the colors on the other 4 walls, then it might be a good choice. However…..

Encourage yourself to paint that 5^th wall:

• A complimentary color to the other 4 walls
• ½ the shade of wall color (your paint store can create this for you)
• ¼ the shade of the wall color
• A warm dark and rich complimentary color to the other 4 walls
• The same color as the trim (in a ceiling or flat finish rather than the same finish as the trim)

Note: Keep in mind the type of lighting you have in the room and how that will affect the ceiling color.

Have fun and be adventurous. You will be surprised at the difference this can make in a room.

Let’s face it, with the condition of todays market, homes need all of the help they can get. From a decorating standpoint, below are some tips and hints that you may find useful for selling your home faster because it appeals to more people.

EASY

• Declutter every room in the house - when you think you have decluttered enough, go through the house and do it one more time! Remember that the house should look like a model home. This means countertops, corners, bookshelves and garages.
• Remove 90% of the personal items like family photos (it is understandable if you keep a few up while you live there because afterall, you still have to live there!)
• Keep the yard well maintained. This is the first impression of the home and can transfer impressions of neatness and upkeep inside the house.
• During showings, turn on all lamps and the overhead lights if they are needed in addition to make the home look brighter.
• Open the blinds or shutters during the day, especially if there is a view to be seen.
• Make sure that the pictures are hung at eye level or below so that you don’t have to move your neck up to see them
• Light pleasant smelling candles or bake cookies during showings. This is proven to make the home seem  “home-ier”!
• Look at home magazines for well planned rooms and see what you can do to your home to look more like these rooms.

NEXT STEPS

If your home just seems to sit on the market and you need to take more desperate measures to rejuvinate your house:

• When in doubt, hire a designer or decorator. It’s a lot cheaper than choosing the wrong color paint. You can hire a designer for just an hour or two. A fresh set of eyes can be invaluable. Not everyone can visualize what new colors will look like.
• Repaint the walls a light/medium neutral color. Earthy colors work well most of the time, but not with every home style.
• Change the flooring to neutral colors (neutral doesn’t mean beige!) and upgrade to hard surfaces. This will help get more money for your home.
• Pressure wash the outside for a clean and friendly look.
• Consider having the house staged if the house is empty. This also contributes to the home having a warmer feeling. (furniture can be rented)

Try the tips that don’t cost a thing first - see what happens. If you don’t get any improved response, other measures need to be taken. If you have a real estate agent, be sure to ask their honest opinion about what you can do. They do this and see this everyday!

Sally Fretwell has graced us with a new book of color inspiration. Her latest book, “Growing Green – A Garden of Natural Paint Colors” was written to share of the natural response she sees invoked by flowers. Let’s face it - There are no bad flowers nor are there bad flower colors!

Sally feels that her books about color are the most helpful to her clients to share the beauty of paint colors. This book contains color forecasting for 2008 including colors perfectly named:

• Adobe
• Sea Oat
• Sea Foam
• Low Tide
• Sea Glass
• Wheat Grass
• Tuscan Tan
• Grey Sands (it looks EXACTLY like the color of wet beach sand!)
• Hibiscus
• Coffee Bean (to describe the inside of the poppy)

The book is mostly pictures of color with sporadic bits of helpful information on colors that will always work for you, low VOC properties of the paint, nature’s combinations and more.

You can read more books from Sally!

The Power of Color – features a beautiful array of pictures full of vibrant colors, some exotic and some familiar, meant to inspire readers to use color to create a mood.

Feng Shui – Back to Balance, a practical and sensible resource guide, filled with creative ways to energize homes , retail establishments, businesses and office environments and Make the Ordinary Extraordinary – Homes to Live In – Buying, Building and Remodeling.

Have you ever heard that the best way to clean up pet accidents is to use newspaper?

This is untrue for several reasons!

• It is not very absorbant
• It can leave stains on your floors
• It is difficult to clean up when wet

Papertowels are safer, more durable and will work just as well as the newspaper rumors!