FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

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!

Question:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 1, 2008

Gerflor Contacts

Alan Fennell Brian K. Cockman

President Broach & Company PR

P: 877-437-3567 P: 336-210-3806

F: 770-486-0544 F: 336-272-9046

afennell@gerflorcommercial.com bcockman@broach.biz

GERFLOR® RAMPS UP CONSERVATION EFFORTS WITH NEW SAMPLE REUSE PROGRAM

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – (JULY 1, 2008) – Gerflor, a global leader in the design and manufacture of vinyl resilient floor coverings, today announced its Sample Reuse Program exclusively through its website at www.gerflor-us.com. By visiting the Environment section of the website, visitors can print off a prepaid U.S. postage label and return Gerflor vinyl flooring samples to its Atlanta office for reuse and redistribution. The Sample Reuse Program aims to reduce environmental impact and creates a new way to achieve sustainable results.

“For more than 20 years, Gerflor has been committed to the concept of creating environmentally-friendly products by making the strategic decision to place ‘green’ issues at the top of its agenda,” said Alan Fennell, President of Commercial Flooring. “The Sample Reuse Program is yet another way we show our commitment to the environment and further extends our leadership in developing sustainability practices.”

“When designing a space, we use samples to convey concepts or ideas to colleagues and clients,” said Robyn Dubick, Interior Designer, CR Goodman Associates. “With Gerflor’s new Sample Reuse Program, we have the opportunity to return unused samples that will ultimately help conserve natural resources and reduce the negative impact on the environment.”

Steps for mailing samples back to Gerflor

· Print off the prepaid United States Postage label and instructions

· Pack the samples back into the original packaging or other box/envelope

· Give package to your mail delivery person or drop it off at the nearest post office

About Gerflor: Gerflor has the largest collection of commercial vinyl flooring products in the world, with innovative offerings ideally suited for healthcare, education, retail, corporate and public spaces. Founded in 1937 and headquartered near Lyon, France, Gerflor provides unique product and design solutions and is present in 100 countries around the globe with more than 1700 employees. As a clear leader in pioneering flooring solutions, Gerflor has an excellent environmental record which includes an ‘A’ rated Green Guide (BRE) certification, outstanding whole life cycle performance, as well as full compliance with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 standards. In addition, Gerflor commercial flooring can contribute toward LEED credits and is 100% recyclable at the end of life cycle. For more information, visit www.gerflor-us.com or call 877-437-3567.