FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

By Steve Cooper

The cherry wood flooring in your living and dining room looks fabulous. Problem is, the floor in the kitchen is looking a little sad. What to do?

More wood is one answer. But there’s an asterisk on this one. Do you want to expose your wood floor to spilled milk, water leakage from problem plumbing, and the sand, grime and other offenders so frequently tracked in from outside? And what about bathrooms and your front and back entries? Even woods toughened with hard finishes are vulnerable to everyday assaults at these spots.

Fake it. Pick a wood-look material that has a track record of durability in high-traffic and wet areas. Consider the options:

• Vinyl. With the sophisticated technologies of today, the graining patterns in wood-look vinyl are strikingly real. There is great variety in species and finish colors, and seamless sheet goods put up a strong defense against moisture. Kitchens and bathrooms are safe with this flooring. Go with a fiberglass-backed vinyl and you may even be able to put the floor down as a DIY project.

• Tile. Step up in style and durability with tile. Porcelain and ceramic tiles that mimic plank wood, parquet, and other looks are available. For a front entry, rich, woody tiles create a luxurious feeling while handling water, snow, and most other things tracked in during inclement weather.

• Laminate. Get the color and finish you want in a wood look, and also handle installation yourself. This material is good for the kitchen and entries. If installing in a bathroom, make sure the flooring is specified for wet areas. Stick with major brands, which offer consistent quality and better warranties than most off-brand imports.

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.

Submitted by Annette M. Callari, Allied ASID; Chair Holder CMG

The floor covering industry is gearing up for one of the major trade shows of the year—Surfaces 2011–to be held in Las Vegas in late January.  I observe this trade show with a reporter’s mindset, so I can discover the best new products and bring them to you via FloorTalk.  Manufacturers are excited about the debut of their new products, and sometimes they are willing to give me a sneak peek as to what’s coming.  Good news for us that Emser Tile has done just that.

Stone and porcelain floors have a natural beauty that is unique and singular only to them.  The clean, concise looks are the reason why consumers gravitate toward these materials.   The longevity of the product is a secondary benefit, as these floors maintain their good looks for decades.  But I don’t want you to overlook a way to personalize your choice of floor.  Listellos are a designer’s best friend when it comes to customizing floor designs for our clients.  The extraordinary beauty these tiny accents can add to a floor is staggering.  You can take a travertine, limestone, or porcelain floor to a new level, simply by using your imagination and putting listellos to work for you.  Design a perimeter border, create a faux ‘area rug’ in a room; surround a treasured piece of furniture with an artistic listello.  All of these ideas are the way to create a room with character.   Here are a few extraordinary possibilities:

Introducing TEXTILE from Emser Tile.  These high profile listellos can support both contemporary and classic interior design.

Here we see PIEMONTE, a stunning mosaic of natural stone and polished accent stones. There are even matching corner pieces to complete your design.

STRANDS is one of my favorites.  The linear design in pencil thin strips gives an urban chic finishing touch to your beautiful hard surface floor.  This pattern is available in both the dark (shown below) and a light version as well.

ECLIPSE offers two well-designed choices:  Sun Listello pictured left, or Moon Listello shown below.  Again, corner pieces are available to handle right angles with grace.  The combination of smooth, solid color tiles with a patterned inset adds high style to this choice.

I truly hope you are as captivated by these designs as I am–something truly different and well crafted to inspire you.  If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to install new flooring in 2011, well I can’t think of a better starting point than right here, right now, with one of these “made for you” listellos.  Happy New Year!

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.