I. Thou shalt always ask for manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations when you buy tiles. And get it in writing.
II. When purchasing tile, thou shalt buy it from an outlet that fully understands maintenance requirements. Here’s how to spot such a store: Look for a retailer that makes cleaning products an important part of their store and sale. Chances are, they will be knowledgeable about maintenance products.
III. Thou shalt always know the type of flooring you have. Is it ceramic tile or porcelain tile? Ceramic and most porcelain are nonporous, which will not readily absorb moisture and dirt. However, some lighter colors of porcelain are porous, and must be sealed to stop absorption.
IV. Thou shalt seal porous porcelain tile. Also seal all grout after installation.
V. Thou shalt clean all tile floors regularly and reseal grout every 1-2 years.
VI. Thou shalt not clean tile floors with vinegar, which is acidic and may etch the surface.
VII. Thou shalt use a mild household cleaner, such as dishwash liquid, for regular mopping.
VIII. After mopping with a cleaner, thou shalt always do a thorough final rinse with clean water to remove residue of dirt, grime or cleaning agents.
IX. For times when a deeper cleaning is needed, thou shalt use an alkaline cleaner made for tile. Check your manufacturer’s information to see if there are brand recommendations or other guidance.
X. Thou shalt enjoy the beauty of your floors!

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

In my last Designer’s Corner post  I promised to let you in on a colorful new discovery in floor coverings.  My earlier Building Blocks blog talked about line, form and shape taking center stage as you create your designs. Of course you can do this with furnishings, wall treatments, or accessories, but I’ve also found a way for you to define those elements with floor coverings.

Enter Modularity Tiles, a division of Signature Flooring, home based in NYC.  They’ve honed in on the artistic importance of form and shape and have taken it to staggering new levels.   Want to build your design around floor art?  Think of children’s play rooms or bedrooms, a baby’s nursery, or a high-contemporary kitchen, office or home theater as the perfect application for Modularity Tiles.  Any one of these rooms could carry off a focal point floor that also happens to be hypoallergenic, slip-resistant, and easily cleaned.  Factor in the ability to change out a damaged tile easily, and you have all the ingredients for a floor with flair and longevity.

Geometric and color driven, Modularity Tiles are 1ft x 1ft vinyl tiles with interchangeable die-cut shapes that you can mix and match, using a palette of 17 colors. Thousands of patterns can be created using just three basic shapes and the designated color palette.  Depending on the colors you choose, you can accomplish high-contrast drama or quiet definition.  Having that choice is what makes this line versatile and pure fun. 

The manufacturer advertises the product as suitable for semi-permanent, permanent or even temporary use. The tiles are easily laid using adhesive strips, and also offer easy removal.  According to their Marketing Department:

“Modularity Tiles can be used by homeowners, apartment dwellers, architects and designers and are suitable for permanent, semi-permanent or temporary use. DIY’ers will delight in its simplicity and price tag. Pros will applaud the creative freedom and statement-making possibilities. Our innovative new vinyl flooring tiles will change the way you think about vinyl flooring forever. We aren’t the last-resort flooring option of the past, but the one-of-a-kind creative flooring (and wallcovering) solution of the future.”

Their website, www.modularitytiles.com has a wealth of information, including a “ModulizeIt” on-screen design tool.  It can help you create your design and calculate quantities.  What I like about this discovery is that it offers something unusual, and they’ve still found a way to keep it simple.  Of course, you don’t have to install it yourself, the website can direct you to professional installation firms that will do it for you.  If you’d rather talk to a design consultant personally, they have a toll free number as well (866-471-1022). 

As an interior designer (and a consumer) I’m attracted to products that are playful and fun to live with.  I’m also highly attuned to cost-efficient products that suit tight budgets while satisfying cutting edge design.  I think Modularity Tiles offer the key to both of those criteria, in a colorful, brilliant new way.

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

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.

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.

Shaw Industries is best noted for being a major carpet mill in the United States.  But things have taken a turn in that they have also joined the ranks of manufacturers offering stunning glass tile products.  One recent introduction that is gathering applause from the design community is their Bangle Glass series.  The pattern called “Micro Blocks” dances with crystal-like colors in both matte and gloss finishes.  Colors include Seaglass, Azure, Tortoise and Topaz.  What I am particularly drawn to is that the glass is lively.  There are variations and striations in each individual mosaic that combine stunning shades and tints of each color. What a great addition to any kitchen or bath backsplash!

So how do you coordinate something with so much personality with your countertops?  Carefully.  These beautiful designs have a lot of life to them, so it’s probably best not to pair them with high movement granite patterns.  But many of the quartz surfaces (Corian, Silestone, Caesarstone, etc.), “quieter” granites, and tile countertops would be perfect companions to Micro Blocks.

So what else has Shaw Industries been up to?  Shaw continues to amaze me as to their product development in carpets.  I’d like to spotlight their Kathy Ireland and Couture collections for a moment.  This is an ever-changing compilation of artistic, dimensional carpets.  I like the proportions of these patterns because they will suit most any sized room without being overpowering.  The subtle patterns are created by combining loop and cut pile constructions, which gives a luxurious but understated does of pattern to your room design.  Carpet makes such a strong statement in a room because of the expanse of the space, and Vogue styles add interest without screaming “pattern”. 

Let’s talk about color palettes for a moment.  This is one area where Shaw’s product development absolutely shines.  Shaw’s on-staff product designers pay a lot of attention to major trends and color preferences in different parts of the country.  Product design is most successful when input is gathered from a sound base of “field experts” who are interacting one-on-one with consumers. Historically Shaw has held design forums around the country where designers are asked to preview experimental products (and colors) and rate them. Shaw heavily weighs their new introduction decisions based on the information they gather from those forums. For any company looking to stay relevant in today’s consumer market, this is exactly the way to bring highly-sellable products to the consumer. 

The days of big companies designing for the masses from secluded R & D ivory towers are long gone.  The cost of introducing even one new carpet style can run in excess of a million dollars.  Reason enough for the manufacturer to utilize every tool possible to ensure success. Better built products, excellent styling, and awesome color palettes are the end result.  And the ultimate benefactor of all their research is YOU.