FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Submitted by Annette M. Callari, A.S.I.D.; CMG

No doubt you have heard the old adage “less is more” many times.  Never has it been more relevant to good design than now.  Have you ever been in a home where every surface was covered with accessories–every wall, every table, virtually, every horizontal and vertical surface available? Anyone who decorates like this may think they are showing their treasures off to their best advantage, but they couldn’t be more wrong.  Collections become clutter, and the assault on your visual senses leaves people feeling claustrophobic and restless.  Not to mention that you lose the beauty of the interior architecture altogether. 

Just recently, I attended a wedding at a multi-million-dollar estate.  The gentleman who owned the home was a world traveler and had the collections to prove it.  A collection of silver and crystal bells, a priceless collection of Faberge eggs, unusual letter openers, fine china from Ireland, hundreds of leather bound books, and the list goes on.  The home looked like a furniture store with curio cabinets lining every wall.  His collection of fine paintings ran the gamut from eye-level to the twenty-foot-high beamed ceilings.  His mammoth antique desk in the library was unusable because it was the showcase for his hundred-piece pipe collection.  I think you get the picture.  The bride barely made it down the sweeping staircase without her veil snagging some priceless artifact.

The lesson imbedded in this story is that this home had become a museum!  Each collection in its own right was valuable, but the impact was lost in the overall clutter they created.  Displaying several well-placed items (and rotating them with others in a collection) is a much better approach and underscores good design.  Look around your home.  If the building blocks of good design are indistinguishable among the “things”, it’s time to start streamlining your accessories. Over-peppering your interiors with bric-a-brac is unsettling and will rob a room of negative space (it’s the undecorated areas that calm your senses and offer visual relief). Make sure that your interiors showcase line, form, shape and space first and foremost.  The rest, in moderation, is just icing on the cake. Here are two images that drive the point home:

Uncluttered image: Line, shape and form emerge with fewer accessories, and the fireplace becomes the main attraction.

Cluttered image: Overdose of accessories takes away from the focal point of the room, which is the fireplace.

Aging in place is becoming more and more of a concern with new builders, re-modelers and adults with aging parents.There are many concerns that have to be considered such as heights of certain objects, width of certain areas for wheel chair access, slip resistant surfacing and more.

Some of the flooring considerations and guidelines:

• Smooth, non-glare, slip-resistant surfaces, interior and exterior
• If carpeted, use low (less than ½ inch high pile) density, with firm pad
• Color/texture contrast to indicate change in surface levels

Some bathroom considerations as it pertains to flooring and tiled areas:

• Wall support and provision for adjustable and/or varied height counters and removable base cabinets
• Contrasting color edge border at countertops
• Bracing in walls around tub, shower, shower seat and toilet for installation of grab bars to support 250 – 300 pounds
• If stand-up shower is used in main bath, it is curbless and minimum of 36 inches wide
• Bathtub – lower for easier access
• Fold down seat in the shower
• Adjustable/ handheld showerheads, 6-foot hose
• Shower stall with built-in antibacterial protection
• Wall-hung sink with knee space and panel to protect user from pipes
• Slip-resistant flooring in bathroom and shower

There is a council designed especially for more knowledge on aging in place called The National Aging in Place Council.The National Aging in Place Council is a membership organization founded on the belief that an overwhelming majority of older Americans want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, but lack awareness of home and community-based services that make independent living possible.  NAIPC has created a national forum for individuals from the aging, healthcare, financial services, legal, design and building sectors to work together to help meet the needs of our growing aging population, so they can continue living in the housing of their choice

To learn more about aging in place, click here for the National Aging in Place Council.

Leather has always been a symbol of luxury and leather floor and wall tiles are no exception. The same softness and warmth enjoyed on leather furniture, by leather shoes and handbags and clothing is enjoyed on leather floors and walls. Leather floors and walls compliment most any decor and can instantly add warmth and comfort to a room. Literally, leather will warm to your body temperature, literally keeping you warmer!

Leather tiles:

• Are available for floor and wall/ceiling installations
• Have a high degree of dimensional stability
• Come in smooth or textures surfaces
• Come in a variety of sizes and colors
• Are sustainable and renewable

Design options – leather tiles are available in many colors and can be embossed, distressed, antiqued, sandblasted or produced with custom inlaid designs. Sizes offered range from: 2×6,3×3,4×4,6×6,8×8,10×10,12×12,18×18, 24×24, 26×26, 4×6, 6×12, 9×18, 12×18, 18×24, 2×8 and 2×14 for borders.

Durability – one very important thing to keep in mind is that leather is a natural product and is not wear or scratch proof. In fact, leather will scratch, nick and show markings from traffic and daily use. This is considered one of the more desirable features of a product like leather and the look that is achieved by the natural wear on leather tiles is called “patina”. Much like copper and other materials that change or age with wear and use, leather falls into the same category.

Installation – Leather tiles are glued directly down to the floor or wall. For floor installations, tiles are glued to plywood, wood or concrete subfloors with proper floor preparation. Some tiles are available where they are pre-glued in order to make gluing directly to drywall easier. Proper installation is important because if not installed properly the floors can unadhere from the floor or the edges can curl up and detach.

Recommended Areas – Leather floor and wall tiles are recommended for virtually every application except for bathrooms and kitchens. The harsh detergents used in these areas are not good environments for leather products.

Maintenance – Daily leather maintenance is simple. Only a damp mop or soft cloth should be used to clean leather tiles and a soft attachement on a vacuum when a vacuum is being used. Leather tiles do need to have wax applied to them 3-4 times a year to protect the finish and nourish the leather.  Also, do not use rubber backed or non-ventilated rugs on leather floors.

Recycled leather tiles – another option for leather tiles are recycled leather tiles.

Benefits of recycled leather tiles are:

• Available in larger formats
• Less humidity absorption levels
• Regular liquid wax can be used rather than hard, pasty wax
• Higher resistance to abrasion
• Made of 65% post industrial waste

Whether you are considering leather floor or wall tiles or recycled floor or wall tiles, you will be able to enjoy this product for years to come. Be creative with the different places you can install leather tiles or use them as accents. Send us your pictures and show off your leather floors or walls!

Color is an important factor in our everyday lives. It can determine our moods, our emotions and even our eating habits! Below are some descriptions of different colors and what they mean in the world of decorating and in your day to day life. There are more complex meanings behind some colors – this is just a birds eye view of the meanings of some colors.

Black

* signifies authority, power
* from a design standpoint, it is stylish and timeless
* too much can be depressing because black absorbs all light

White

* symbolizes innocence and purity
* in decorating, it is neutral and goes with everything
* also can imply sterility
* can be hard to maintain
* can create a sense of space or add highlights

Red

* an emotionally intense color
* symbolizes warmth and comfort
* watch out painting your kitchen red because it can make you want to eat more!
* great color for accents and places you want to draw attention

Blue

* regarded as peaceful because it is reminiscent of the sky and ocean
* overall is the most popular color choice
* great choice for bedrooms because of it generates peaceful feelings
* be careful because some shades of blue can be depressing!
* productivity is increased in blue rooms so blue is a good choice for offices or boardrooms

Green

* currently the most popular decorating color perhaps because of the correlation to the concern for the environment
* green is “easy on the eyes” and is considered relaxing
* dark green can be considered masculine and conservative

Purple

* hot decorating color right now
* symbolizes wealth and royalty
* lighter shades can feel more romantic and feminine

Brown

* popular because of its tie to nature and the earth
* darker shades (chocolate) are popular to mix with other colors as accents
* light brown implies genuineness

Walker Zanger is known for its innovative style and design. While browsing their website, in their inspiration gallery I saw something that caught my eye. In the picture to the left, of course the backsplash catches your eye, but if you look closely the island is where the unique feature is.

Notice how the perimeter of the island is polished and the field of the island is honed! It’s hard to tell whether the perimeter countertops are honed or polished, but either one would compliment the island.

The products shown are:

Weave Kitchen

Backsplash: Weave Teak Offset Blend

Counter: Copper Canyon Granite Slab (Honed and Polished)

Walker Zanger has a wonderful website with an interactive product catalog. You can turn the pages on the website of the catalog just as if you were turning the pages in the printed catalog. Very chic. Very green.

To care for your granite countertop, here are a few hints and tips from the WFCA site:

1. Your retailer or manufacturer can suggest specialty products designed for use on your stone floors. These are highly recommended.
2. Always blot spills immediately. A neutral pH detergent or pure soap, such as Liquid Ivory, and warm water, can be used for spills or periodic complete cleaning.
3. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry the surface with a soft, clean cloth. Too much cleaner or soap may leave a film and cause streaks. Change your rinse water frequently.
4. Do not use products that contain lemon juice, vinegar or other acids on marble, limestone or travertine.
5. You should avoid using products that contain abrasive cleaners, cleansers (dry or soft) or any ammonia-based cleaners on any stone. These products will dull its luster.
6. Also, do not use retail grout cleaners, scouring powders or bathroom tub and tile cleaners on your stone.
7. For heavens sake please don’t mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas.

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