Look at Value When Choosing Flooring June 30, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hints and Tips, Product Education , add a comment
It’s rare to see a retail store that actually brags about high prices, but this decision must work with some customers.
For many of us, the initial reaction would be negative. Most people want value and a high cost doesn’t guarantee anything more than that you will pay more for a product.
When you walk into a flooring showroom, although signs may not say “expensive,” the thought might cross your mind. But there’s more to flooring than cost, and the best focus for a customer is on value – looking at cost and benefits.
Quality shows in any product. The difference is in the materials, the design and the construction – whether you’re talking about the clothing in this photo or flooring. For some, the additional cost of expensive materials such as stone and wood is worth the additional cost. However, flooring can be beautiful without being expensive.
Our role is to provide the choices and information you need to make the best flooring purchase for you and your home. Issues such as your budget are part of the decision, but your neighborhood, how long you plan to stay in your home, lifestyle and personal taste are just as important.
Cost should certainly be part of your decision, but don’t let it be the only factor in your choice.
Laundry Room June 23, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design Perspectives , add a comment
Many modern homes treat laundry rooms as tools for managing the clothes for a family. Rather than a simple small space for the washer and dryer, the laundry room may include storage, room for a ironing board and clothes folding and even space for soaking clothes or washing a dog.
Flooring also varies in laundry rooms. This room shows the typical small tiles generally found in bathrooms with a very smart drain in the floor for any washing machine overflows or flooding.
This room is small but bright thanks to the window. The rod provides a handy addition for drying hanging items or setting them out of the way after ironing them. The launderer needs to be fairly tall to reach those clothes, however. There is also a round dryer over the ironing board for smaller items.
The counter to the left may be for storage and a surface for folding clothes. There may also be a laundry tub set there. The total focus of this room is laundry, and space appears to be well organized.
Some laundry rooms end up serving multiple purposes. They may include a home office for handling bills or using the computer. Some double as sewing and craft rooms. Laminate flooring provides an appealing choice if laundry is not the only purpose for the room. The look of wood makes rooms feel less utilitarian while still handling the occasional moisture issue well.
When you design or redo your laundry room or area, choose a floor that will complement your functional and design goals. This gives you a workable and enjoyable space.
Luxury Flooring Trends June 15, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Granite / Marble, Hardwood / Laminate , add a comment
Who wouldn’t want to have a sleek and luxurious looking room? Usually, we encounter these types of rooms when we go for an overnight stay in a 5-star hotel suite. Yes, this can be quite heavy on the budget; but the good news is we don’t have to spend so much just to experience the luxury of sleeping in a lavish and grand bedroom. You can achieve this look just by simply changing your flooring.
Bamboo
One of the trends in luxury flooring right now is the use of bamboo. It is actually a hollow and thin type of wood. In order to create planks, bamboo strips are engineered and laminated to form it into the desired size of flooring. Surprisingly, it is harder and more durable than you might think. It is also very eco-friendly since it grows back fast after it is harvested. You will be amazed how bamboo flooring can dramatically change the look of your room.
Granite
Commonly used in countertops and backsplashes, granite has also started to become a current trend in luxury flooring today. Well, talk about luxury. Granite is actually living up to the name of luxury because it is, as a matter of fact, quite expensive; but it can definitely help you get the air of richness that you are looking for in your room.
Marble
Marble floors are also a current trend in luxurious flooring. The name itself exudes its stately appearance. You can count on it for its durability and strength. Aside from giving off an air of richness, it can also provide a welcoming feeling to anyone who enters your home.
Start living the dream and come home like the rich and famous with these luxury floorings. Visit Big Bob’s online for all of your luxury flooring needs!
Flooring Favorites from Shaw Flooring June 8, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs, Carpet, Hardwood / Laminate, Natural Stone, Tile , 1 comment so far
Shaw Flooring collections offer a huge range of materials and colors– makes our job of choosing a favorite very difficult. With products in carpet, area rugs, tile and stone, hardwood and laminates, Shaw flooring has a product for any room in your home. Durability, style, and environmentally friendly products mean Shaw’s collections are not only great looking but will last for years and have a smaller impact on the environment.
Carpet
There are nine carpet collections, including the Kathy Ireland, Tuftex, Inside/Out, Anso Nylon collections. We love the California inspired, natural colors of the Tuftex collection.
Area Rugs
With over 40 collections, including rugs by Kathy Ireland, Angela Adams, Phillip Crowe, and Tommy Bahama Home, Shaw’s area rugs offer a huge selection of styles and colors to choose from. If we had to chose, we’d say Angela Adams’ modern rugs are our favorites.
Tile & Stone
Shaw Tile and Stone collections include ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles and natural stone. Our favorites are the Lunar, Martrix and Brustone collections because they use up to 40% post-industrial recycled content.
Hardwood
The hardwood flooring collection from Shaw has ten types of wood, in both engineered and solid, with a range of stains to choose from. The Epic™ collection uses less harvested wood than other flooring options and comes with EnviroCore™, an inner layer made from recycled wood fibers.
Laminate
Laminate flooring has come a long way. Shaw’s laminate features OptiCore™, which is an environmentally friendly laminate coreboard that’s strong and moisture resistant. The
Shaw’s Luminiere™ collection is a realistic alternative to wood floors.
Visit Big Bob’s website to choose your Shaw flooring today.
How About a No-cost Closet Makeover? June 2, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hints and Tips , add a comment
Do you admire those beautiful huge closets you see on HGTV and flinch every time you look at that limited, cluttered closet in your own bedroom? A well-organized closet is possible if you’re willing to take the steps you need to get there.
The first and most important thing to do is to sort out what you have and get rid of anything that you don’t want or need. Let’s take a look at how to do that.
Start by emptying your closet. This might sound extreme, but every professional organizer says that you have to begin this way. Put all the clothes on your bed, purses on the dresser and shoes on the floor.
Start sorting into three piles: definitely keep, definitely lose, or not sure. Start with the definitely lose pile. Take them off the good hangers and bag them up in new trash bags to donate. Put them in the hall and out of your sight. Do not open them again. No second-guessing.
Now go to the definite keepers. Check to make sure everything is clean and pressed; then hang them back in the closet on your best hangers. Now is a good time to start some form of organizing. Think about what would work best for you: by color, season, or purpose such as work clothes or casual. Whatever system you try can be changed or adjusted to suit you as you use it.
What about the not sures? Here comes the tough part. You need to try every piece on and look in a mirror. If you’re not willing to try something on, then you know you have to let it go. If something looks bad in the mirror it will not improve with time, let it go. If you don’t know what you were thinking when you bought it, let it go. You may be surprised at how much you can discard this way.
The final step? Admire your partially-empty closet. No, this is not a license to go shopping. Well, maybe it is. Just remember our last piece of advice as flooring experts – clothes look better hanging in a closet than they do dropped on the floor. Consider a nice area rug instead.
