Carpeting with Area Rugs August 29, 2011
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Many people are drawn to hard surface flooring, such as the concrete floor shown here. The challenge comes from wanting to use flooring to define spaces or add personality. The best approach to this is strategically chosen and placed area rugs.
Take a look at how this simple rug separates and clearly outlines the dining area despite the open floor plan of this home. Dark concrete floors cover the entire lower level of this home, but the mood warms up immediately when you reach the cream area rug.
Cream, dark brown, white and a touch of light wood combine to create an inviting dining space. The area rug and chair cushions match, and then with a daring step the table top and chandelier come in white rather than staying with the cream. The light tan wooden centerpiece carries white flowers, bringing the cream and white together and connecting them.
A cream area rug doesn’t seem like a good decision for a dining area due to possible food stains, but this rug has a secret. It’s actually a cut piece of carpeting that’s bound into a rug. This enables a homeowner to get just the right color and texture at the same level of stain proofing as today’s carpeting. This also allows your area rug to be custom cut to perfectly fit any space.
Combining hard surface flooring with area rugs chosen to complement the design, color and shape of a space gives homeowners the best of both worlds – reliable beautiful hard-surface floors with rugs providing color and softness as desired. View our large selection of area rugs and let us help you find the perfect ones for your home!
Warm up Loft Living August 15, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design Perspectives , add a comment
With the look of a classic sepia-tone photograph, this loft living room combines the adventurous mood offered by loft living with the ambience provided by a classic approach to design.
The balance of soft and hard as well as dark and light helps this space work. The flooring is a soft brown gold in color but is in fact stained concrete. The light-toned rough sisal rug is bordered by soft black edging. Textured brick contrasts with clean cream-painted plaster. Then art, pillows and accessories pull dark and light together with a rich variety of mid-range almost neutral colors.
One decision that helps give the room its warmth is choosing wood for the ceiling. Normally a vaulted ceiling stands alone in the upper distance, rarely touched by the bulk of a room’s design. In this case, however, the wood brings the ceiling into the room while covering the ceiling vents and pipes that are always part of loft living. The dropped wood ceiling also allows for additional lighting to brighten up dark corners.
Wood plays an important role in this room. The custom blinds are 2-inch wood, a look that helps bring the oversized window into perspective. A wood base supports and softens the glass top on the coffee table and a round wood table in the corner adds curves and interest.
Do you dream of loft living? It’s not possible for most of us, but you might be able to recreate some of that feel by adding architectural elements to your own home such as aged brick on a wall or fireplace surround and wood on the ceiling. It’s not just for floors anymore.
Casual Flooring Trends August 15, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hints and Tips, Trends , add a comment
Flooring of a room should be selected based on what the room will be used for. The floor should also coordinate well with the other elements in the room. For example, for your kid’s room, you should opt for a casual floor that exudes liveliness. The flooring imparts personality to the room. Therefore, for your family room and for other leisure areas of your home, you should go for a floor that suits the casual setting. Here we tell you about these reasonably priced, durable and trendy flooring options, which constitute the current casual flooring trends.
Cork flooring is gaining popularity because they are quiet and radiate coziness. This flooring is a delight to walk on because it stays warm in winters and cool in summers. Cork flooring in lighter shades and texture is ideal for casual settings such as your kids’ play room and your living room. Cork tends to absorb noise, is easy to maintain and is non-allergenic.
Apart from cork, hardwood is also in fashion these days. The light colored shade of maple hardwood is being preferred for casual flooring needs. Also, sandy oak collection of carpet tiles is perfect for use in high traffic areas, and accounts for a high performance casual flooring option. These carpet tiles are available in many different shades, offering you a wide range of choices. Lastly, laminate flooring is another good option for its casual looks and multiple benefits it offers over other flooring options. Although, there are many more options available for casual flooring needs, the ones mentioned here are the most popular ones.
Come by our showroom and let us help you pick the perfect flooring for your home!
Recreate a Greek Mood August 8, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design and Decorating , add a comment
Some people may recognize this photo as Greece without a caption. The combination of strong sun-drenched whites and various clear rich blues says Greek seaside town.
You can use these colors and clean lines to recreate the mood of Greece in your own home. Let’s take a look at how one kitchen recaptured the feeling of a once-in-a-lifetime trip for one couple.
First, take a look at the flooring. On this street, grey stones are separated by a bright white concrete, making the surface smooth but still interesting. In the kitchen, a vinyl floor reproduces the stone look in a smaller format to suit the proportions of a kitchen rather than a street.
By having the cabinets in a bright white, they replicate the feeling created by the stucco buildings, and the rich cobalt visible on the railing and upper doors mirrors the kitchen’s back wall. This street scene has more than one shade of blue, and so does this kitchen. The countertop has a color very close to the door on the front left, and a vase provides a splash of turquoise just like the upper railing on the right.
When you’re deciding how you want to decorate your home, think beyond photos of home interiors. By drawing on the colors, lines and mood of this street scene photo, this couple managed to create a kitchen that will remind them positively of their trip every time they fix a meal.
Use Tile to Add Personality August 1, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Tile , add a comment
Imagine this stairway without the tile design on the risers. Yes, it would still be beautiful, but it would diminish the power of the curved steps without the tile to call attention to it. The touch of color provided also adds warmth and a strong visual element to a space that is otherwise neutral.
Tile can be effective in any room. From a fireplace with a tile surround that brings rich colors into a family room to tile lining the risers on the three steps leading to your front door, adding a splash of tile can have a powerful impact on a design.
With the variety of color and style available in tile, as well as pre-designed borders and mosaics, tile can add an unusual element to an otherwise ignored part of your home. Do you want to add life to your entryway? How about replacing your baseboards with a line of tile that pulls in the colors and style of the space?
If your back patio or outdoor kitchen needs more personality, consider adding a row of tiles under your countertop and then echo the same look along a column or bordering a fountain.
To get more ideas visit our showroom and see the rich variety of styles and colors available in tile today. We have samples and numerous idea books that can help you decide how to use tile to your best advantage. By using tile as a trim, you can select a more expensive choice without breaking your budget.
The right tile in the right place can add sophisticated style to your home, just as the stairway in this photo benefits from its tile choice. Take the time to consider adding tile trim to make a difference in your own home.
