Some of your family members, friends or colleagues might be giving you different suggestions. One may be advising you to tear up the existing carpet and install tile, while another says eco-friendly flooring is the way to go. You are really at a loss. One thing you are sure of—you love  traditional décor and you require traditional flooring that will last.

Do you know that wood flooring is the most popular of the traditional style floorings? Although in the past, it was considered to be very expensive to get natural timber flooring for your home coupled with the time consumption attached to it. All that is  in the past. Presently, you can conveniently buy and have wood flooring installed in your traditional home and the best of it is the fact that it comes very economically and easily. Having natural timber veneered wood does not require any form of finishing or sanding and has been confirmed to last for a long time, even with minimal maintenance. This makes it the perfect choice for your traditional home décor.

Once installed, you can accent your wood floors with beautiful rugs and it will go with most any color walls and upholstered furnishings you own or purchase in the future.

From the traditional look like this photo to modern sculptural pieces, crystal adds glamour and sparkle to any room. And speaking of any room, these appealing fixtures are now found in bedrooms and bathrooms as well as dining rooms in many homes.

If you have a traditional bedroom with rich dark wood floors, a crystal chandelier will reflect off the wood and add a warm glow to the room. Thanks to the dimmer switch, crystal pieces can add a romantic glow to a room as this photo shows.

Some of the most exciting happenings in crystal come from modern designers. A contemporary home can also showcase crystal with some of the dramatic fixtures available today. For example, the photo below shows how crystals can work well with this very modern dining room. The sparkle is a perfect foil for the dining chairs upholstered in soft gold leather.

When adding in your crystal fixture, choose a style that will suit your home. A traditional home will do well with the classic look, but don’t hesitate to check out the newer options if your taste is more modern.

Finally, be daring. Crystals add that splash of bling to a room, creating a sophisticated and adventurous look. Choose the light that makes you smile. If you’re going for crystal, don’t hold back!

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!

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.

The color of Brazilian Walnut can very from an olive brown to near black, with most being a warm chocolate brown.  Like many exotic woods, Brazilian Walnut will darkened in color over time and with sun exposure, becoming a richer, deeper brown over time. Grain patterns vary from uniform to straight to irregular; clearly a wide range of grain patterns.

Brazilian Walnut is available in solid hardwood flooring as well as parquet flooring. Parquet will give your floors a lively pattern.

We love the rich warm brown of Brazilian Walnut for many rooms in the house. The hardness and durability of Brazilian Walnut floors can withstand busy traffic from family and pets.  These hardwood floors are less easy to scratch or ding. Kitchens, halls, entry ways, living rooms and dining rooms are all perfect places for Brazilian Walnut. Because it is moisture resistent, you could even put Brazilian Walnut in a bathroom or laundry room, or other rooms where moisture may be an issue.

While Brazilian Walnut is a wonderful durable hardwood for the interior of your home, it also makes a smart choice for outdoor decking or steps.  The extreme hardness of the wood makes it moisture and pest resistant—perfect for decking.

Whether you chose to use Brazilian Walnut indoors or outdoors, this dense hardwood is a good investment for its durability and rich, warm color.

The room itself is well proportioned with enough architectural detail to create interest even with no furniture. The fireplace surround coordinates with the crown molding. The appealing French doors serve as the focal point of the room with the side and top windows combining with the window frame and molding to draw the eye.

The floor is also a strong player in this space. The medium hickory adds the only warm tone in the room, and its lively grain and rough edges highlighted by the dark brown glaze give it a strong personality. The boards provide color and carry the eye through the room to the focal point in the back.

It would be easy to choose furnishings to hide this room’s beauty, but instead the simple modern choices in white and black allow the room to show off its assets. There’s one more piece of magic that makes this room work, the chandelier. Clearly vintage, the delicate lines and unique glass globes make it a strong almost sculptural element in the space.

Even if your home is newer, many of these architectural features are available to you. Take a look at today’s wood floors to find choices that reproduce the character of yesterday’s options. Molding and door and window frames are also available in rich traditional styles. For a chandelier that stands out from the average, take a look at stores that sell vintage light fixtures to find a remarkable selection. Even contemporary lighting choices may provide you with a look that mirrors your desire for an unusual piece.

Don’t be afraid to add personality to your home, or to combine old with new to create the look that makes you happy.

By combining old and new, simple and patterned, and light and dark, this room both invites and intrigues any visitor.

To start with, the straightforward light maple wood floor catches the attention with its diagonal installation. The diagonal line breaks up the rest of the décor, which simply runs down the length of the room. A diagonal also makes the space appear larger and encourages visitors to move off the main path and spend time in one of the seating areas to the side.

Old comes from the columns running down the center of the lobby. Original to the building, the rough white stain keeps the traditional style in focus. The antique oriental rugs in various patterns bring the strongest punch of color and pattern. With the bare walls, these rugs serve as the art in the room.

The simple dark rattan chairs and white cushions bring a contemporary element into the space. The layout is also modern. By keeping the approach and lines simple, this room uses every contrasting element without becoming overwhelming.

Would a diagonal approach to your floors add to the drama and sense of style? Are you willing to take a chance by creating a room of contrasts such as this one? This daring room makes the decisions work.

As consumers pay more attention, suppliers do too. One good example of this is a research project started recently by PE International, a consulting firm specializing in environmental consulting. They are investigating the environmental impact of American hardwoods, from the initial extraction to the final delivery at wood import firms. This analysis will eventually help you make more informed decisions when you purchase wood floors and furniture.

Choosing a hardwood floor involves many choices: style, budget, wood tone, type of wood, manufacturer and installer. Today, many consumers also want to know about a product’s carbon footprint. As a result, many suppliers and distributors are working hard to get that information for you. When you make important purchasing decisions, it’s worth your time to ask about any environmental information available.

Although you may currently have no plans to sell your home, it’s a good idea to consider resale when renovating your home. Would wood floors be a good investment for you? Consider the following factors.

Neighborhood: If you live in an upscale neighborhood with homes that feature higher-end finishes, choosing wood will make your home more competitive in the market. In an area of starter homes, how about wood in the living/dining area only, or choosing a less expensive wood such as oak? Laminate floors with a look similar to wood at a much lower price are another option to consider.

Home style: A traditional style is well suited to wood. Modern homes have more flooring flexibility, but will also stand out with wood.

Personal preference: You have to choose flooring based on your personal preference first. Many people love wood, but if you don’t, select the flooring that suits you best. However, if you are attracted to wood floors, you can be sure that your choice will make selling your home easier when the time comes.

Take the time to explore the options in our showroom. To start, let’s consider several elements that lead to a more casual feel in a wood floor.

• Look for lighter tones. These bring to mind a coastal or country feel. Maple and pine work well, as do some of the newer bamboos.

• Find a floor with some variety of tone. This will allow you to use different materials and shades in your furnishings while still linking your décor to your floor.

• Look for personality in your floor. The newer hand-scraped floors fit this profile. Also, floors with stronger grain and even a few small knots add to the relaxed feel. The flooring seems handmade rather than manufactured, adding a bit of a rustic feel to your space.

Wood floors provide such variety that there is one to fit your specific taste and style. Ask one of our salespeople for help in finding just the right one for you. If you want to start browsing in the comfort of your own home, check out our online hardwood catalog, here.