Using Red September 12, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design and Decorating , add a comment
Do you love red? If you want to showcase red or any other color in a room, you may get some good ideas from this space.
The first secret is to keep your favorite color under control. What would happen if every chair was red? It might work but it would lose the sophistication that this dining room demonstrates.
Next, let the color pop by keeping everything else in the room neutral. Start with the flooring, a lovely light 24”porcelain tile. Although it has some personality, it happily takes a second place to the color in the space. Choosing neutral flooring opens up your decorating possibilities as this room shows.
Finally, by making sure that both dark and light elements balance in the room, red is allowed to be simply a color rather than a contrast element. By choosing the exact same red hue for every element, the color becomes a style statement as well as an accent. It also stays consistent with the minimalist approach to the room. Every factor is equally important in this space that almost reads as a sculpture.
Strange as it may seem, this three-color space leaves the door open for variety in entertaining. Almost any other color would work in this space, providing opportunities to experiment with dishes and table linens. Consider a table runner with some of this red striped with blues and purples. From there, the owner can expand the color palette for the evening, or just stay in the red/white/black direction and keep the look sophisticated and simple.
Traditional Wood Flooring September 5, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Hardwood / Laminate , add a comment
Are you planning on making some changes in the interior décor of your home? If your answer to this question is ‘yes,’ have you given a thought to getting new flooring for your home? This is one of the many ways through which you can bring new life into your existing home décor, but the issue becomes what flooring to choose.
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.
Carpeting with Area Rugs August 29, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Area Rugs , add a comment
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.
Crystals add Sparkle to Your Home July 20, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design and Decorating, Hardwood / Laminate , 1 comment so far
Since before diamonds were considered a girl’s best friend, crystal chandeliers have been a luxurious addition to many homes. They went out of style for a number of years, but they’re back and shinier than ever.
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!
Create your own International Look at Home July 13, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Design and Decorating , add a comment
This tourist bazaar in Tripoli may seem completely removed from the back patio of a new home, but by borrowing a few elements from this scene, you can create a more exotic international feel to any location.
To start, consider adding arches to your patio cover rather than the more traditional columns. Take a look at the photo below. With the simple addition of the curves, you’re on your way to creating a unique look.
The raised trim on the columns gives them an additional element of interest. The photo below 
shows how a couple of simple circles on the columns create an appealing design.
The final architectural touch comes from the design in stone on the sidewalk in front of the market. It’s easy to create a similar feel just by using two different colors of tile to add a design to your patio.
Add the decorative touches needed by visiting your local import store. How about some pots in either earthenware or enameled in some of the vivid colors visible in the Tripoli market? You could lean them against the columns or place along the wall. Outdoor rugs come in eastern styles, and wall hangings would bring the feel of Tripoli to your back door.
With a little imagination and effort, you can give your home an exotic feeling without having to leave your back yard.
How To Remove BBQ Sauce From Carpet July 6, 2011
Posted by creatingyourspace in : Care and Maintenance, Carpet , add a comment
We hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend with your family and friends! We especially hope that you found some time to grill up some wonderful and delicious barbeque! Just in case some of this barbeque ended up on your carpet, we thought we’d share a few tips on how to properly remove it. We hope this information helps you!
Solvent – A non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent, is preferred. Exercise caution when using a solvent. Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together. Acceptable solvents include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc.
Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.
Vinegar Solution – Mix one (1) cup of white vinegar per two (2) cups of water. White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid solution. It is used most often to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.
Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.
Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.
Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. CRI – 1-800-882-8846.
