Beautiful floor coverings have the ability to completely transform a space. One of the most exposed, most used, and most important elements in your home, beautiful and durable flooring is essential. However, flooring is also one of the biggest expenses when it comes to renovating the home. Before deciding on materials, colors, and textures, consider some design basics.
One of the ways we like to make a big impact in the home is by using a single type of flooring throughout most of the client’s home, breaking it only at the bedrooms and wet areas. Not only is this the most cost-effective route to take when choosing flooring, but it also adds to the continuity of the home while visually expanding your space. Our designers also always take a look at how the room is being used. For example, kitchens will want to incorporate easy-to-clean materials as they are usually the victim of pasta sauce spills and wine spillage. Similarly, bathroom floors will need to be able to stand up to moisture and occasional shampoo explosion. Heavy traffic areas, like living rooms and entryways, should have flooring that is durable and stands up to the outdoor elements as mud and debris will most likely be tracked in, no matter how many times you ask the kids to take their shoes off at the door.
Selecting floor materials can not only be expensive and time-consuming, but also a little monotonous. To help liven up the flooring party, we created three distinct homeowner personalities to design for. You may fit in one, two or, all three, or fit into none and only take snippets from each of their flooring scenarios. Ready?
The Sensible Traditionalist
Traditional style usually consists of ornate decor and an emphasis on warmth, but that doesn’t mean you have to take out a second mortgage to afford this look. If you’re a Sensible Traditionalist (or just love the style), you should consider laminate flooring. Laminate, to put it simply, is a photograph of another surface that is adhered to a base and then sealed. A warm, walnut wood laminate is perfect for the traditionalist looking to save a few bucks as it will be inexpensive, resilient, and easy to install. Manufacturers have come a long way in making laminate products durable and good-looking and it’s a major bang-for-your-buck material when completing your home’s look without breaking the bank.
The No-Limit Modernist
Gorgeous, sleek tiles rule the modernist style. Our favorite material to work with for someone who wants style over savings is luxe marble tile. Large format sizing such as 12×24 that run in a straight stack (that means no offset in grout lines), keeps it clean and contemporary. A contemporary homeowner could also consider concrete. One of the most popular flooring choices today, concrete is extremely durable and can be tinted, stained, or etched to mimic stone or tile.
Intentional and Transitional
Marrying the coziness of traditional style with the cleanliness of a modern home, the Intentional and Transitional homeowner should consider engineered hardwood. Beautiful but tough, wood is a warmer and more forgiving material than the tile that modernist’s prefer or the laminate the the Sensible Traditionalist would opt for. Engineered wood floors are eco-friendly when certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and can potentially be salvaged from older builds or milled from salvaged posts and beams. To add interest and varied dimension, lay the boards on the diagonal.
How are you feeling about selecting your flooring? Let us know in the comments below if you fit one of our customer profiles. If you’re a customer profile all your own and need a little bit more guidance, give one of our designers a call!
