Flooring Options 101
The rules about home décor has
relaxed significantly over the last few years. It is now acceptable to see
wooden tiles in the kitchen and ceramic
tiles in the bedroom. This is unthinkable just a few years ago, but the
development of design philosophies, as well as materials now available for
decoration have drastically changed. Experimentation is now encouraged so that
budding decorators can come up with new
and exciting ways of making homes appear fresh. The different flooring
materials have come a long way and it pay to get you familiar with the newer
ones.
One of the first things to consider is the intended purpose for the room. It would be foolish to install wall-to-wall carpeting in the bathroom or kitchen as these rooms are always getting wet. However, it is not obvious to everyone that marble is also to be avoided as it is porous and it will just absorb odors and stains if used in the bathroom or kitchen. In deciding on a flooring material, your options are actually limited before you even start dreaming.
The use of a room will also determine the amount of foot traffic it gets on a daily basis. You can’t expect to use a shaggy rug on a hallway and have its look last a long time. Also the furniture you use will influence the flooring materials in a room. You can’t just put a large sofa on top of a nice area rug – it will render it useless and you have spent for nothing.
Whenever you are looking to put in a new floor, consider all the other elements in the room. Are they going to be complemented or will you end up with the home décor equivalent of Frankenstein? Walls, the ceiling, the major furniture, even the paintings and wall decorations have to match well with the floor. Whatever flooring ideas you decide to go with, make sure that it has a coherent and noticeable theme behind it. A hodge-podge and random mix of design elements is hard to ignore and it will stick with you for a long time.
If you are not quite sure of what to go with, taking a quick snapshot of the room might help. Consult experts armed with a picture and a short description on what the room is like and the thing that you want done is often enough for them to get started. Describe in detail how the room gets used on a daily basis. What you have on your mind may work flawlessly, but another viewpoint is needed if you want to be really sure. After all, you can’t really come up with all the decisions and an outside opinion is a breath of fresh air.
The last thing that you need to consider is the type of care needed to maintain a particular kind of floor. Wood tiles need to be waxed on a regular basis and carpets need to be vacuumed. Tiles are more maintenance-free as well as concrete and natural stone. Your decision will be ultimately determined by your taste, lifestyle, budget, and availability for upkeep.
One of the first things to consider is the intended purpose for the room. It would be foolish to install wall-to-wall carpeting in the bathroom or kitchen as these rooms are always getting wet. However, it is not obvious to everyone that marble is also to be avoided as it is porous and it will just absorb odors and stains if used in the bathroom or kitchen. In deciding on a flooring material, your options are actually limited before you even start dreaming.
The use of a room will also determine the amount of foot traffic it gets on a daily basis. You can’t expect to use a shaggy rug on a hallway and have its look last a long time. Also the furniture you use will influence the flooring materials in a room. You can’t just put a large sofa on top of a nice area rug – it will render it useless and you have spent for nothing.
Whenever you are looking to put in a new floor, consider all the other elements in the room. Are they going to be complemented or will you end up with the home décor equivalent of Frankenstein? Walls, the ceiling, the major furniture, even the paintings and wall decorations have to match well with the floor. Whatever flooring ideas you decide to go with, make sure that it has a coherent and noticeable theme behind it. A hodge-podge and random mix of design elements is hard to ignore and it will stick with you for a long time.
If you are not quite sure of what to go with, taking a quick snapshot of the room might help. Consult experts armed with a picture and a short description on what the room is like and the thing that you want done is often enough for them to get started. Describe in detail how the room gets used on a daily basis. What you have on your mind may work flawlessly, but another viewpoint is needed if you want to be really sure. After all, you can’t really come up with all the decisions and an outside opinion is a breath of fresh air.
The last thing that you need to consider is the type of care needed to maintain a particular kind of floor. Wood tiles need to be waxed on a regular basis and carpets need to be vacuumed. Tiles are more maintenance-free as well as concrete and natural stone. Your decision will be ultimately determined by your taste, lifestyle, budget, and availability for upkeep.
