Design Your Flooring

Flooring is probably one of the first things you see upon entering a home, if it doesn't jive with the rest of your design scheme; it influences the look of the whole house. When deciding on a new floor, consider:

- The function of the various rooms you are flooring

- How the flooring fits in with your overall decor

With that in mind, here are some basic design tips that describe how flooring affects a room:

Look at your floor as a one of 6 walls - 4 walls, ceiling and the floor; they all have to be in sync.

Choosing a neutral color will give you more design options, now, and will make your home more sellable down the road.

Common designer recommendations are colors found in nature, such as greens, browns, ochre's, and bronzes.

Pale flooring helps a small room appear larger.

Plain colors and small patterns work well in small or larger rooms. However, large, bold patterns and dark colors should be restricted to larger areas.

Using the same neutral flooring to link adjoining rooms makes an area look bigger and creates a nice flow.

If you plan on integrating two or three types of flooring, view samples of all of them together before choosing.

Use a border to add interest or define an area in a room. Think of a border as a permanent area rug.

Medallions are accents commonly used as focal points in wood or ceramic floors.

Choose the right style of flooring for the look you want to achieve:

Stone floors combine durability and natural beauty. They provide a dramatic look in an entrance while being easy to maintain. They resist moisture, and combined with radiant heating make an ideal choice for a bathroom floor. Some of unpolished slate or limestone styles work great in sunrooms by creating a sense of bringing the outdoor in. Ceramic floors combine well with carpeting or hardwood as a transition from entry way to living area. Or continue it right through from entry to kitchen to maintain a flow and make an area appear larger.

Hardwoods provide a timeless design that easily adapts to any decor. Although they can be costly, the floors will last forever with proper maintenance. Laminate flooring is a somewhat cheaper alternative, but have come a long way. Make sure to install a sound-proofing underlay for a cushion.

Carpeting is a good choice if a good quality and well-maintained. It's one of the most popular choices for bedrooms; creating a warm and inviting space. Use your color palette when choosing a bedroom carpet, so that it relates to the flooring in other areas of the house. Carpet tiles can work well, but the key is to create a pattern, otherwise they'll remind you of the office.

Area rugs can add warmth and color to a wood or stone floor. They also define different areas such as a sitting area, almost making them appear as separate rooms.

Painting floors is an option growing in popularity. Especially with older floors, they can be stripped and painted with a high-gloss white for a funky, modern look. You can also create a country look with a checkerboard design border.

Exotic flooring alternatives are on the rise. Popular wood choices are eco-friendly Bamboo floors, Cherry, Brazilian, Santos Mahogany or Wenge. These can work great as accents or borders to a typical hardwood. Other non-wood choices include cork and even leather. Leather tiles look better with age and provide a warm, expensive look for a library or sitting room.

When choosing a flooring it's easy to be tempted by some of the cheaper versions, but you will pay in the long run for the lack of quality. Try to buy the best type of flooring you can afford, and if well-maintained it will last for years.

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