Home Decorating Tips Fun with Flooring Ideas

Posted by admin on October 23rd, 2008 filed in HomeDecor


The wide range of flooring options available today probably makes your head buzz every time you contemplate getting a new floor. At the same time, it also means you can find the perfect flooring idea for your home or office/place of work. Thus you can take your pick of wood or wood laminates, ceramic tiles, slate/stone, vinyl flooring, carpets, stone and marble, etc.

And then there are the sub-sections: if you choose wood, what is it to be, maple, oak, pine or teak? Do you like black, white, Connemara, rough finish, or polished marble? Of course, a lot depends on your budget and individual taste, but here’s a ready guide to the broad categories of flooring available on the market:

  • Laminate: Provided you cannot install a solid wood floor, wood laminates are a great substitute. They are available in as many colors and species as wood, and in as many styles, but the way they are constructed makes them last longer and withstand moisture and traffic better than wood. That makes it an excellent flooring idea for the bathroom

  • Linoleum: Linoleum, the flooring of choice for the disco era, is well on its way back. An all-natural flooring material made from linseed oil, cork, stone and natural resins, linoleum is available in a wide range of colors and patterns, and it is as durable as they come. What’s more, exposure to sunlight, which fades most other flooring materials, actually makes the colors in a linoleum floor richer. So you have a flooring option that is easy to care for, wears extremely well and lasts forever

  • Vinyl Tiles: Perfect flooring idea for kitchens, bathrooms and family rooms. Inexpensive, easy to install, and available in a vast range of colors and patterns, vinyl tiles also wear well, and are easy to maintain

  • Ceramic Tiles: No longer confined to bathrooms, ceramic tiles today come in rich tones, and include a range of patterns that is hard to incorporate on any other material. They can still provide excellent flooring ideas for the bathroom, but are not at all out of place in the kitchen, the patio or by the poolside

  • Slate Tiles: Slate looks like stone - well, it is stone - but has a number of advantages over stone floors. For one thing, its smooth surface holds a glossy finish well and is comfortable underfoot. Besides, it is available in its natural colors and is a great natural flooring idea

  • Wooden Flooring: Time-tested, beautiful and stylish, wood floors suit any decor. What’s more, with proper care, a wood floor lasts a lifetime, and gives you numerous flooring ideas courtesy its variety of patterns

  • Parquet Flooring: This is a particularly elegant and stylish flooring idea. Different colors, types or species of wood are cut and stained and fitted to create a pattern. The pattern may be overall, or it may be used to accent a border, corner or center of the floor

  • Stone Floors: Marble, slate, limestone and travertine are flooring ideas that are growing in popularity. Marble is, of course, particularly popular in public buildings

  • Carpets: Wall to wall carpets will always be in fashion. Modern choices include natural wool or cotton, acrylic, olefin and nylon, as well as jute and other natural fibers

  • Rugs: Floor and area rugs can brighten a dark space. They can also add a touch of luxury or elegance, depending on color and style. They go particularly well with wood and stone floors

    Tips before you buy your flooring

  • Draw an outline of the room or rooms. Indicate where the entrances are placed

  • Measure the room accurately with a measuring tape and write down its width and length. Remember, smaller print patterns can make the room seem a lot bigger

  • Take into account adjoining rooms and the flooring on those rooms and make sure you harmonize the new flooring with the old

  • If too much natural light enters the room, you might consider a laminated floor, and vinyl, ceramic or porcelain tiles

  • Coordinate the color and style of your flooring with your furniture, curtains and wallpaper

  • The foot traffic that a room gets should dictate your flooring idea. A room with a high volume of traffic needs more durable flooring

  • Similarly, a room used mainly for leisure activities can accommodate relatively delicate flooring materials

  • Remember, pets may damage flooring, so factor that in. equally, the number of children in the house will also impact flooring

  • Lighter colors make rooms seem bigger

  • How much will the new flooring cost? Is sub-floor preparation part of the quoted price? Also, is the quoted price inclusive of the installation? Make sure all the necessary materials are included in the quoted price

    Now you have your flooring ideas in place, go play!

    Tania Penwell is a professional writer who provides information for A1 Wood Flooring on cork flooring and laminate flooring.

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    • What Can a Tapestry Do for Your Home Decor

    Posted by admin on September 15th, 2008 filed in HomeDecor


    If you watch history programs on television or do much reading in this vein, you may recall seeing some of the beautiful medieval tapestries that frequently depict hunting scenes or well-known figures in freeze-frame motion. Hand-woven by women or perhaps monks with obvious artistic talent, these art forms preserve and showcase the exceptional talent of those who produced them centuries ago.

    Tapestries originally were shaped like large area carpets that might be laid on a stone floor to keep it clean and dry. Instead, they were hung on drafty stonewalls of secluded palaces or fortresses to enliven the place and to prevent the damp cold from creeping into residents’ bones. Woven with heavy yarn spun from animal wool that had been dyed a variety of shades, the beautifully crafted designs capture the long-ago adventure of battle scenes, treaties, and other monumental events that shaped the course of history. Handed down through a long family line or traded in open markets as well as donated to museum collections, many famous tapestries from Europe and other regions survive today to remind us of the ancient artisans who wove them with great care.

    You can get the same feel of history, art, and comfort when you buy a modern-day tapestry. Or, better yet, make one yourself. While you need not shear the sheep to get their wool for your project, you can purchase the wool or silk at any stage of its development that will be needed. Then you can needlepoint a selected design into the fabric to bring long-dead ancestors or family history to life. Your tapestry need not be as heavy or as large as those of old. Instead, begin by making a smaller version that can be used as a decorative wall hanging in your den or used as an accent rug in the family room.

    You can get tapestry kits from a craft or fabric store. Choose a ready-made pattern or make one yourself from an old photograph or art piece. Then select the proper type of thread and needle that will be used to imprint the design on a fabric backing. Follow the directions posted in a tapestry guidebook, or enroll in a community college course or fabric store sewing class devoted to tapestry to learn more about this historical art form. No one will be disappointed if your first effort isn’t a masterpiece. Just learn from any mistakes and try again until you get the result you want. Your family will love the exquisite designs that you can mold from heirlooms and special mementos.

    If time will not permit you to make your own tapestry, visit one of the well-stocked specialty shops that offer this type of home decoration. Compare prices and quality before making your selection. Either way, your guests and loved ones will appreciate the unique look of a tapestry adorning your personal abode.

    Find the tapestry of your dreams at The Tapestry Cart, located at http://www.tapestrycart.com.

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    Braided Rugs Spruce Up Your Home Decor

    Posted by admin on August 31st, 2008 filed in HomeDecor


    Your home is an extension of you and it’s important for it to make a statement. Whether you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere, a formal atmosphere, or just want to jazz it up a little you’ve got plenty of affordable options. Why not spruce up your home decor with braided rugs.

    Depending on size and style you can find braided rugs from as low as $30.00. Now that’s a pretty cheap facelift for your room! You can purchase round, square, octagon, or oval braided rugs. And of course they are available in a wide range of colors and patterns. There are many well known carpet manufacturers that also provide a great selection of braided rugs.

    Here are the 5 most popular braided rug lines.

    Thimbleberries

    Lynette Jensen’s Thimbleberries fabrics have been used to create a fabulous line of country style braided rugs. They are made of a 50% cotton and 50% polyester blend so they are built to withstand heavy traffic. You can choose from the Four Seasons oval or rectangle, or the comfort cottage oval or rectangle.

    Brook Farm

    Provides country style oval braided rugs that are warm and inviting. Made from 100% nylon they are a great addition to a kitchen or den. Choose from blackberry, colonial blue, winter green, and burgundy, as well as a host of other colors.

    Botanical Isle

    Provides a full line of braided rugs that are homey and inviting. Perfect for a cozy room or kitchen. Choose from banana, kiwi, punch, oasis blue, or a host of other colors.

    Jefferson

    Jefferson provides a full line of oval and round rugs in solid colors or mixed colors. Available in copper, moss green, blue ribbon, evergreen, red streak, and dessert beige.

    Spring Meadow

    Provides a wonderful mix of rich solid colored braided rugs that are perfect for a bathroom or bedroom. Choose from dandelion, sprout green, petal blue, silken rose, as well as others.

    There are many ways to use braided rugs to accent your room. A popular method is to place them in the center of a room, but they can be used off to the side to accent a piece of furniture, at an entrance, in a hall, or where ever else you want to make a statement.

    Braided rugs are also a great way to hide a stain or wear on your carpet from heavy traffic. They also add a soft and inviting accent to hardwood floors.

    Available in a variety of sizes from small to very large you can find the right size for your room with little problem. You can also combine one or more rugs together to make a unique statement.

    Braided rugs work great in a home, cabin, or even in a recreational vehicle. Just think smaller. They are available in solid colors or mixed colors and they can be found made from synthetic materials such as nylon or from wool. You’ll probably get tired of your rug long before it wears out. The great thing is they are so affordable you can change them every year if you like.

    So if you think it’s time your room had a makeover why not check out braided rugs. You can find them at department stores, carpet dealers, and even online for a great price. Get ready for a whole new room decor!

    John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit the carpet rugs website.

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