With all the popularity of websites like Houzz, Zillow, and Home & Design it is no wonder that we are getting requests for more and more uniqueness in our designs, products, and options. Homeowners, interior designers, and contractors are looking for ways to make their projects stand out. Design individuality is getting pushed more and more into the forefront for flooring projects and all indications point to this trend hanging around for quite awhile.
It’s important to note that adding personality to a project can come in a variety of ways – some more cost effective than others, but all adding dept to the overall look and feel of both the floor and the space. Below is a quick list of ways that you can make your “run of the mill” flooring project something special!
Color! – Whether you are refinishing your existing wood floors or installing new ones, livening up the stain color is a great way change the whole space. A typical solid ¾” thick wood floor has about 8 – 10 sanding in its lifespan. This means that the color you pick today doesn’t have to be a color you love in 10 or 15 years, you can sand it again. These days we are seeing the orange-y notes of the ‘90s being refreshed with gray tones, white-washes, and even dark espressos.
Board Lengths/Widths – Nothing breaks up the look of a beautiful hardwood floor like a bunch of end joints. If you are installing a new unfinished wood floor (and you have the right flooring contractor) you can request to upgrade to “long lengths” which will increase the average board length by several inches and rid you of some unnecessary joints. If you have an open floor plan, this upgrade really pays off in the general scaling of the room. You can also change the formality of the floor by going with wider or thinner flooring pieces. This rule applies across hardwood, LVT, and ceramic tile.
Patterns and Inlays – Patterns are great for everything from hardwood to LVT to tile. Sometimes, it is as easy putting the floor on a 45° angle. Other times, we put products in to chevron or herringbone designs. Back in 2000, a Champion Floor Company project was named Floor of the Year by Hardwood Floor Magazine for a marble inlay in wood floor. The possibilities are endless.
Materials – In recent past, carpet went in bedrooms, hardwood was for formal areas of the home, and ceramic tile was all you saw in kitchens and bathrooms. Now, with the newest innovations of our industry, we are seeing not only an expansion of the above mentioned products, but an explosion in new materials like Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Have you considered hardwood in your kitchen? Did you think about a luxury carpet for your rec room downstairs? Is bamboo an option in the bedrooms?
