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How to choose flooring that feels right in your home
Think back to a room that you loved and felt comfortable in.
Picture it in your mind, and remember all the things you loved
about it. Chances are that when you start remembering, you can
vividly picture the walls, the pictures on it, the furniture -
how about the flooring? Surprisingly enough, the flooring in a
room is often one of the first things people recall when they
remember a room. I can vividly recall stepping into a quaint old
house when we were house-hunting a few years back and feeling
immediately as if I'd come home. It wasn't until later,
analyzing my reaction, that I realized the reason: the flooring
in the kitchen was the exact same pattern and color linoleum
that had been on my grandmother's kitchen floor almost thirty
years ago.
When you're redecorating, the flooring choices you make can set
the tone and the mood for the entire room. Imagine your Mission
style living room against a solid black floor of stone quarry
tile. The solid color and contrast of wood and stone is
dramatic, highlighting the functional simplicity and beauty of
the design. The feeling of the room is serene and cool - a
polished perfection of form and function.
Now imagine that same furniture set against wood flooring in
soft, warm maple. Rather than contrast, you now have blending
that softens the definitive lines of classic Mission furniture
styling. Add a woven rag rug to accent the colors of the
upholstery and pick up the tint of the wall and the same
furniture and accessories take on an upscale country feeling -
open airy space and casual comfort.
Dramatic flooring styles have their place as well. Imagine a
pieced parquet wood floor in your front entry hall, or a buffed
expanse of terracotta tile flooring inset with stone parquetry
around the borders. Replace that flooring in your mind's eye
with a thick, Oriental runner over bare wood and see how it
changes the look and feel of the
room.
When you choose flooring for a room that you're decorating, keep
in mind the following things:
1. Function
Choose a floor that suits the function of the room. White
carpeting is probably impractical for your kitchen, but perfect
for your bedroom. Natural wood, while beautiful and warm, is
generally not the best choice for a bathroom.
2. Mood
Different flooring materials set very definite moods and tones.
Natural materials tend to soften the ambience in a room. Stone
quarry tiles with a rough finish set a rustic mood. Solid
linoleum, with its soft feel underfoot and bright colors can
warm a kitchen or set a dramatic style with a single solid
color. The flooring choice you make can dramatically enhance
every other aspect of your decorating scheme.
3. Maintenance and Care
While you're considering, don't forget to take into account the
amount of maintenance and care that a floor will require. A busy
lifestyle may not have time in it for the kind of maintenance
that some floors require. Can you imagine spending hours every
week waxing your floor? Low maintenance options include
pre-sealed wood floors, stone tiles and acrylic flooring tiles.
With literally thousands of combinations of materials, colors
and styles of flooring available, you're sure to find something
that's just perfect for your home. A little research and
judicious use of visualization will help you choose a flooring
option that you'll love for years.
About the author:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon
International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on
the web. Visit this Home
Furnishings Website and Majon's Home
Furnishings directory.
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