So, creative minds went to work. I thought of an article I had read on mixing tile and wood to create a focal point in a room. There was plenty of tile leftover from our bathroom renovation, so we set about using it to design a pattern for the center of the room. When the floor was completed, we had a unique blend of texture, pattern and color that gave the sunroom a great touch of class, and proved a little creativity goes a long way.
In the past, flooring served the basic purpose of covering the foundation of a home with a pleasant surface to walk on, but today many homeowners are looking for something more creative and more interesting to look at. Competition in the flooring industry and interest in environmentally friendly products have led manufacturers to develop newer, better and more remarkable materials to entice homeowners. The result is an unleashing of products that promote creative flair. Walk into a flooring store today, and you’ll be amazed – and perhaps a little overwhelmed – at the product selection, color availability and suggested use of the many substrates.
Whether you are remodeling or building new, there are a lot of flooring options to consider and the possibilities for design and unique results are limitless. Taking advantage of some of these options can make average rooms appear spectacular.
Tile and Stone
In the past, tile has been primarily used in homes for its beauty, ease of care and longevity. From durable ceramic and porcelain tiles to veined marble and stone, there is an immense variety of selections to choose from.
The key to using tile and stone successfully is to understand its limitations and to use it creatively. For example, its strength and rigidity make granite an excellent choice for countertops. Mix it with metal tiles for a modern look or with a richly colored Travertine floor for a more European look. Limestone usually comes in soothing neutral grays, browns and yellows, but, as a softer tile, it is better suited for walls than high traffic ares. Tumbled stone and slate can create an “Old World” look while Mexican tile lends itself to a more Spanish or Tuscan decor. If your goal is to create a focal point in your kitchen or bath, glass tiles come in broad sizes, shapes, textures designs and finishes. They work well as accents in floors, walls and countertops or as full wall mosaics.
And then you have ceramic and porcelain. The original tile materials, ceramic and porcelain have come a long way in the style and design department. Like ceramic tile, porcelain tiles are heat fired to provide strength and stability, but they are fired at a much higher temperature making them dense and highly moisture resistant. Porcelain is an excellent choice for heavy foot traffic and extreme weather conditions, making it perfect for indoor and outdoor areas. Both of these tile types come in a variety of textures and colors. Some manufacturers offer their tiles in up to five sizes and complementary colors so that one product can be used to create a multitude of design possibilities. Many ceramic and porcelain tiles are designed to mimic the look of natural stone, cement and sand. They also can be purchased with metallic finishes that provide a copper, silver or “rusty” look.
So what’s the cool side of tile? Gaining popularity in the market are tiles inspired by natural wood. Complete with graining, shading and texture, these tiles provide the warm appearance of wood with the durability, long life and fade resistance of tile. Available in a “rectified” format, which means they can be installed without grout lines, wood tiles can achieve the same seamless appearance as a natural wood floor.
Another nontraditional idea is animal print tiles. If you agree with the adage that a little animal print should be included in every decor, you might consider a permanent solution. Animal print tiles work great as an accent or full wall coverage (see our luxury trends section for more information). Heavy texture and accent patterns continue to surface for wall tiles while floor tiles with the appearance of deep texture are popping up. And if you really enjoyed the view from your balcony in Maui, now you can enjoy it every day in your shower with a tile wall mural that contains a digital print straight from your camera.
Wood
The warmth and beauty of wood flooring adds instant style and class to any home. Hardwood floors have an ageless quality that will also keep their value making the choice to install wood floors a good investment.
Hardwood floors generally come pre-finished. The homeowner simply chooses a type of wood and color that fits the style and use of the home, and the floor is installed. Typical light colored woods include white ash, sugar maple or southern yellow pine while beech, birch, red oak, heart pine and mesquite are among the darker colors. In recent years there has been a surge in requests for renewable wood sources like bamboo and cork as well as interest in exotic woods like Brazilian Cherry (also known as Jatoba) which is prized for its strength and beauty. When choosing a floor, it is important to consider traffic use and expected outcome of the material. For example, southern yellow pine is beautiful, but of all those mentioned, it is the softest. Nicks, dings and scratches over time will give the floor a well worn appearance that may or may not be desirable.
Antique recycled and “reclaimed” wood is in high demand these days, but without access to an intact old wood floor, it can be expensive to acquire. Hand scraped and distressed hardwood floors are an alternate, slightly less expensive solution with a similar appearance offering the same kind of character and interest. Hand scraped wood can be done by machine or literally by hand, and the results vary based on the skill of the person doing the scraping.
If you thought wood floors were limited to color and wood type, you’ll be glad to know there are also some new ideas on the horizon for this market. With the idea that “life is not a straight line,” Bolefloor is the world’s first industrial scale manufacturer to produce hardwood flooring that follows the tree’s natural growth resulting in floors with naturally curved edges. For wood floors that lend themselves to the creative, another company, Snedker Studio has perfected a way to “marbleized” wood engaging with the natural growth ring of the Nordic pine to create vibrant colorful patterns. And finally, a technique to watch for in wood floors is carving. Mafi’s carving collection takes creativity to a new height with a series of oak plank floors that are actually etched with designs and oiled. A top choice is the Carving Grunge floor which is a new floor made to look used with multi-toned planks, a worn wood finish and random etched words oiled to perfection for the perfect shabby-chic look.
