We want it to be durable and beautiful, to ground the rest of our décor, and… we’re going to walk all over it. Yep – flooring.
And, my oh my, are there options! Everything from carpet, to tile, to vinyl, to wood. And it doesn’t stop there. Let’s say you’ve figured out that you want carpet: then there’s several grades of product (quality of fiber), different pile heights (berber? shag?), different patterns, not to mention color choices. Oh – and those horrendous boards that they send you home with. On one side it has a huge sample of a color that would never work with your furniture. And on the other side it has 50, 2″x4″ samples of every color… blue, purple, greeny-brown, orangey-brown. Whew! Overwhelming.
ugh… “shutter!”
But never fear! There’s crazy people in the world {yep, I’m one of the crazies} who can visualize what that 2″x4″ piece will look like throughout your entire room. And just as important: visualize how it will jive with your paint colors, furniture, etc.
Besides choosing the color/pattern of your product, you need to consider how it is going to perform in your space. Here are some things to consider:
1. How is the room going to be used?
{will moisture be present? will there be furniture sliding back & forth?}
2. Durability?
{do you have young children or pets in the home?}
3. What is your budget?
4. How much maintenance are you willing to perform?
{do you want set-it-and-forget-it, or are you okay with some routine maintenance?}
5. What are your personal preferences?
{do allergies affect your decision? have you always loved the look of wood?}
6. How do you want the room to look and feel?
{have a lot of antique furniture? want the room to feel modern & sleek?}
Make sure you take samples to your home to see how they look in your space, with your other finishes and furniture, and in your lighting!
When purchasing the flooring, be sure to hire a professional installer. Find out the best way to care for and clean the product. If they aren’t already in place, consider getting window coverings to protect the flooring from the sun – trust me on this one, the sun is powerful!
Suggestion 7. Call me! 🙂 I would love to help you shop, or help you decide on pattern or color once you’ve brought a few samples home. It can be very overwhelming, and it’s a big commitment. It’s much better to pay me for an hour or two of my time and make the best decision – rather than making a costly mistake and being unhappy with the product.
It’s always helpful to see pictures of rooms with similar flooring to help you visualize how it may look in your space. Houzz.com is a great resource! They have tons of pictures – it’s like Pinterest for interiors! Flip through pictures to see what products you like best.
Gorgeous. I am floored. [pun intended]
-Rachel
