Pick the right floor covering
Choose your fabric fibers
Arrange your pictures
Lighting tips
Storage tricks
Color tips and profiles
Budget decorating
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The floor is one of your room's single largest spaces. The floor forms the foundation of your room's comfort and good design. It may not scream out for notice, but your floor requires the same attention to detail that you demand from the rest of your home. Your floor offers the opportunity to express yourself with color, pattern, transition and texture as well as keeping in mind its function. Here are some choices:
Area rugs are great accents.
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Area Accents
An
area rug can be a star in its own right or at least play a best-supporting role when laid atop a gleaming wood floor or a soft and subtle, already carpeted floor.
Use area rugs to:
- Define your palette - Finding a rug to match your room isn't as easy as decorating around your favorite rug. If you love it, chances are you'll love the colors in paint or wallpaper.
- Enhance your color scheme - Consider a single-colored rug to strengthen the colors in your room with either the dominant or accent colors.
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Make a statement - Accent rugs can be bold accessories. You can even make it the focal point of the room by choosing the richest colors in your palette or by choosing a unique shape.
Persian Rugs enhance your traditional home.
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Set your space - Accent rugs are a decorating secret for defining conversation or seating areas. Use the rug to provide a touch-point for your furniture grouping and create a small haven in a larger room.
Textures
Wall-to-wall carpeting: Too often chosen by default, not by design, wall-to-wall carpeting offers many advantages both for comfort and for design. Today's carpeting options include beautiful weaves and fresh fiber options, such as all-wool or even wool-and-sisal blends.
Unify your home by choosing one carpet selection and using it in every room on the floor. Your home will seem bigger because the floor will provide a subtle continuity even if you change the wall colors and window treatments from room to room. Consider this option especially if your room-flow seems awkward.
Even if you use more than one style of wall-to-wall, you can add to a coherent look by keeping your selections within the same color family.
By choosing wall-to-wall carpeting, small areas that seem visually choppy can be enlarged by a single sweep of carpet.
Wall-to-wall choices for your style:
Country Casual: textured carpets will work well with your casual home. Consider nubby berbers or the relaxed look of a sisal-blend.
Elegant Traditional: Consider the plush feel of evenly-sheared pile carpet to add a velvety luxury.
Sophisticated Contemporary: You will appreciate the clean minimalism of a single sweep of color on your floors. Keep it simple and avoid strong, repeating textures or patterns that will add a cluttered feeling to your home.
Free-and-easy Eclectic: You may decide for wall-to-wall carpet as a background for your hand-hooked rug collection, or you might choose it for the physical warmth and comfort it provides.
Wood and faux wood floors
When should you use wood? Hardwood floors are expensive, but longest lasting. Real wood should be avoided in wet areas, like the kitchen or bathroom. In all other areas, wood ages gracefully over time, acquiring a rich patina with the years. If you are going to remain in your home for a while, consider real wood.
When should you use faux wood? For areas where you'd like the wood look but not the maintenance: kitchens, baths, family rooms, mud rooms. These can look astonishingly real and add the warmth and beauty of wood where it would not be practical otherwise.
Natural floors
Clay, tile, slate, brick, marble, terrazzo, limestone are all options for rich colors, textures and natural patterns for your floors.
What are the drawback of these natural floors? These natural floor materials can add an extraordinary sense of luxury or rustic flavor to your home. However, the materials are costly and the installation can be expensive. These are also among the coldest of flooring choices, they show dust, and can be noisy.
How can you use them while staying within your budget? Opt for small areas... a marble half-bath can add elegance to your traditional home. Saltillo tiles can be used in an entryway to add a rustic flavor to a southwest-style home.
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