Infloormation

The living room and the family room is where the family gathers all the time to spend some quality time together. That is why it is very important these rooms should be comfortable and inviting for this is where the family spends most of their time.

One way to create a homey feel to any living room and family room is by installing carpets. Carpets have a lot of benefits:

1. Safety. If you have kids, installing carpet will greatly benefit you as it provides cushion reducing the impact of fall or any accident.
2. Natural Insulation. Carpets also act as a natural insulator as it keeps the house warm during winter and trap cool air during summer months.
3. Sound Reduction. Carpets reduce noise because it absorbs any foot traffic and it blocks sound between floors.
4. Comfort. Since carpets are soft, it provides a comfortable walking surface.
5. Beauty. It adds additional style and concept to the room because of its varied patterns, styles and colors.

When choosing the carpet that will work well for your living room and family room, you have to take into consideration that this room is one of the busiest places in your home so you should choose a carpet color and style that can take the wear and tear. The color should not be that light that even a small drop of soda is easily noticed. The pattern should also not be too boring as it should create a very relaxing and homey feel to the room.

Pierce Flooring and Design will help you choose the best carpet for your living room and family room visit our website for more information or drop by your local location.

High-end hotel lobbies provide a great source of ideas for adding drama to your home. Combining a residential feel with a sense of luxury, they employ the best of combinations to catch your eye.

This lobby is a good example. It all starts with the flooring – a light wide-plank wood set on a diagonal. This gives the room the contrast it needs to compensate for the squared arrangement of the rugs and furniture. Beyond the flooring choice, this room continues to use contrasts to develop its sense of drama.

The columns represent a classic look that works well with the old oriental rugs. Style contrast shows in the very contemporary furniture with its dark rattan in a simple style and pillows that echo the white of the columns and the walls.

There is a lot going on in the room, but nothing on the walls. This gives the rugs the opportunity to be the real artwork for the space. With a variety of rug patterns in the same traditional shades, they are the only significant pattern in the room.

Coming back to the floor – the diagonal encourages people walking through the lobby to head over to one of the seating areas. Diagonal flooring makes a room feel larger, and in this case helps all the disparate seating areas connect with each other. When you plan your flooring, think beyond standard layouts and consider whether a diagonal installation will improve the flow and style of your room.

Selecting an area rug can seem like a difficult decision, but by considering a number of simple factors, you can make the right choice for your home.

This rug is perfect for this room. In terms of color, size and design it works well. Let’s take a minute and determine why.

Size is a good place to start. Most rugs come in pretty standard sizes. This room would work with a rug this size, or one large enough to fit under the sofa and loveseat. With the beautiful hardwood floor, it makes sense to choose a rug that also shows off the wood. A smaller size is also less expensive, which gives you the chance to buy a higher-quality rug if you’re on a budget.

The colors of this rug complement the room. The warm light brown of the border is close enough to the floor color that the rug doesn’t dominate the floor. However, the design in the center features many of the colors in the rest of the room. The grey stripes coordinate with the sofa and loveseat, the black mirrors the fireplace and the two lamp bases and the cream echoes the light cream of the lampshades and tile fireplace surround.

Finally, think about how the rug’s design will work with your furniture. This coffee table is simple and airy, so the centered design is visible in the room. With a heavier coffee table or something like an ottoman or chest serving as a table, a central design would be almost completely obscured. In that situation, look for a rug with an overall or border pattern.

Take your time and consider these issues, and you will find just the right area rug for your floor and your home.

We’re experiencing a love affair with travertine tile. Travertine is a type of limestone and was popular with the Romans, who constructed the Coliseum with travertine. Talk about a classic design element!

Italy continues to be a major exporter of travertine stone, along with Turkey and Mexico. Like any natural stone, there will be variation in pattern and color depending on where the stone is quarried.  Travertine is known for its pock-marked surface that is the result of air bubbles in the stone being revealed during the honing process. Rather than seen as flaws in the stone, these marks given travertine its unique character.

Once considered a splurge, travertine tile prices are now competitive with other tile choices, making travertine one of the most popular stones for today’s interiors.  Travertine first gained popularity as floor tiles.  The naturally smooth but porous surface of travertine gives it a warm, broken in feeling versus the “cold” feeling of marble. Travertine stone tiles are as diverse as the interior projects they can be used for.

We’re seeing more and more options in travertine tiles.  From oversized floor tiles to border tiles, travertine comes in as many size options as porcelain or ceramic tiles.  The warm beige shade of natural travertine makes this stone tile a popular choice for kitchens and baths. Travertine mosaic tiles can be used in the shower or as a kitchen backsplash.  Travertine tile works for walls, floors and counters.  If using travertine in a wet area, like around a sink or in the shower, be sure to ask about sealing the stone.

This room looks like it was made of light. Unlike traditional wood floors, this whitewashed version sets a gentle light tone.

The area rug is also light – a soft green that speaks of spring. The only other permanent color in the room is the small houseplant on the table. Green is the perfect complement for the room’s style and tone.

A white loveseat and side table work well against the light wood grain. The simple lamp has a shade of a softer white, and its silver base matches the cool tones evident in the room. However, although the predominant colors are cool, the sunlight coming from the windows keeps this room warm as well as bright.

Cellular window coverings are the perfect choice for these large windows. The shades can be adjusted to allow the sunlight to come in without any glare. This capability is particularly valuable when using a computer as this homeowner is doing. These and the walls are also white, keeping to the color theme of the room.

This is not a large room, so the light white approach helps it to feel inviting and spacious enough for one or two people to enjoy. You could feel like it’s spring in this room no matter what the real season.

Cork is not just for corkboards anymore. The emerging trend in flooring second to bamboo floors are cork floors. Cork flooring is environment friendly and aside from looking terrific, it also feels good underfoot. Using cork floors in any room will give it a warm and inviting look.

Since the call for saving our environment is fast-rising, cork flooring makes a perfect choice for those looking to do their part. Cork is a renewable resource that comes from the bark of trees. Hence, they do not have to be cut down in order to obtain the cork which renews itself within nine years.

Cork flooring is ideal for homes with family members who have allergies. For one, it is hypoallergenic and does not harbour dust mites and it can easily be mopped in order to remove remaining allergens. One of the best qualities of cork is that it is resilient. It provides cushion while standing or walking over it. This makes for excellent kitchen floors because working in the kitchen requires standing for long periods of time compared to the other parts of the house. And since it is also water-resistant, it is ideal to use where spills are very common.

Additionally, it is also an insulator and can be a useful temperature regulator. It is also “self healing” meaning that if you drop a knife or any sharp object, the “wound” heals and can go undetected.

Cork patterns come with light and dark swirls so it helps hide dirt and imperfections well. It can go with any design style while maintaining its beauty and warmth.

We’re seeing more wood floors in darker stains being used throughout the house.  Whether it is a maple, cherry or oak floor, customers are requesting it be stained as dark as possible. Are you buying new wood floors or refinishing existing floors in your home? Think about going with a dark wood floor too.  You’d be surprised how much it will change the look and feel of your space.

Dark wood floors work great with lighter, neutral walls.  Dark floors anchor the space visually.  A dark floor can make a room feel larger, especially when paired with light colored furnishings or cabinets.  If you have darker colored furniture, consider balancing the dark with a light colored area rug and accents. If your room is darker by nature, dark wood floors can make it feel cozier.  A dark wood floor with warm leather furniture and earth tone accents would be nice for a home theater or family room.

A dark stained wood floor in the kitchen looks fantastic with white cabinets. This is a nice reversal of the trend of dark cabinets with a light floor that has been popular for a while now.  Or consider dark cabinets in a similar color to the floors, and then balance it with light granite or marble countertops and backsplash.

Dark wood floors can work well with most architecture styles, from modern to sophisticated traditional to country. Consider a flat finish and wider planks if you want more of a farmhouse feeling. A higher gloss finish would give a polished feeling to either a traditional décor or a contemporary space.

The look and feel of marble underfoot is luxury at its finest. Once relegated to the castles, palaces and mansions of nobility and the ultra wealthy, marble has become increasingly popular in many North American homes. As homeowners become more knowledgeable about the true nature of marble, they are making the choice to invest a bit more when it comes to their flooring.

Besides its obvious beauty, marble is actually an eco-friendly natural product which is durable and easy to maintain. These innate characteristics turn a purchase which would once be considered just a luxury into a solid lifetime investment.

The versatility and variety offered by marble is unmatched. Because it is naturally formed each piece of marble has its own unique look. Colors span the spectrum from black to white almost every color in between. Highlights of its veins and flecks can appear in any color, but most common are red, brown, gray, pink and green.

Marble’s varying appearance makes it perfect for any style home from modern to traditional and can be used throughout the entire house. For an even more luxurious and sophisticated look, have marble floors installed with borders, medallions and accents. Don’t stop with the flooring carry marble through to kitchen backsplashes, bathroom showers and tub enclosures and even window sills.

With marble, the design possibilities are practically endless and the initial investment will soon pay for itself by giving long lasting, easily maintained quality. Its richness and beauty are priceless.

Outdoor areas can be an extra space to cook, entertain and relax. Create an intimate space where memories are made. With Spring around the corner; now is the time to show your outdoor area some TLC.

Make sure your seating is comfortable. New brightly colored seat pads and chair cushions can easily be added to outdoor furniture. Metal or wicker outdoor furniture can be painted to look brand new. Natural wood outdoor furniture (such as Teak) should be left natural and oiled each season, in order to maintain the life of the natural exposed wood.

Lighting up your space can transform this outdoor space into an intimate/warm place to converse during pleasant Spring and Summer evenings. Tiki torches can be placed anywhere there is soil and/or grass. Bug repelling candles provide warm light and deter pesky insects. Freestanding/portable fire pits and terracotta Chimeneas are excellent for gathering seating around and roasting marshmallows or to stay warm during chilly evenings. White Christmas lights can be wrapped around railings and provide light for walkways.

Stones can be laid to make a hard surface to place furniture, accent tables, a grill and other items that need to sit on a solid surface. Lanais can be made by laying real flat rocks, pebbles or made by pouring concrete into molds that look like real paving stones.

Interesting flowers, greenery and other landscaping looks even more intimate when illuminated by outdoor accent light. Plant short grasses along walkways that can be illuminated with solar powered lights.

Utilizing available outdoor space can act as an area for an overflow of guests when entertaining. These cozy areas can also be transformed into a relaxing haven, simply by hanging a hammock or adding a freestanding swing. Get in touch with nature during the warmer seasons and utilize your outdoor area to it’s full potential!

When you visit our showroom, you may meet one or more of our sales staff. But today we want to acknowledge the rest of the people who make our showroom possible.

Our behind-the scenes team takes care of our warehouse and distribution requirements – ensuring that your purchases are delivered accurately and in a timely fashion. They have help from the computer specialists that help set up and manage our inventory, purchasing and delivery systems.

Move back a bit and we have a transportation team that uses ships, rail and trucks to bring your flooring from our suppliers to you. Some, like our delivery and installation crews, work for us. Others are part of a number of subcontractors we rely on – businesspeople that make our showroom possible.

In our offices, purchasing agents, accountants and assistants manage the administrative requirements of our operation. Our managers make sure everything is on track for your visit and your purchase. Marketing creates the advertising that we hope will draw you to our showroom when you need flooring.

Finally, our remarkable cadre of suppliers manufactures our carpeting, tile and wood and mines our selection of stone products. Our team spends time evaluating every supplier to make sure we can offer you the best quality, the most current styles and the best prices in the industry.