Infloormation

There is nothing more elegant that walking into an amazing foyer or entryway.  An entry way is a perfect place to showcase fabulous design and a little drama. Remember that your entryway begins outside, before anyone enters your home. Consider replacing concrete sidewalks with tiled walkways. Good outdoor options include brick, slate or travertine.

Once you enter the home create a custom mosaic on your floor for personalization. Add a monogram, or just decorative tile. Remember that your entry way is your house’s way of saying welcome home.  Wide maple plank flooring or beautiful area rugs are also good ideas.

Whether you live in an opulent loft or a modest ranch, making a beautiful first impression goes a long way in making a design statement. If you have a large entryway be sure to use furniture large enough to fill the space. If you have a smaller entryway mirrors help make a tight hall space feel larger.

Among the other areas to consider showcasing in the foyer are the walls, ceilings and lighting. If you like color, using bright colors or wallpaper can create a fun transitional space. Don’t forget about your ceilings  – your fifth wall. A faux painting finish can make an average entryway more intriguing. If you have a two-story foyer hang a two or three level chandelier. Always make sure your lighting fixtures match your stair railings.

Remember your foyer is the prologue to the rest of your house. Start by making a great first impression.

Each Christmas as you tidy away the decorations you may take a look at your now “empty looking” home and decide that this is the year to spruce up the place a bit. We say, embrace change in 2012. We have a variety of resources to help you start thinking and planning for your home improvement projects.

What are your biggest goals this year? Do you want to replace all your carpet, update the kitchen or redo your master bath?

Have you thought about getting trendy in 2012? Did you know color palettes are changing? Indigo is the new “black”. Dimensional wallpaper, lighter floor finishes, and colorful, bold patterned furniture are also “in”. Peacock patterns, antiques, chandeliers, animal prints and high beds are also popular.

Don’t feel as though everything in your home has to match. Do you like a headboard that doesn’t match your nightstands and dressers? That’s ok.

Look for one-of-a-kind pieces from local artisans. There’s nothing like having a beautiful centerpiece in your home that no one else can duplicate.

Make small changes like adding a backsplash to your kitchen or add a glass tile mosaic in your bathroom. These seemingly easy projects can make an old room look new.

Wallpaper is back. It goes way beyond what you can do with paint. Powder rooms are a great place to use this idea. Create a jewel box effect by using a larger pattern. It’s fun to go big and bold in small spaces.

We’re here to help you. Our in house designers can help create “your look”.  And with our free in-home estimates, virtual design center and on-line financing we can make your project as easy and effortless as possible.

Each of us has a style of our own. Whether you love black, white and sparkle, cool tones and unfussiness or warm and rustic it is imperative to understand your personal style before you begin a decorating project at home. Here a few rooms to help you determine which style you are.

If you choose this room you like urban chic. You hate clutter, or at least you want your countertops to look bare and clean. View other urban chic rooms here to get more decorating ideas.

If you choose this room you love stately elegance. Your style is orderly, conservative and formal. View other stately elegant rooms here.

If you choose this room you love Rustic Reflections. Based in the arts and crafts movement, sophisticated Southwestern influences and mountain living, this style demonstrates true craftsmanship, simple design and the loving, organic combination of home, hearth and nature.  View other Rustic rooms here.

If you choose this room you love Seaside Simplicity. Seaside Simplicity is a light, easy-going lifestyle, think Tommy Bahama. View other Seaside Simplicity rooms here.

If you choose this room you love Italian Impressions. You crave objects aged and worn, rooms of heavy woods and wrought iron. View other Italian Impressions rooms here.

At Pierce Flooring we can help you design any room in your house in your own personal style. Our design center will help you get started.

Why not personalize your Christmas decorations this year? Family events, your last name – these are just some fun ways to be intentional with your decorating.

Remember how Grandma would tape the Christmas cards she received to the back of her front door, or around an archway in her home. Why not use a monogrammed card holder to display your Christmas greetings?

You are going to hang a wreath on your front door, right? Well why not use a custom monogrammed wreath holder? It’s an elegant statement that makes your entranceway unique and festive.

Serve drinks, hot apple cider or mulled wine in monogrammed glassware.

Celebrate family events with personalized ornaments. There are many places that will create mementos to commemorate weddings, babies and anniversaries.

Jazz up your powder room with monogrammed hand towels.

While you are in “monogram mode” why not create customized note pads as stocking stuffers?

And don’t forget to personalize your Christmas stockings….even one for Fido.

Would you like to pull this type of mood into your home’s design? You can do it if you look closely at this photo and use it to inspire your home’s décor. Let’s take a look at how you can make this happen.

Start by capturing this image, or one you are drawn to, with a camera. Your memory may not be up to keeping track of the tones visible here and a photo enables you to shop while keeping that vision right in front of you.

Now look at your image. Are you in love with the variety of browns provided by the leaves? Do you want to capture the blue-brown contrast that works so well here? Is it maybe that pop of orange you don’t want to lose in your own home? Whatever the goal, keep it in mind.

Before you shop take a look at the room you plan to decorate. Are any of these colors already present? For example, that light blue-grey tone coming from the stairs and railing would make a wonderful wall color.

In the case of the room in this photo, the light wood flooring provides elements of the browns, and adding the dark brown accent wall pulls in the deeper shades.

The sofa is darker and bluer than the original color, but a smarter choice for maintenance. That light blue-grey would also almost disappear in the room, so the color change works.

Then of course, the pop of orange, in this case shown as several pops, add personality to a room that would be dreary without them.

A dark brown coffee table and a few more elements that pull that blue in and this room is finished, turned into a space that captures the colors and some of the mood of the appealing photo that inspired it.

Add silver and crystal to basic black and white, and the mood shifts. From modern and stark, you find yourself mimicking the glamour and gaiety of Hollywood in the 1920s.

Every element in this room contributes to the mood. The tile floor is off white, but with touches of darker tones to add warmth and connect the floor to the black pieces. The floor is offset by an area rug in a floral pattern of black and white – the black prevalent to offset the light floor.

The other strong note of black comes from the loveseat, which provides a perfect foil for the brightness of the rest of the décor. Black and white floral patterns come through again in throw pillows and the lampshade.

Crystal and glass abound in this room in many forms. The coffee table is topped in glass, allowing the daring area rug to shine. The room divider behind the buffet is also glass, with a large floral etching to add separation and style. Crystal comes from the chandelier and the amazing column of crystals that run behind the sofa.

Silver is the other strong element. Old world silver candlesticks and a bowl top the buffet. Two small graceful tables and simple picture frames are covered in silver leaf for a distinctive sparkle.

This room was made for a party, but the glamour doesn’t come from any one thing. Instead, it’s a smart mix of old and new that creates the feeling of yesterday in the style of today.

You’ve finally anted up and it’s time to make that cement basement a cozy inviting place for the kids and the adults to play. You’re envisioning a big screen TV, a pool table and space for all those toys.  You know your color scheme and your budget but you have no idea what type of carpet you should install. Realistically, you know you need something durable and easy to clean as you know that the kids and adults will be snacking and drinking down there. We’ve got you covered.

The bottom line is this: choosing the ideal carpet style is all about knowing the right combination of aesthetics, performance and budget that meets the needs of your lifestyle – emphasis on you.

So check out the following and let us help you learn all about the carpet styles that will be right at home in your home.

You have several options. You can either choose to install a less expensive carpet with the idea that your will replace it every few years. What a pain. Or you can choose a carpet with the Stain master advantage. They last 50% longer and stay 30% cleaner than other carpets. Watch this video of durability and spill repellency.

You can look at carpet colors, pad options and calculate how much carpet you will need.  You can decide what style of carpet will look best in your basement. Do you want frieze, loop, cable or Saxony? You can even use our room visualizer that you can get an idea without spending a dime about what your room will look like when it is finished.

Visit our showroom or contact us for more information. We are happy to help you pick the best carpet option so that you can get your rec room project underway.

Designing a room can be a daunting challenge. What style will work best? How can I make a design impact without breaking the bank? Does that color of paint really match those tiles? What type of flooring would work best in this space? These are all questions that must be answered before anything is purchased, or even measured. After all you don’t want your home to be a hodge-podge of color, texture and style. Each room should flow together effortlessly and harmoniously.

The first step in decorating is to determine how your lifestyle affects how you decorate. The design center at Pierce Flooring is a great way to begin. At the design center you can complete a fun quiz about How you Live. You’ll answer questions about color schemes you enjoy, how you want the atmosphere of your home to feel, how many family members live in the home and where they spend the majority of their time. At the end of the quiz you will receive solid decorating advice, everything from what types of carpet are better for a playroom to how to decorate with warm or cool colors and how to maximize the resale value of your house.

Pierce Flooring also offers a What I like quiz. Created by their design and decorating experts this is a quick and easy 10 questions that will help you determine what type of style you enjoy. Do you like Urban Chic, or is Seaside Simplicity more your thing? Pierce Flooring even offers a Virtual Room Designer where you can “practice” putting together tile, flooring and paint combinations. How fun is that?

By determining the style you enjoy and the most practical flooring, carpeting and design questions you can easily begin your home décor projects.

Laundry is part of life, and most homes have a simple laundry room with limited space. Have you taken a look to make the most of your laundry room options? This small room works well because it’s well thought out for functionality.

First it’s light and appealing in a simple way. The window adds so much appeal both because of the view and the abundance of natural light. As a room that you walk into and out of constantly, the window reduces your need to turn a light off and on all the time.

The floor is so smart. The small tile mirrors bathroom tile and is neutral enough to provide for almost any color approach in the room. Tile can also handle the potential water issues if your washing machine floods. The second smart decision is the drain in the floor. This will protect the rest of your home’s floors from any machine mishaps.

The simple decision to hang a rod over the machines provides a place for finished ironing or hanging dry any clothes that can’t take the dryer’s heat. A second circular hanging clothes rack over the ironing board handles smaller items. One option offered in this room comes from the window – opening it on nice days can add fresh air when drying clothes.

If you have the room, take advantage of your utility space to add both additional functionality and some design touches to make the room more than just for laundry. If the space is small, look for opportunities to create additional storage for clothes drying and folding. With a little effort, you can make this weekly task both easier and more enjoyable.

Your visitors begin to develop their perceptions of your home before you ever open your front door. Your front door is their first impression, so what can you do to make it a good one? How about taking a look at these doors and applying some of these ideas to your own home?

Let’s start with the first photo. This entryway has everything lined up to make it special. The dark color on the door contrasts well with the cream walls, making it a significant entrance. The two-step lighting keeps the actual entrance area bright while the sconces set the outer steps in a light shadow that expands the sense of contrast.

The tiered steps set in brick expand the feeling that the front door is framed by the house itself. Everything about this arrangement draws the eye to the front door as the focal point of the home.

Now, take a look at the second photo. With this brick townhome something needed to be done to emphasize the doors, keep some similar features and yet make them different. Subtle differences in the wood surrounds and the brass door features contribute, but the decision to use two door colors really sets them apart.

Take a step outside and look at your front door. Are you happy with it? If not, consider simple upgrades such as paint, door knobs, or even a wreath. Change your light fixtures to add personality, and take a look at improving the surface of your walkway or entrance landing by using tile or stone to make it more memorable. If you make a few changes, you can really improve the first impression people have of your home.