Infloormation

Do you have a friend whose taste you admire and would like to emulate? Why not invite him or her to help you the next time you’re facing a new flooring decision? Another perspective could be quite helpful and open up new possibilities for you. As you consider bringing a friend into your decision-making process, make a plan to ensure that the collaboration will work for you.

To start, consider more than taste. Is this someone you can trust to let you make your own decisions? Or are you going to have to fight for what you want instead of what he or she thinks is the best choice? Do you know exactly what you want your friend to help you decide? Thinking these issues through will help you set ground rules before heading out. Once at the store, let the salesperson know that you brought your friend for advice, and whatever other help you want. This sets the stage for your salesperson, so he or she knows that you are the decision maker. Use your friend to help you consider broader options than you might have looked at alone, and to help focus in on your alternatives by providing opinions you can think about as you narrow your selections.

However, remember that the final decision needs to be yours. If you abdicate the responsibility to your friend, both of you may regret it later. Also, if the process isn’t working, don’t hesitate to end the shopping session and come back later on your own. Bringing a friend can make shopping for flooring both easier and more fun. By selecting the right person and planning ahead, the trip can be a great experience for both of you.

Have you lived in your home for a while and want just a little something new? Decorating with wall tile can add a splash of color to an existing area without a lot of disruption to a room or your daily life. (*in comparison to most flooring projects!) Maybe you’ve got grease spatter stains behind your stove and could use a backsplash. Maybe you’ve got a bathroom that’s a little boring and it just needs some decorative attention. Below are some ideas on decorating with wall tile that may just inspire you!

Kitchen:

• Add a backsplash – either something decorative and functional behind the stove or sink area or all of the walls in the kitchen.
• Tile the front of a bar area if there are footprints on the sheetrock.
• Tile a table top for added protection and color.

Bathrooms:

• Add a wainscoting of tile to the bathroom walls. Get creative, use multiple sizes and / or colors!
• Add or replace a sink backsplash with a decorative tile listello.
• Frame a mirror with decorative tile.
• Add tile behind your bathtub. Don’t be shy – go all the way up to the ceiling. Create an area that says, “Calgon, take me away!”

Other rooms:

• Add tile to a fireplace surround.
• Tile the risers of your stairs with a decorative tile.

For other ideas specific to your home or project, call or visit us today to get some ideas of what will work in your home and then we can give you a free estimate to help you decide! If these projects sound like more than you want to tackle, but you still want to add a splash of color, we’ve got area rugs for that. You can even buy online!

Question:

I am about to start a remodeling project and I was wondering if you could give me some advice about what to choose first. I need to replace my kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring in three rooms, wall colors and some furniture in those same rooms. There are so many things to choose – is there any strategy as to what should be chosen first? I am already overwhelmed at the thought of all of the choices I have to make!

Cecile from Bozeman, MT

Answer:

This is a great question, Cecile and one that comes up often. There are several points and variables to consider when tackling a remodeling project. The most important thing to take into consideration is whether you are doing the remodeling yourself or working with a contractor. If you are working with a contractor or remodeler, they will have a very specific schedule and you should consult with them first on what deadlines need to be met and when. They will also handle which items are installed in what order. As far as where to start the selection process in terms of choosing the things you like, here are some other considerations that may help you determine where to start.

Regardless of what makes more sense to choose first, it is more important that you love all of your choices in the end. Sometimes, the easiest place to start is by falling in love with one item and letting that be your focal point. This can be a decorative item such as a plate or vase, a pillow or other piece of fabric, a sentimental object or a piece of hardwood flooring that is so spectacular that everything else should revolve around it.

Another important consideration is the number of choices you have. Think of it this way, there are hundreds of thousands of paint colors to choose from, but how many cabinet choices or hardwood or tile choices do you have? It’s better to start with an item that has a limited number of options in order to focus on the remaining choices. Starting with a paint color can lead to too many options.

Along those same lines, it’s a lot easier and less expensive to change a paint color down the road than it is to change the look of a floor, cabinet or countertop choice. When choosing these items, make selections that will last long term.

Some people find it helpful to start from the bottom up, meaning choose the floors first. From there you can build up. For example, in the kitchen, if you start with the floors you can then choose the cabinets that sit on the floor. Then, choose the countertop that sits on the cabinet. Then, the backsplash that sits on the countertop and so on.

Don’t forget about lead times. Items like furniture can have long lead times and therefore need to be ordered in plenty of time to arrive according to the remainder of the schedule.

Because of the number of items you have to choose, try to gather as many samples as you can when visiting different stores. We can provide you with flooring samples, but be sure to ask other for samples as well. Having items from different sources all together in the same place when making a selection is invaluable.

We hope this advice helps you. We will be happy to give you further advice when it comes time to start your project. Our sales staff has years of experience that can save you some of the headache that can come with remodeling.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Pierce Flooring

The  full backsplash is often forgotten because people think they have the backsplash covered with the 4″ splash that generally accompanies the countertop. A tile backsplash not only serves the functional purpose of protecting the wall,  but it also serves as a design element that can tie your whole kitchen together. Why not do all you can to decorate with your backsplash in addition to using it for wall protection?

In this kitchen example, Dal Tile does a great job of coordinating the floor tile with the wall tile. The floor tile and the wall tile are actually from the same collection, they are just different sizes used in different patterns. Note that the floor is one pattern while the field of the backsplash is another pattern with the accent behind the stove an additional pattern.

Let’s focus on the accent design behind the cook top. Dal has used a few simple elements to create a dramatic and stylish focal point for this kitchen. As already mentioned, the tile used here is the same as the floor and the field tile of the backsplash, but is used in a diagonal installation in the center behind the cooktop. Taking the diagonal installation one step further, dots were placed in the intersections of the tile to coordinate with the countertop.

To make the area stand out even more, the diagonal tiles are framed with a chair rail creating dimension and depth in this area. The introduction of the additional color does a great job of drawing attention to the picture frame as well as providing a tie in to the cabinets.

To keep everything from being a solid color in the kitchen, Dal used a mosaic to create an additional border around the chair rail or picture frame. This makes the whole area behind the stove feel larger and brings in multiple additional colors that can be used for coordination of other decorative items in the kitchen such as dish towers, artwork, dishes or fabric.

This design is artful, timeless and a great example of how to use multiple tiles in multiple sizes to create a beautiful kitchen tile design.

This photo features Continental Slate Brazilian Green 18 x 18 , 12″ x 18″, 12 x 12 , 6 x 6 field tile with 4 x 12 border and Fashion Accents Antique Pewter chair rail. Modified Hopscotch (Cont. Slate) pattern shown on floor.

Experiment with tile designs using these products in our virtual room designer. Or upload your own room to see what these tiles will look like in your home!

This use of tile on the wall in this powder room is referred to as wainscoting. Wainscoting can be higher up the wall than this, but in this case it only goes to about chair rail height. It can include tile that is larger, smaller, in different patterns, different styles and more.

This tile does a great job of giving this small bathroom some personality and interest. The particular texture of this tile is its best feature. Not only does this tile install look fantastic, but it serves a purpose as well! The tile serves as a sink splash as well as wall protection.

Because this tile stops below the chair rail it allows a different texture and wall surface to be installed above the chair rail. In this case, the wall above the chair rail is darker than the bottom half of the wall. This keeps a small room from feeling smaller with all of the walls being dark.

Also worth noting, the style and elegance of the toilet and sink. The lines of these fixtures compliments the beauty of the tile on the wall. Also, notice the toilet paper holder is the same finish as the hardware on the other fixtures. It’s all in the details…..

There are so many tile and stone choices out there to choose from. From plain and neutral to colorful with lots of movement and range. When shopping for tile or stone it can seem very easy just to pick the most neutral tile in the bunch and call it a day. Before choosing a plain neutral tile, here are some things to consider about tiles with color range and movement. This is particularly important because hard surfaces like tile and stone are purchases that you generally don’t change – so you want to get all you can out of it the first time.

Tile or stone with color range can:

• Help tremendously with hiding dirt and dust (what else do you need to know!?!) The more color and movement in a tile, the more types of dirt and dust it can hide!
• Give a floor more dimension and life – instead of looking like a flat solid floor, tiles with color range and movement can make a floor appear to have more dimension
• Make the floor the focal point of the room – this is helpful if your furnishings are solid or plain and the room needs a focal point
• Give you colors to define your color scheme – the colors or different shades of the same color can give you a starting point for your design scheme
• Give you more options to change other areas of the room such as wall color or fabrics – with multiple values of color you have more choices to pull from

Don’t be shy when it comes to choosing a tile with color range or movement. One important hint: when choosing a tile that has range of color and movement, look at several pieces of tile together (and look at them in the area they will be installed if possible) to get an idea of what the overall look will be. One single tile will not give you an accurate representation of that the whole floor will look like. Also, when looking at several pieces of tile, walk back from the samples a few feet. This will give you a better overall idea of what the floor will look like.

To look at a room scene with plain tiles versus tiles with color range and movement, try our Virtual Room Designer!

Have you used a floor that has color range and movement? Send us a photo to share with others!

Reader Question:

I am looking to replace my flooring in my living room and dining room. I really like the look of dark hardwood or tile but I am concerned that they will make my room look smaller. Do you  have any advice?

Answer:

There are several factors that contribute to how small or large a room will feel.

Things to consider:

How much natural light and artificial light the room receives- A room can have white walls and white floors, but with poor lighting and no natural light the room will still feel small. With the right amount of natural and/or artificial lighting a room can have very dark floors and not feel small at all.

The color of the walls and ceiling – If a room has light to medium colored walls, you can afford to have darker floors without affecting how small or large a room feels. If a room has dark walls, this will make the room feel small regardless of what’s on the floor. (unless you have a lot of natural light!) Of course, if the walls are dark and the floors are dark without a lot of light – you can bet the room is going to feel smaller. Darker colored ceilings are going to give off a more intimate (a.k.a. smaller) feel.

The pattern of the floors – The pattern of a floor can affect the size of a room. Wider plank hardwood floors and larger format tiles will create the illusion of a room being larger because there are less visual lines for the eyes to intercept.

Being  a huge fan of dark floors, I must admit there are other things to consider. Darker wood floors tend to show scratches more and darker floors, in general, tend to show lighter soil like sand, sock lint and some pet hair.

It is important to take all of these factors into consideration when determining the best floor choice for your area. A helpful tool that you might find useful is the Virtual Room Designer found on our website. This tool allows you to change the floors and walls in different room settings in order to see what different combinations will look like. It’s a lot of fun to try darker walls with lighter floors, lighter walls with darker floors, neutral walls with neutral floors, etc.  To try it out, click here. You can even upload a photo of your room to try on different floors! When you’ve finished playing, save your rooms to your workbook so you can review them with your Pierce Flooring sales representative.