New Style Trend Breaks Traditional Fashion Rules

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Published by Tarkett Newsletter

With the return of the spring season comes the colorful rebirth of the landscape as well as new designer fashions for the Spring/Summer collections. It is invigorating to see all the spring color and dive into the detail of what is new and different and why. One of the things we have noticed over the past few years is the lack of rules when it comes to fashion. For example, fashionistas used to run to retail at the start of each new season to see what cut of denim was the “it” thing. Now, when you go to retail, they are all represented! From skinny, to flare and from low rise to high waist…anything goes! The new rule is…there are no rules!

There are so many similarities between fashion and home fashion, it should come as no surprise that this lack of rules also applies in the interiors segment. For home fashion, there seems to be almost a backlash against any design rules. This anything goes design aesthetic has become the next trend in interiors! This trend has been driven, in large part, by the economy. Home owners don’t have this “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality any longer. They are not creating polished interiors that are reserved only for entertaining guests. People are LIVING in their homes and surrounding themselves with interior décor elements that make them happy and reflect their own unique personality. These items could have been things that they brought back from their travels or family heirlooms that have been passed on to them. Creating a personal space is just that…personal.
Consumers are the curators of their own personal collections.  It doesn’t matter what their design aesthetic is, the days of trying to fit into one specific style category are OVER!

This idea of no rules was reinforced when talking to furniture manufacturers during our trip to High Point Furniture Market last year. They were keeping their style discussions amongst designers very broad, using terms like “casual” and “eclectic” to describe their new collections. They also had moved away from marketing full matching suites of furniture. The focus was on mix and match pieces that showcased flexibility such as small pieces that could work as a bedside table, an entry piece or end table. Multi-function was certainly the biggest driver because homeowners are buying furniture in single pieces. If they need a sofa, that is what they buy and they keep the other pieces with minimal wear in that room. Even in the design shows and magazines, we are seeing this more casual trend. Having furniture pieces that match exactly is seen as being boring and staged.

With all that being said, that brings us back to consumers going into flooring showrooms.  What is the one thing that everybody has an opinion about? Color! Let our iSelect system with six different color families help you come to a decision point faster! 

Choose a palette.

With iSelect® you can find the floor that expresses your personality and style, while also living up to the wear and tear of everyday. iSelect also makes the shopping process easier. How? We’ve organized a selection of FiberFloor products into 6 easy-to-shop palettes, where each design complements the others within that palette.

 

Filed Under: Laminate, Vinyl
10 June 2014 A Natural Selection – Bamboo

A Natural Selection – Bamboo

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Dover NH FamilyThe Family of Dover, NH
This wonderful couple’s family home had a fire that destroyed the upper level of their house. It was such an unfortunate and devastating experience for them but in the end it had a positive outcome. They were able to reconfigure their kitchen and their master suite to what they always dreamed of and their house became a home once again.

As soon as the renovation started so did the healing process. And we were thrilled to be part of it.  We replaced all of their flooring using cork, bamboo, tile and carpet. We are delighted to share photos with you of all the rooms we installed flooring and tile but we really want to talk more about bamboo and the wonderful benefits and qualities it offers, it is a natural selection!

                                                                                                    BAMBOO

Bamboo floor in kitchen

The family’s new kitchen with natural 3” solid strand woven bamboo flooring.

The growing popularity of bamboo floors is used as an alternative for flooring due to its similarities to hardwood and its unique renewable source of material. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. As a grass, bamboo grows much faster than wood and can be harvested without the need to replant because the root system is left intact. It has a comprehensive strength that is higher than wood, concrete or brick and has a tensile strength that measures up to steel. Not only is it eco-friendly, strong and durable, it now comes in a variety of colors and is easy to install.

We used natural 3” solid strand woven bamboo flooring in the this new kitchen. The warm contrast of the natural bamboo floor against the dark cabinetry makes this kitchen welcoming for family and friends.

We have provided below some of the bamboo floor choices available. There are many more to choose from and we hope you will stop by our showroom to look at the options available to you. You will not be disappointed!

Bamboo floor hand scrapedBamboo floor acorn Bamboo floor natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the rooms and products we used in completing the Dover family home.

            ENTRANCE STAIRS – CARPETED
 Dover home entry carpet

 

 

 

 

                                DINING ROOM
Dining Room

 

 

 

 

 

 

MASTER BEDROOM – Carpet installed in bedroom and walk-in closet
Master bedroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Bathroom – Tile throughout the bathroom (shower, shower floor and bathroom floor)
Master Bathroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAUGHTERS BEDROOM – New Carpet Installed
Daughter's Bedroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAUGHTERS BATHROOM – Tile Floor
Daughters Bathroom

 

 

 

 

 

                  GUEST BEDROOM – New carpet installed
Guest Bedroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                     POWDER ROOM – Cork Flooring
Guest Bathroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Bamboo, Bathroom, Flooring, Green Products, Kitchen Tagged With: , , , , ,
12 May 2014 Tile

Tile

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Gray new neutral head

 

 

Gray tile samplesIt was not too long ago when tan, taupe, beige and ecru were the most popular neutral colors. Today interior designers, decorators and stagers are advising their clients that GRAY is the new neutral. Not only does it visually expand the space but when paired with bright accent colors it provides a refreshing space that makes you want to stay.

Just as E.L. James novel, 50 Shades of Gray, is flying off the book shelves, so are different shades of gray tile rocking sales at B & C Floor Store! Many of our customers are coming to our showroom asking for marble tile for their back splashes and walk-in showers and we are pairing it with glass or metal accent tiles. Gray tiles, provide a chic and contemporary style.

With many beautiful tiles to choose from and complimentary design help from Carol & Brett Burgard you can create a look that is yours and yours alone. Join us as we share with you some of the projects completed using gray, the new neutral!

Gray tiled kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B & C Floor Store in Demand in Hampton, New Hampshire

Gray Tiled Bathroom

Bringing this bathroom into the modern era meant that our customer just about started from scratch. A new vanity, walk-in shower, flooring and fixtures were a must so our Hampton, NH customer hired Diamond Hill Builders for their bathroom renovation, and… we were hired for their flooring and tile needs. Not too long ago, we did a few rooms for this customer and we were delighted to have had the opportunity to team up with them again.

Diamond Hill Builders worked very closely with the customer throughout the bathroom renovation and we guided them throughout the process of choosing the right tile to the final installation.

To balance the soft white cabinets and the light blue painted walls, a warm gray porcelain tile for the floor was chosen: Ottomano Argento 12” x 12”  with Silverado grout. The shower floor was laid with Ottomano Argento Mosaics 2” x 2” tile and we installed a custom corner bench with 3” x 6” Florida tile in Streamline Grey. The decorative tile used in the shower is a Bliss Iceland decorative with Carrara Marble and glass 4”. To tie in all the tiled surfaces we installed a wall cap with Carrara Marble.

We were all so pleased with the outcome!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Ceramic Tile, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
2 April 2014 Flooring with a Timeless Presence for Any Kitchen

Flooring with a Timeless Presence for Any Kitchen

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Did You Know That Cork is Green?

Green is not just a color anymore, green is symbolic for eco friendly materials. One remarkable eco-friendly material solution for flooring is cork. It is the unique cellular structure of cork that gives it exceptional characteristics and benefits. It is estimated that there are over 200 million microscopic air chambers in a cubic inch of cork that provides comfort, resilence and recovery as well as thermal insulation and sound control.

Cork flooring is becoming more and more popular in renovated and newly constructed homes. There are many colors to choose from and it goes well with classic to modern decor. Cork floors are soft underfoot yet durable and easy to maintain. These great features are what sold our customer on the cork floor featured in the kitchen below.

It’s soft muted color provides the perfect contrast against the deep chestnut wood accents of the cabinets and compliments the stainless steel appliances beautifully. Each of these elements combined together creates a sense of harmony that gives this room a warm feel.  It allows the light to be reflected gracefully giving a sense of open and airiness. if you are thinking of putting cork flooring in your kitchen, please stop by our showroom so that we can show you many options that are available to you to suit your budget and style.

Before                                                                                                                                  After

Kitchen tile to cork Before_WM Kitchen cork after_WM

Filed Under: Cork, Flooring, Green Products Tagged With: , , , , ,
4 March 2014 A Sense of Place: A Home Transformed By The Use Of Tile

A Sense of Place: A Home Transformed By The Use Of Tile

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If redecorating is your way of brightening up the end of a long winter, let us share with you our story of how we did that for a customer with tile! 

Couple with moving boxes.

A lovely couple from Stratham, New Hampshire downsized their home to a condo and updated their new kitchen and two bathrooms with beautiful tile.  

This winter our customer was downsizing from their 4400 s/ft home to a 2200 s/ft single dwelling condo and was thrilled to be making the transition. They loved everything about the condo but wanted to update the kitchen with new cabinets, countertop and tiled backsplash. The 2 bathrooms were kinda stuck in the 80’s and needed updating as well. They wanted to create their sense of place that was their own warm, inviting and functional. That is where we came in.

This lovely couple came to our showroom needing some guidance not only with types, styles and different sizes of tiles but with creative placement ideas that would suit their new home and taste. They wanted to do the installation themselves but wanted us to provide the tile, decorative edging, grout.

Believe it or not, the kitchen and the guest bathroom was the easiest rooms for the couple. As for the master bathroom… well, we’d like to mention that when they saw their shower tile, they fell in love with it but was struggling to find a complimentary tile for the decorative and the floor.  The shower tile was a strong color so we felt they needed a more subdued floor tile.  They wanted a decorative element but they wanted the wall tile to be the star.  So they chose to add a 2” x 2” decorative row in the shower that matched the floor.  We successfully helped them with their selections after meeting several times and we are thrilled to show you the results!  Our customers couldn’t be happier and we couldn’t be happier!

Please click on the video below showcasing the tiles we used in the kitchen, master and guest bathrooms.

 

Kitchen
Anatolia Capri Beige 3 x 6 Tiles with Bronze 5/8” Decorative Tile Edge, Brick Lay
Cambria Quartz Countertop

Kitchen Williams Backsplash with Cambria Quartz Countertop

Kitchen Williams Backsplash with Stainless Switchplates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Bath
Shower: Cliffside 13 x 13 Tile, Color: Ocean, Decorative Tile:  2 x 2 Laufen Equinox, Color: Mosaic Mix
Floor Tile: 12 x 12 Laufen Equinox, Color: Sienna
Grout Color: Tec Pearl #988
Walls: Benjamin Moore, 2141-40 Creekside
Featured Wall: Benjamin Moore, 2141-30 Army Green

Williams Master Bath Bench

Williams Master 2 x 2 Deco Laufen Equinox Color Mosaic Mix Williams Master Cliffside 13 x 13 color ocean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Bath
Shower: 12 x 12 tile, Color: Aida Brown, Grout Color: Tec Sandstone #961, Installation: Straight Lay
Floor Tile: 12 x 12 Celtic Flare, Color: Beige, Installation: Brick Lay, Grout Color: Tec Light Chocolate #944

Williams 1 Guest Bath Floor 12 x 12 Celtic Flare BeigeWilliams 3 Guest Bath Aida Brown 12 x 12 with Tec Sandstone Grout #961Williams 2 Guest Set on a brick lay, Grout Tec Light Chocolate #944-1

 

Filed Under: Ceramic Tile

Tile Patterns For Your Floor

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Ellis_026 IMG_7943Ellis_00813868_345700610203_263958000203_9933882_4106762_n[1]

Most people come in looking for the perfect tile but don’t think about how they would like their tile installed.  There are many choices but the most common are the straight lay where the tiles are set one on top of the other as in photo #1 and on a diagonal  as in photo #2.  The straight lay showcases the tile while the diagonal makes the room feel larger.   The brick lay pattern breaks up the grout lines and gives you a nice visual even if you have a standard 12 x 12 tile.  The Hopscotch or Pinwheel pattern has more of a designer feel.  There are many more to choose from and will depend on the size / shape of the tile.  Come and visit us and we can help make it easier!

Filed Under: Ceramic Tile

Removing Stains from Your Carpet

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Shaw R2xDo you have carpet stains? Do you know how to treat them? 

When treating a carpet stain there are several things to remember.   Spray lightly with the cleaner.  If you use too much cleaner it will soak into the pad and cause the stain to come back again and again.  If you happen to overspray, get your shop vac and suck up the extra fluid and begin again.   Spray the carpet with the stain remover and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes.  Then blot do not scrub the stain using a white cotton towel as it is more absorbant. Scrubbing can cause the stain to set in.  Start from the outside of the stain and work your way to the middle to eliminate spreading the stain.    If needed repeat the process but just remember to spray lightly and blot instead of scrubbing.   Shaw Carpet has an excellent Spot Remover called R2X.  Our customers love it and keep coming back to buy more. My husband even uses it to remove stains from the upholstery in our cars.  Happy cleaning!

Filed Under: Carpet, Stair Runner
3 October 2013 What is the best floor for my basement living space?

What is the best floor for my basement living space?

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Basements generally have some moisture so the flooring must be chosen carefully. It is important to understand the moisture level in your basement and how you want to use the space.　 Here are some of the options:

  • Carpet is a warmer solution but can absorb the moisture and may mildew over time. Loose laid carpet squares are a great option because they can easily be removed and re-installed before mold occurs.
  • 36032100022-Tigerwood-ExoticHardwood and laminate are not ideal products because they are moisture sensitive. Before these products are installed it may be necessary to seal the concrete. With carpet, hardwood and laminate it is essential to run a humidifier in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer to keep the moisture level constant.
  • Cushion vinyl is another option because it can be loose laid over concrete. It doesn’t absorb moisture and can easily be removed or peeled back to dry.
  • Porcelain tile is a great option because it is water-resistant but can be cold on the feet. Add an area rug for warmth and design.

There are positives and negatives for each flooring so before choosing a floor, come in to see us so we can guide you to the best floor for your style and the conditions in your space.

Filed Under: Flooring
13 September 2013 Vinyl Flooring? Really?

Vinyl Flooring? Really?

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026Vinyl has come along way. This is not your mother’s vinyl floor! Some of the newest products are cushion vinyl and groutable vinyl tiles.

Are you renting an apartment and hate the floor? Cushion vinyl such as Tarkett’s Fiber Floor is a great option because you can loose lay it over your current floor. When you leave you can take it with you to use in another room in your new place. Lots of great styles: wood grain, tile look, black and white, etc.

If the ceramic tile look appeals to you but think it’s too hard or cold, then groutable vinyl tiles are for you. The grout is acrylic so it will not stain. There are some great styles that look like stone, ceramic or slate.  This is a great option for active families or rentals because not only is it durable but if a tile is damaged it can easily be replaced.  No need to live with the offending dent or stain.

Vinyl can be installed in laundry rooms, entryways, kitchens, bathrooms, sunrooms or any room you need a durable, stylish floor.  It’s not for everyone but it is a great option for the new homeowner who does not want to live with the previous owners floors, seniors who need a floor with a little “give” or rentors who would like to freshen up their floors without breaking the bank.

Mention this blog post when you come visit and you will get 10% off on your vinyl order (materials only).

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Vinyl

Radiant Heat Mats

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Crawl Space[1]I sleepily walk to the bathroom and then realize I forgot my slippers.  Ugh!  I hate it when I forget to put them by the side of the bed.  The tile floor looms before me.  There’s only one thing to do—hop from rug to rug on my tip toes.  Have you ever stepped on a tile floor in the middle of a winter night without slippers on?  The word that comes to mind is chilling!

If our bathroom remodel hadn’t taken on a life of its own, we might have thought to add an electric radiant heat mat under the floor.  The truth is I was so excited to get rid of my 60’s bathroom with the blue green tile (everywhere) and gray fixtures that I completely forgot how cold tile can be.  We do this for a living, right?  How many customers have told us this?  What do I tell them?

Well, there’s no help for our bathroom but there is hope for yours.  We can install radiant heat mats in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, basement family room or any room you want to be a little cozier.  Now you can walk bare foot on your tile floor no matter what season it is.  No more tip toeing around the subject!

Filed Under: Ceramic Tile
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