Practical Mudroom Ideas – the Gateway to the Home

Practical Mudroom Ideas – the Gateway to the Home

A mudroom is often considered the gateway to the home as you want them to create a smooth transition from outside to inside. And, because of that, you want a mudroom to be functional as well. Here’s some practical mudroom ideas for easy cleaning and organization.

At The B & C Floor Store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, we install tile and vinyl in mudrooms. Tile is the most durable but vinyl has quickly become a great choice for mudrooms due to its durability and ease of cleaning. Plus, since you will often be entering with wet or dirty shoes and if you happen to have pets – you will want to have a mudroom floor surface that’s easy to stand up to the mud and grass that’s sure to be trekked inside.

Practical Mudroom Ideas for a functional gateway to the home

If you’re looking to create a welcoming mudroom that’s also efficient for your home – you might want to consider a few of these practical mudroom ideas . . .
1. A coat rack is always a smart idea. It can be a freestanding coat tree or wall mounted.
2. Create a sitting area by incorporating a bench. This can even be used as additional storage underneath.
3. Add shelves on wall or built in to fill with baskets for each family member. This will help minimize clutter (think hats, gloves, scarves in the winter, sunscreen and sunglasses in the summer)
4. Custom built-in entryway cabinets can create the look of furniture that matches the home.
5. Add hooks to the walls for quick grabbing of jackets and backpacks.
6. Hang a memo board on the wall for quick reminders so nothing is forgotten as you leave.
7. Create shelves that become mail slots for each member of the family.
8. A long bar on the wall with S-hooks can hold book bags and umbrellas.

If you’re ready to see all the choices available to you for practical mudroom ideas, be sure to give us a call at The B & C Floor Store. We’re ready to help you create the ultimate gateway to your home. You can reach us at 603-436-9686 to set up an appointment or please stop by our showroom to see the latest mudroom ideas.

Vinyl Flooring is Back with a New Style and Luxury Look

Vinyl Flooring is Back with a New Style and Luxury Look

Vinyl flooring was considered an outdated product, but in recent years, it’s made a comeback with all new designs. Vinyl flooring is back in style and will quickly update your home with a modern floor that has a luxury look.

Luxury vinyl planks now comes in tiles and wood looks that can be glued down or floated like laminate. There’s a huge variety of colors and sizes to choose from and some tiles can even be grouted just like ceramic tile. Plus, vinyl flooring is a great choice for all areas of your home including mudrooms, kitchens, baths, living spaces, and even basements.

Vinyl Flooring with a New Style and Luxury Look from BC Floor Store in New Hampshire

Here’s a few big bonuses when using vinyl flooring in your home:
– realistic styles with high definition graphics
– warmer to the touch than tile
– less maintenance than hardwood
– scratch resistant and very durable
– fade resistant making it perfect for sunny kitchens

If you like how ceramic flooring can be laid out in simple to elaborate patterns, this can be accomplished with vinyl flooring too – even sophisticated patterns like herringbone. Vinyl flooring comes in sheets, planks and tiles with many surface effects such as wood, stone, ceramic, mosaic, pebble and metal.

Gone are the days of outdated looking vinyl floors – there’s a new modern floor in the house now – and it’s not the vinyl floor of the past.

If you’re ready to see all the choices available to you for vinyl floors, be sure to give us a call at The B & C Floor Store. Let us help you create a modern and luxurious space one floor at a time. You can reach us at 603-436-9686 to set up an appointment or please stop by our showroom to see the latest vinyl flooring products.

Decorative Fireplaces That Turn Up the Heat and Add Style to Your Home

Decorative Fireplaces That Turn Up the Heat and Add Style to Your Home

It’s now February, also known as “love month”. So, let’s turn up the heat with decorative fireplaces that not only add warmth and style to your home, they also add charm to your living area. Many homeowners are now coordinating their fireplaces with the style of their home. And, with many fireplaces now being gas, the tile surrounding them is more decorative than being essential to fireplace safety.

Keep in mind, when adding tile around the wall of your decorative fireplaces, you can transform it to become a focal point of the room. Your tile choice will set the mood you want to create in the room.

When it comes to decorating the surrounding area of a fireplace, you can use slate, marble and even ceramic tile. If you prefer a more rustic style to your home, you can use split faced ledger stone or slate. This is considered an architectural tile. For those homeowners that prefer a more classic look, there’s the options of marble, ceramic and/or porcelain tile.

Decorative Fireplaces that Add Heat and Style to your Home

A few things to know about the types of tiles for decorative fireplaces:
– An Old World feel can be created with natural stone tile
– An elegant finish can be created with marble
– A “wow” factor can be created with an architectural tile
– Ceramic tile comes in many finishes, colors and textures
– Marble tile will add a classic and high-end look
– Natural stone is available in travertine, marble, limestone and granite
– Granite is one of the strongest and most heat resistant tile

Which type of tile do you prefer for your decorative fireplace when adding style to your home?

If you’re ready to add a fireplace to your home, be sure to give us a call at The B & C Floor Store and let us help you create the decorative fireplace that adds style to your home. You can reach us at 603-436-9686 to set up an appointment or please stop by our showroom to see the latest tile products that just came in.

A New Shower Installation Creates a Luxurious Retreat at Home

A New Shower Installation Creates a Luxurious Retreat at Home

Happy January. It’s time to kick off the new year with a fresh, clean start. And, what better way to do that than with a brand new shower installation from the B & C Floor Store in Portsmouth, NH.

At B & C Floor Store we like to create showers for our customers that are luxurious retreats so you can feel like you’re in a spa but in the comfort of your own home.

There’s so many creative ways to add elements that create unexpected storage, waterfalls, and more. Here’s our top 7 ways to create a unique shower installation in your home – but, rest assured . . . every shower we create is custom, so no two will be alike.

1. Create storage with niches (inserts in the wall) or corner shelves
2. Add decorative elements such as glass or stone
3. Bring in a touch of outside with pebbles on the shower floor
4. Be fashion savvy with large scale tiles and/or subway tiles
5. Add a bench either in the corner or a built in one on a side of the shower
6. Go low maintenance with porcelain or ceramic tiles that look like natural stone
7. Create the illusion of a waterfall with a vertical of glass tiles on the shower head wall
How to Create a Luxurious Retreat at Home with a New Shower Installation. Click for the top 7 ways to create a unique shower installation in your home. From B & C Floor Store in Portsmouth, NH
If you’re curious about the types of tiles you can use in your custom shower installation, here’s a quick run down:
Porcelain Tiles: durable and more resistant to staining
Ceramic Tiles: easy to clean and durable, also resistant to stains, odors and scratches
Natural Stones: eco-friendly option that provides longevity, ease of maintenance, permanence and stability
Metal Tiles: creates visual appealing work of art when combined with glass or natural stone
Glass Tiles: embraces color and light while being impervious to stains and water damage

Are you ready to create your very own Luxurious Retreat at Home with a New Shower Installation?

If yes, be sure to give us a call at The B & C Floor Store and let us help you create the relaxation spot of your dreams, in your own home. You can reach us at 603-436-9686 to set up an appointment or please stop by our showroom to see the latest tile products that just came in.

A Stroll Through Hardwood in Autumn

A Stroll Through Hardwood in Autumn

Another season is upon us and like you, we cannot believe it is Autumn already. It is such a beautiful time of the year when everything seems to burst with its last beauty. As you stroll outside you can’t help but capture the warm tones of the colored leaves on the trees. You can feel the cool air on your skin as a slight breeze brushes by. As you inhale the beautiful day, you can smell the rich earth as it decomposes the bountiful vegetation of the summer.

Our topic for today is hardwood and there is no better time to talk about it than the present.

As the leaves fall from the trees you can’t help but notice the hardwood much more than the season before. The different bark on the trees are more apparent showcasing the many hardwood (and softwood) options that are available locally. But most of us aren’t Arborists and cannot distinguish the difference of the tree species just by the bark. So just as mother nature saved up all year for the grand finale of the Autumn color burst, we have saved up a few of our best hardwood floors to show you the different hardwood installations we have done in the past few months. Exciting times!!

Solid hardwood adds warmth, character and value to any room in your home. There are a variety of finishes, colors, widths and options to match your style – rustic to modern. Let’s talk about some of those options.

Back in September, we installed a lovely Baltic Oak hardwood floor in a large family room in Kittery, Maine. The method of installation was a floating floor. Unlike traditional solid wood planks that are nailed down, a “floating floor” is where the planks are snapped together. Our customer had a cement sub floor instead of the usual plywood underlay. This was the best method to transform the cold modern look of cement to that of a rich, warm classic floor. No matter what angle we shot the photo or the time of day we took the picture,  the new hardwood floor works beautifully in this space.

October Blog Baltic Oak 1

Another hardwood floor project we did last month was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The customer chose Sommerset 7” engineered wide plank hardwood floor Color:Mist for their kitchen, dining area and staircase. The hardwood floor installation was the standard method of nailing the hardwood to the wooden subfloor instead of using the method used above.

The look and feel of these new spaces are light and airy. Have you ever noticed that walking into a brightly colored room can lift your spirits? In the same way, flooring design elements like colors, styles, textures and finishes influence the way a room feels. Vast rooms can be made to feel cozier with matte, warm tone floors. Add sophistication with a dark hardwood floor. Use light colored floors to make a room feel more spacious and airy as was done with this project.

Autumn Hardwood 2

The third hardwood floor we would like to share with you was in a home in North Hampton, New Hampshire. This month we worked closely with the Powell Builders in Hampton, NH (http://powellbuildersllc.com) and our customer on this hardwood floor project. Our customer chose Maple Natural Bistro, Coastal Grade 3 1/4” wide throughout the foyer, kitchen, dining room, 2 bedrooms, 2nd floor hallway and a sitting room.

Autumn Hardwood 3

Autumn Hardwood 4

Your Carpet Installation Was Perfect. Now What? – Extending the life and quality of your carpeting

Your Carpet Installation Was Perfect. Now What? – Extending the life and quality of your carpeting

carpet-photo-01a You selected the carpet for your home, and it’s now been installed. You are excited about the end result, and now you want to maintain it. Just how do you go about extending the life of the carpet in your home and protecting your investment?

What are the four types of cleaning?

There are four different types of cleaning that the carpet requires. The most basic form of cleaning is vacuuming. The carpet has to be regularly vacuumed to remove the dirt regularly. In high traffic areas, the carpet may need to be vacuumed more often. If done regularly, up to 95 percent of the dirt could be removed from the carpets. Spot cleaning is performed when there is a spill. This could involve blotting a spot with a damp white towel. Spot cleaning should never include rubbing or scrubbing because this could cause the stain to settle further into the carpet. Interim cleaning is another form of cleaning. This form of cleaning targets soiling, and the equipment used is capable of targeting dirt buried deep into the carpet. Restorative cleaning is a deep cleaning treatment process that is performed by professional technicians as well. Households with pets, young children and members with allergies may need restorative cleaning more often than other households.

How to extend the life of the carpet in a home

There are several things that one can do to extend the life of the carpets in the home. How long the carpet lasts in a home depends on how often the flooring is cleaned. In following these tips, one can extend the life of the carpet.

Carpet Installation & Maintenace (Maintenance) Tips

Deep cleaning should be done periodically. Periodically deep cleaning should be done on a semi-annual schedule. Annually to semi-annually is the recommended cleaning schedule for most households.

Eliminate spots and spills immediately. The spots are removed immediately with a spot cleaning solution. These cleaning solutions are available at most grocery stores and are often quite effective in removing the initial stain.

Use carpet padding throughout house. Carpet padding in homes is used to absorb some of the impact created with regular traffic. The impact of daily traffic causes the fibers to become weaker, and padding addresses this by limiting the impact from walking and running.

Use matting near entries. Every area should have matting at every entry in the home. Giving people the opportunity to wipe their feet at each entry point offering access to carpeted areas limits the amount of dirt an area is exposed to over time.

Upgrade the vacuum in a home. A quality vacuum protects the piling in the carpet from wear and tear. More dirt can be removed on a much deeper level if the right vacuum is used. Generally speaking, the more expensive vacuuming systems are much better at targeting dirt well beneath the surface.

Establish no carpet zones. In preventing people from wearing carpet in a high traffic areas, oil, dirt and grime is less likely to make it to the carpet. The carpet is cleaner because it is exposed to dirt far less often.

A professionally installed carpet is the first line of defense in protecting the flooring. The real work comes with regular maintenance. Regular maintenance includes vacuuming, spot cleaning, restorative cleaning and interim cleaning. All forms of cleaning are necessary to keep the flooring looking its best for a longer period of time.

photo-carpeting-thumbnail Daughter's Bedroom

Natural Stone

Natural Stone

Every year stone and tile companies continue to challenge themselves when it comes to the design of new products. They are continuously improving and expanding their product lines be it a new pattern, shape or size. But no matter how many tile product lines are added, there is one constant and that is natural stone. Who doesn’t love the look and feel of natural stone? Most do and there are many benefits! It’s natural, eco-friendly, it looks modern and luxurious at the same time and it adds a certain elegance that captures everyones heart.

When you visit our showroom, you will notice we showcase many tile samples of both natural and manmade stone. At a glance, it is hard to tell the difference…. but which one should you choose? Typically, it is your budget that will lead you to the right path of natural vs man made stone.

We are so excited to share with you a project we just finished in North Hampton, New Hampshire. Chris Howlett from Diamond Hill Builders spearheaded this project remodel. It consisted of a master bathroom all in natural stone and 2 other bathrooms (one for each daughter) in man made stone. Can you tell the difference?

We thank Diamond Hill Builders (http://diamondhillbuilders.com) again for thinking of us as their tile and installation company of choice!

MASTER BATHROOM
The master bath is all Crema Marfil Marble, 12 x 12 on the bathroom floor, shower ceiling and shower walls, some set straight and some set on a diagonal separated by a bursa beige mini brick decorative. 1 x 1 tiles are on the shower floor and there are also 2 pencil rails,  2 corner shelves and 2 wall niches. Grout Tec: Unsanded Pearl with Grout Boost: a grout protector.

Master Bath in Natural Stone

Master Bath After

 

The 2 kids bath have Alaska White 3 x 6 tiles on the tub walls with Bright White Grout, 1 Niche each.  The floors are Roca Bianco 12 x 12 with Antique White Grout.

Kids Bath before

Kids Bath After

Kids bath after #2

It’s Summertime…

It’s Summertime…

And the living is easy….  As the jazz song goes from play “Porgy and Bess” written by George Girshwin in 1935. Summertime is a great time to kick back with family and friends. If you have a floor or tile home project that is preventing you from having guests over,  now is a great time to tackle those home projects. The days are longer, the weather is perfect and you can pace yourself at whatever speed is best for you.  We are here to help you from a do-it-yourself project to guiding you through the flooring options to the installation done by our experts.

Not only are we going to help you with your floor or tile project, we are also going to help you with summertime no-sweat, no-nerves summer gathering ideas for your family and friends (see below). Have them over once your project is complete or better yet, invite them over and have a do-it-yourself project party where everyone helps to get the project done.

For some ideas for a small summertime project, here are photos from a few of our do-it-yourself customers that just bought flooring from us:

Do it yourself tile flooe

do it yourself wood floor

 

 

american flagSuggested Summertime Entertaining Ideas

Music:
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess
Rosemary Clooney –  “Come On a My House”
Nat King Cole –  “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer”
Eddie Cochran – “Summertime Blues”
Bryan Adams  – “Summer of ‘69”
Kid Rock – “All Summer Long”
Guess Who – “American Woman”
American Authors -”Best Day of My Life”
Colbie Callait – “Brighter than the Sun”
Lorde – “Team”
Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”

Food:
Mini Beef Sliders with Caramelized Onions, Melted Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Aoli
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 1/2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning (divide in half)
10 slices good cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 large red or yellow onion sliced very thinly into 1/4” rounds
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup good mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. capers
1 tbsp. garlic paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 package mini slider buns

In a bowl combine half of the Montreal Steak Seasoning with the ground beef, and shape into 10 patties about 1/2” thick.

In a large skillet, melt butter and add onions and remaining Montreal Steak Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Cook onions until caramelized

In a small bowl add mayonaise, sour cream, mustard, capers and garlic paste, mix well add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook burgers on the grill until cooked to personal preference,  add cheese until melted, place slider on a bun add the garlic aoli. Serve with green salad and or potato salad. Enjoy!

Drinks:
Sparkling Melonade with Min
t
5 cups roughly chopped melon (watermelon, cantalope or honeydew)
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
4 tsp. pure maple sugar or you can substitute with honey
Handful of mint leaves
2 bottles sparkling mineral water
Vodka optional

In a blender, put the mellon, lime juice and maple syrup and blend on high speed until smooth, add a few of the mint leaves and pulse a few times just to chop the mint.

Fill a glass about 2/3 up of ice cubes add melon mixture and top with sparkling water and stir. Add a mint leave for garnish. Add vodka if desired.

HARDWOOD FLOORS INSTALLED In MAINE

HARDWOOD FLOORS INSTALLED In MAINE

We Floored You!

Who doesn’t love hardwood floors! You can always find a variety of choices in hardwood flooring to enhance your decor and add richness to any room,  no matter what decorating taste or lifestyle you have. Hardwood floors come in a wide variety of wood species, colors, finishes and widths, which means that you don’t have to have the same as your neighbors or friends.

We want to share with you today, 3 hardwood installations we did in Maine, 2 were in York and the other in Kittery. Each of them chose a different species of wood; One chose 3 1/4” Solid Natural Hickory in the Family Room, the other 3 1/4” Solid Yellow Birch, Coastal Grade in the Kitchen, Hall, Bedroom (and adding tile in an entry that abuts the new wood floor)  and the third chose 3 3/4” Solid Natural Strand Woven Bamboo in the Living Room, Hall and custom made stairs treads.

Take a peek…

When you are looking to renovate or update your home, your floor is often the best place to start. Changing the flooring in your home will add style and function with ease. There are so many different types of wood to choose from and Hickory floors are gaining popularity, it is becoming the go-to-choice for many homeowners that are concerned with style and cost.  It is important to understand that durability and strength are a must when you are searching for the best floor option. You want your new floor to be able to stand the test of time no matter how much foot traffic your home sees. There are many exotic hardwoods from around the world but Hickory is known as the second hardest type of flooring found in the United States.

It is almost impossible to go wrong with hickory flooring. It is lighter in color, which is what many homeowners like most about this hardwood type. It has the ability to add warmth and light into just about any room.

York, Maine – 3 1/4” Solid Hickory Natural

Hickory Floor

 

 

3 1/4” Solid Yellow Birch, Coastal Grade

Yellow Birch,  Coastal Grade is a popular choice among those desiring diversity in a floor’s appearance. The richest option for those looking for color contrasts, character and intriguing grain patterns, this grade will show an occasional mineral streak or a knot, which we feel only add to the species’ character and charm.

Yellow Birch Hardwood

 

3 3/4” Solid Natural Strand Woven Bamboo

Twice as hard as oak, strand bamboo is an optimal choice for busy homes when durability is needed to stand up to the wear and tear of family foot traffic, active kids and even pets. Here are some before and after pictures:

Before & After #1psd

 

Before & After #2

 

Before & After #3

Effortlessly Chic Backsplashes

Effortlessly Chic Backsplashes

We are excited with this months topic for our blog, Effortlessly Chic Backsplashes. We have some great ideas for you that will enrich your kitchen just by updating your backsplash.

There are many options for your kitchen backsplash. In the past, many people just chose ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles. In recent years, however, other great choices have become more popular. We have been installing not only the classic ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles but we are combining them with glass and metal. The beauty of tile is timeless, your options endless. Follow along as we share some of our recent backsplash installations. We hope they inspire you to attain an effortlessly chic kitchen backsplash.

Below is a kitchen backsplash that we installed combining porcelain tile with metal tile accents. The majority of the backsplash is a 4” x 4” tile installed on a straight lay. Over the stove we switched to a 2” x 2” set on a diagonal surrounding the Daltile Urban Metal 6” x 6” Stainless Tile centered in the middle. The Daltile Ellipse Stainless Liner .5” x 12” encircles the area around the porcelain 2” x 2” tiles and  6” x 6” stainless tile.

We worked very closely with our customer in New Market, NH on this project. We guided them on the size of the tiles to choose – to be in keeping with the dimension of the area. We kept within their budget and offered suggestions to combine the husband and wife team’s individual styles. We provided them with several tile samples to take home to make sure it was exactly what they wanted for their kitchen. The outcome “effortlessly chic”!

B & C Backsplash 1

The backsplash installation below was located in Stratham, NH. It is amazing by just choosing  a few different sized tiles that compliment each other, how chic the outcome.  Our customer wanted colors in the gray family, a very popular color pallette with a classic feel for todays kitchens. We installed 5/8” Mosaic tile, Color: Waterfall on the majority of the backsplash. We used 5/8” random linear Mosaic Glass & Stainless, Color: Quartz, over the sink and between the refrigerator and pantry. The Grout color: Silverado. Just Stunning!

B & C Backsplash 2

The tile we used for another lovely Stratham, NH kitchen (they are actually neighbors of the family above) is Daltile, Clio Mosaic, CL15 installed horizontally on all walls except for above the stove and desk. Above the stove we installed a glass tile called Linen Color Washed Slate installed horizontally as well.  Above the desk, we installed the same Glass Linen Washed Slate vertically. The grout color we used throughout the kitchen backsplash project was Birch.

Young Kitchen