Carpet

Colors are very much in demand with decorators this year. Shaw Carpets has reworked their carpet line with bright bold colors suitable for any room. In addition to color, look for texture – sculpted carpets in contemporary patterns and shaggy shags with multi color threads. WOW!

Retro colors are making a big come back for those of you who prefer dark warm floors. Look for carpets in delicious colors like chocolate and kiwi.

Look for low profile flat weaves or cable knits that give light airy feeling to any room. The colors home decorators prefer tend to be off-white, wheat, ecru, dusty grays and pastels.

Cork Flooring

Cork floors are taking the flooring market by storm; discover why Europeans have been using cork as a floor covering for years and why North Americans are falling in love with this environmentally friendly flooring alternative. Anti-microbial and cushiony soft, cork is an ideal choice for homeowners who want to keep their homes free of allergens and also enjoy a tranquil existence by diminishing noise. Cork floors are made from the harvested bark of the cork oak tree which is grown in the forests of the Mediterranean. Because the tree is not cut down to make the flooring, and the bark is a renewable resource, it is desirable flooring for environmentally aware consumers.

Hardwood flooring has been around for centuries and yet, it never goes out of style.

Now, more than ever, homeowners are returning to the timeless beauty of real hardwood floors.

For 2012 hardwood flooring trends include wider planks with deeper richer colors. Hardwood floors have a comforting, solid sound that most laminates can’t equal, and they can be refinished over and over again, creating a floor that can last for decades. Hardwood floors add elegance and beauty to any decorating style and the latest trend in wood floors is hand-scraped hardwood flooring. This old world appearance is in demand with homeowners looking for a rustic finish. The timeless classics include – Oak, Cherry, Pine, Maple Hickory, Pecan, Beech, Birch, and Walnut.

No matter which floor covering you choose, it should be serviceable for your lifestyle, and if you are building a new house or renovating an older one, your choices in floorings are endless.

Flooring sets the tone of the room – the look and feel of a room – but beyond appearance, the ultimate decision on which flooring material will be installed should be based on how a room is used.

For example, a room in which there is heavy foot traffic needs a hard wearing floor whereas a bedroom floor needs to be soft and cozy on the feet.

Ethical Floor Coverings – Now more than ever, it’s easy for the average homeowner to make environmentally friendly choices when it comes to home flooring products.

Laminate Flooring – Originally from Europe, laminate floors have taken over the floor covering market with the practical benefits of being durable, hard wearing, and beautiful. Laminates are replicating stone, and granite for endless decorating possibilities.

Hardwood Floors – Today’s hardwood floors are adding old world elegance with a new twist, moving more toward distressed planks, wider widths, and the introduction of exotic woods.

Linoleum – The original environmentally friendly floor covering, linoleum is available in a wide selection of colors and patterns, suitable for any decorating solution.

Carpet – The most practical home flooring, carpet brings color and warmth into every room. Endless patterns, colors and textures still make carpet the number one selling floor covering today.

Cork Flooring – Comfortable to walk on, incredibly warm underfoot, and discover the beauty of cork flooring and what it can do for your home.

Bamboo Floors – An environmentally friendly hardwood, bamboo is fast becoming one of the most popular flooring trends.

Floor Tile – A decorators dream come true, ceramic floor tiles offer timeless beauty and durability. Travertine tile is also another flooring option becoming more and more popular this year.

Area Rugs – These versatile splashes of color ground a room, giving it personality and function. This year, luxurious shag rugs are a big hit with decorators.

Vinyl Flooring – Offering the look of stone, ceramic tiles and hardwood – sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles are a natural solution for today’s homeowner looking for quality and design.

Squeaks, cold, moisture—the flooring challenges in your home may seem insurmountable. But any experienced flooring expert knows to prescribe just the right underlayment. Problem solved.

If your house has any of the following conditions, talk to your flooring installer about a cure:

• Your kids’ bathroom floor is always awash in water and you suspect it may be affecting the floor.

• Too much noise on floors upstairs can be heard downstairs.

• The house was built on a concrete slab and you have reason to expect cracks will soon appear in the concrete. In turn, cracks would impact your wood, laminate, stone or tile floor.

• Wearing socks and slippers throughout winter is the only defense against frostbite from cold floors.

• The subfloor in your home is more like a roller coaster of hills and valleys.

All these conditions and more can be corrected with the proper underlayment. Tell a flooring professional all about your concerns. Only by full disclosure can you get the right type of material to solve the problem.

You’ll be introduced to several product choices. There is usually a good, better and best solution to consider. A good solution should do a reasonable job at a low price. A better solution will almost always be a total cure. And the best solutions offer a combination of characteristics that promise impressive results. For instance, you may just want to have warmer feet, but the best underlayments may add moisture control and great sound deadening in addition to superior insulation against heat loss.

Carpet Fiber Charisma

By Annette Callari, ASID; CMG

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about the nuts and bolts of carpeting—the fiber carpets are made from.  Fiber technologies continue to evolve and amaze us as to performance. So I thought I’d put together a little refresher course on the different types of fibers available for you.

Although wool carpets have the longest history of use in carpets, nylon fiber carpets have been around for decades. They came into high fashion during the 1950’s when it was a luxury to have wall-to-wall carpeting.  You have no idea how many hardwood floors went undercover for years with the advent of that trend.  Manufacturers tried round fibers, triangular fibers, and then finally found that a rounded trilobal fiber was the best configuration for performance and soil-hiding.

Two types, Nylon 6.6 and Nylon 6, are typically used in carpet. Nylon can claim the ability to produce a stunning array of color harmonies; a luxurious soft “hand”, excellent resiliency, durability, abrasion resistance and texture retention. Just as importantly, consumers benefit from nylon’s significant resistance to stains and soils.  As a matter of fact, it has become an expected feature for carpet to have superior stain resistant properties–and mills continue to deliver on those expectations. Solution-dyed nylon, in particular, has proven to offer excellent color fastness and increased stain ‘clean-ability’.

More recently, nylon fiber developments have focused on soft-handed luxury.  Stainmaster Tactesse and Shaw/Anso Nylon’s Caress are leaders in soft-engineered carpets.  At the same time, manufacturers have been attentive to sustainability and recyclable polymers–a significant direction that continues to gain momentum. In this instance, consumer consciousness is driving this direction of R & D, demanding responsible manufacturing and post-use accountability.  Sustainability is a multi-faceted frontier and it will be extremely interesting to see where R & D takes fiber technologies over the next decade.  Overall, when you weigh the advantages of nylon’s durability and resilience against other fiber types, it’s not surprising that nylon still claims the largest percentage of carpet sold in the United States.

It’s a fact that forward-thinking R & D is a necessity for mills to bring something unique to the marketplace. As a result, we have seen some creative fiber types emerge.  Mohawk Carpet Mills introduced SmartStrand® carpet with DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced polymer about eight years ago. In a partnership with DuPont, this carpet offers fiber made with Bio-PDO™ (the key Sorona® ingredient, also known as TriextaÒ).  SoronaÒ is produced from corn sugar. By utilizing this new ingredient, 37 percent of Sorona® is being made from renewable resources. The end result?   A luxuriously soft carpet that offers durability and stain protection, while making less of an environmental impact. The Carpet and Rug Institute had this to say about TriextaÒ: “…Features include a luxurious soft “hand”, excellent colorfastness, bright colors, inherent and permanent stain resistance… durability, resistance to fading, clean-ability, texture retention and resiliency.”

Mohawk’s Karastan division features SmartStrandÒ products in their Color Choicesdisplay unit.  Color is the key magnet attracting consumers to this display, but the “hand” of the carpet and the warranties that back SmartStrandÒ are the features that close the sale.  Even though SmartStrandÒ is still in its infancy compared to nylon, it has made a strong impact in the marketplace.

It would be impossible to write about fiber types and not dedicate a paragraph toOlefin (polypropylene) carpets.  Olefin has especially found its niche in the realm of commercial carpeting.  Its versatility in styling and amazing colorations accounts for a big part of its popularity.  Just as attractive is the competitive pricing olefin carpets offer.   Turn key installations benefit from both the aesthetics and affordability.  Olefin features include permanent resistance to water-based stains, colorfastness, and resistance to static electricity. It’s inherently resistant to moisture, making it the primary fiber used in indoor/outdoor carpets. We are seeing these well-styled carpets transitioning from the commercial world to residential, as consumers are embracing more tailored, well constructed styles.

Polyester carpets have always garnered mixed reviews.  The luxurious hand and incredible face weights make this fiber type a strong draw.  70 oz., 80oz. and even 90 oz. face weights are not uncommon, and compared to their nylon counterparts, these hefty polyester carpets are very reasonably priced.  Other attractive characteristics include inherent and permanent stain resistance, the ability to produce colors with superior clarity, good abrasion resistance, fade resistance, and clean-ability.  Polyester does not have as good a reputation for abrasion resistance as nylon, but evolving technologies continue to deliver an ever-improving fiber.

Let’s turn the focus to wool.  Wool carpets seem to have a unique status quotient all their own.  This natural fiber brings luxury and performance to the floor in equal parts.  Its features include a naturally soft hand, high bulk, good color options and inherent flame-retardant characteristics. That’s a credible menu of features for a fiber with the longest history of use in carpeting.  The naturally low luster level of wool is a strong draw, and other fiber types do their best to emulate it.

Without a doubt, fiber selection ultimately affects carpet aesthetics and end-use performance. We, as consumers are the benefactors and owe manufacturers a vote of thanks.  It’s their call as to which fiber types will perform best in certain constructions.  So far, I’d say they are making very wise calls.  We continue to see striking, well made carpets spicing up the floor covering market, pairing exactly the right fiber with the right construction!

New carpet for your home can vary in cost. There are many factors to consider, but I am going to try and give you a quick overview in potential costs for good quality carpet and installation. Of course there are many variables, so don’t hold me or your project manager to this exactly.

Ok, the first consideration is the carpet, and carpet will be the most expensive component with this purchase. Let’s assume that you are a typical family looking to upgrade your carpet from a “builder beige” plush style carpet to something with more style, better performance and a good warranty. Maybe a nice cut and loop pattern with a geometric design? It will look great!!

Mirage- and exclusive Textures carpet-- Looks AWESOME down!!

 So a material like this will run you about $17.00 per square yard (divide by 9 for square foot price)

Next, you will need new carpet cushion. Cushion is critical to the way your carpet will wear and perform. The cushion I will recommend for this install is an 8lb 7/16″ rebond. this is a very nice cushion, but not the best. It will more than do its job though.

So to recap, you have several components and costs associated with buying new carpet.

Total- $31.75 per square yard– Not a bad price, but what does this mean for you? If you have a typical home with lets say 3 bedrooms and a family room that you want to carpet, you probably have around 100 yards (900 square feet). If that is the case then you can expect to pay about $3200.00 for a complete new look and style.

Let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them or help you find the perfect carpet for your home.

You’ve decided on new carpet, but you want to shop smart. You already know how carpet is made and the difference between carpet styles, but what else is there to know before you buy? Lots.

Here are some tips to give you the upper hand on what will soon be underfoot!

Seams

Unless your room is narrower than 15 feet, you’re going to have seams. Most carpet comes in widths of 12 feet and 15 feet — and on occasion, 13 feet. The degree of visibility of your seams depends on the texture and color you choose, as well as the lighting and furniture placement in your room.

Bending

When you carpet your stairs, its backing may show on the bends. And if it’s a looped carpet, it can snag — especially at the seams or transitions.

A carpet’s nap runs in a single direction, making pile reversal or the shading you see from a vacuum trail, completely normal for most cut pile styles. If you’re not a fan, window treatments and furniture placement can minimize the effect.

Quality

Let’s face it. You get what you pay for. If you want your carpet to have a great pile density and tighter twist construction (which leads to improved durability), then you’re going to want to go with a higher quality (and more expensive) product. New carpet adds value to any home, so it’s an investment worth making.

Color

Carpet covers a large part of any room, so it’s vital that you consider some basic rules when selecting its color. First off, know that once your carpet is installed, it’s going to look lighter in color than the sample you saw in the store. Don’t ask us why, that’s just the way it is — kind of like losing a sock in the dryer.

Next, recognize that color can affect the apparent size of a room. Call it a visual illusion or a trick of the light, but lighter carpet makes a room look larger and darker colors make a room look smaller and more intimate.

If you like to redecorate often or plan to move soon, go neutral. It’s much easier to imagine furniture in a room that is decorated with neutral colors.

Stains

It’s going to happen, no matter how long you hold out from sipping wine or munching on chips and salsa in your freshly carpeted room. Stain protection is an important consideration when buying carpet. Products come with various levels of protection and warranties. As the quality of a carpet increases, so does its stain protection level and warranty coverage.

Padding/Cushion

Padding or cushion is the layer of spongy material between carpet and floor. It’s the padding — not the carpet — that determines whether the carpet feels good or great under your feet.

A quality padding can help preserve a carpet’s look and can extend its life and comfort by providing tougher protection against wear and tear.

Padding is sold using quality specifications, not color specifications. The color of the sample you see in the store may not be the same color as what’s installed in your home. But as long as it feels good, who cares?!

Warranty

It’s a good idea to read the product specs and warranty coverage on the back labels of your carpet prior to purchasing. Doing so will give you the information you need to protect your investment — and eliminate any surprises down the road.

Cost

“Cost per square foot” is just one component of the overall price tag for new carpet. Ask your retailer to calculate the total cost of your floor covering project. Here’s what he or she may include beyond the cost of the carpet, itself:

• Furniture removal/replacement
  Some retailers or installers may charge to remove (and then replace) furniture in the room to be carpeted.
• Demolition/disposal of old floor covering
  Unless your home is brand new, there’s probably an old floor covering that is going to need to be removed and properly disposed of.
• Sub-floor preparation
  Depending on its condition (after removal of the old floor covering), your subfloor may need to be prepped for carpet installation.
• Product delivery
  Delivering your carpet and padding may not be included in the “cost per square foot” price.
• Installation
  There will most likely be a “cost per square foot” or “square yard” to install your new carpet and padding.
• Materials required to complete the installation
  Additional materials, like adhesives, moisture barriers, stair nosing and baseboards may be required to properly install your carpet.
• Financing
  Many retailers offer financing as an option of payment. Be sure to check the interest rate, minimum payment due and any finance charges if you choose to pay your purchase off over time.

In addition to your total project cost, annual cleanings are also recommended to maintain the beauty and life of your new carpet. Ask your retailer and/or consult the manufacturer’s warranty and care guide for directions on cleaning and maintenance.

Recently I read a great article about carpet making a comeback, and it was surprising to hear why. Although hardwood flooring is continuing to grow in popularity, families still crave comfort and custom style. According to Emily Morrow, director of color and design for Shaw floors, “people have experienced those hard surfaces and they want to surround themselves with comfort”. People are using carpet to make a statement and color and pattern are in. There are thousands of color and pattern choices and people want their taste reflected, they want it to say this is “me”!!

TV has played a huge role in the reemergence of carpet. On hit design and reality shows, bold patterns and bright colors are in constant use. People want that in their own home too. They want to experiment and design a space that feels like a custom, beautiful home.

Below, you will see some beautiful patterns that are very popular with our customers. Let me know what you think.

Love this, sophisticated.

Texture and fluff.

Striations are great.

Animal patterns are sooo popular, especially on stairs.

do you see the airplane

Timeless and very custom appearing, but not hard on the wallet

Love this look

Gotta love the shag

AWESOME

Stair runners can be such an amazing design feature in a home. Of all of the projects we work on few add as much impact for as little money as stairs. Not only are runners a beautiful addition to the home they can greatly increase safety and deaden noise. Typically runners take less than one day to install and when using the correct materials, they should last and look good for 7-10 years. Wool is the best option for high traffic steps. Stair runners will not break the bank either. A typical designer inspired runner will cost about $1500.00 turn key!! Check out the pictures below and let me know what you think.

After install of this runner, the house sold!! The owner credits the runner for the sale

Simply Beautiful!!

I love this- Can you say creative?

I love for the runner to appear as it is flowing down the stairs

Borders work great on wider steps

Very designer Inspired.

Sisal trimmed in Leather

Sisal look awesome flowing down stairs

Custom Landing

I want this room

I hope this gives you a good idea for what to do with your stairs, and please let me know if you need help because this is one of my favorite things to do in flooring.

We love to make a room fun, the foundation or flooring can really shape a rooms feel. I love some of the new styles that designers are using in these spaces. It is great to use carpets that have an “identity” and add to the overall feeling of a room. In many instances they define the feeling. Take a look at some of the cool new styles that we are featuring. Would these work in a room in your home?

Shapes and Striations!! Elegant and Fun!!

Chenille and Sateen- this could be awesome for a movie room!!

I love the colors and feel of this one!! Custom rug or awesome man cave carpet??

Another great thing about all of these carpets is how easy to maintain they are. They will be very stain resistant and hold up well under lots of traffic. Just vacuum regularly and spot clean.

Great for the kids playroom, will hide stains well.

Cool for teens, bonus or even bedrooms!!

Some of these carpets can be for any room in the house and can really turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. We see a lot of rugs made from these materials as well.

Amazing look down. Rich and refined with great colors.

These carpets are also really plush, so if your family likes to play or lay around on the floor these will feel very good and soft.

The "new traditional"

MAN CAVE!!!

The sky is the limit, remember this can create an amazing foundation for the room. I would love to hear if you think one of these looks could make an impact in your home.

Many people wonder what Seagrass flooring is. Seagrass is a natural plant that grows in many coastal regions around the world. Seagrass beds are highly diverse and productive ecosystems, and can harbor hundreds of associated species from all phyla, for example juvenile and adult fish and many kinds of algeas and single cell organisms.

Beautiful in the Sea!! Bring nature into your home!!

Few species were originally considered to feed directly on seagrass leaves (partly because of their low nutritional content), but scientific reviews and improved working methods have shown that seagrass herbivory is a highly important link in the food chain, with hundreds of species feeding on seagrasses worldwide, including crabs, turtles and manatees.

Great looking

Typically, Seagrass used in flooring is from Southeast Asia. After drying, seagrass can be woven into beautiful rugs and other floor covering. Also, seagrass absorbs colors very poorly so it can be resistant to staining. That said, I know first hand that it is not “bullet-proof”.

Comes in great patterns

Traditional and more durable than Sisal

This is the natural color of the rug, a slight green tint

Seagrass is light green and brown in color and has a wicker type feel. It is not the most comfortable floor covering, but for areas where shoes are worn it is great. Neutrality is a great to describe the look. Over time the material will become more brown and mellow.

Great places for Seagrass would be in an office, under a table, living room and kitchen. It can be installed wall to wall for a great alternative to carpet or hardwood flooring. Rugs can be made to any size and be bound in different colors. You can have a border as wide as 5 inches and in a variety of fabrics, from Chenille to canvas.

My bedroom at my vacation home, not really

Cool entry, a real pro has to do the install though, not Hack and his pal Slash.

Caring for seagrass is easy. Just vacuum regularly or sweep with a stiff broom, If a stain happens scrub the material with a stiff brush and a bit of water. This may not remove the spot, but will help. Spills, which are still moist, are the easiest to remove. Remove the spills promptly by scrapping up solids and blotting liquids. Follow by dabbing with a damp cloth of water (add white vinegar to the cloth to cut grease). Dry with a cloth or hair blow dryer.

Carpet makes a great area rug. Textures has a rug workroom where we can custom make a rug to fit any size. Recently, we attended Surfaces, a trade show in Las Vegas that features new styles for the upcoming year. Some of these styles would be beautiful for an area rug or really any area in the home. Pricing is typically around $10 per square foot, so an 8×10 would be about $800.00.

Wool. Makes me think of Charleston

Whimsical Sisal

Braided indoor or outdoor-- you can pressure wash these if you want

Great area rug, or Man Cave look

Love this, beautiful and timeless. 3 Great colors!!

So pretty and relaxing

Some great new shags, they are alive and well

These were some of the hundreds of new styles I saw. Such great design and all reasonably priced. I cant wait to share some of these samples with you!!