The three biggest current trends in the flooring industry are reviewed in this post and there is a suggestion that we are entering a new and hopefully more positive atmosphere with regard to consumer attitudes and desires.

Sustainable flooring is now a particularly important issue to a lot of people, and as a result, manufacturers are focusing on eco-friendly ranges and consumers are now certainly taking the environment in to consideration with their purchase, and thereby making a statement at the same time as acquiring a beautiful floor covering.

There maybe a few signs that the end of the recession may be in sight, in any case, consumers are looking to make plans to improve their surroundings and maintain or even raise the value and desirability of their homes. This is prompting a welcome increase again in new homes being built and a rise in home renovations, both requiring new flooring and pushing demand higher.

It seems to be a more widely held belief that products such as solid wood floors and high quality carpets will add to the value of your home and these choices are now seen as an investment rather than just a purchase.

With brighter news for the economy and the environment there is no surprise that the flooring style of the moment is all about bright colors.

Although interior design trends have mainly focused on neutral shades in recent years the mood and purpose for home improvements has changed and fewer people are now decorating with the intention to sell and are now more likely to want to put their own personal touches to a home.

Selecting flooring in your home is significant because the color, texture and pattern of the floor will set the mood for the rest of the room’s design. Many designers call their designing model the “floor-up” model for this very reason. When selecting a color, texture and pattern for your floor, consider the overall design you wish to pursue in a room, and select flooring that will compliment the walls, trim work and furniture.

If you are a person who changes furnishings often, you are best advised to select a neutral floor, which will easily work into any decor. This will protect you from purchasing a new floor to fit in with your design change. Ideally, a floor like hardwood could be purchased to accent the room’s trim. These floors typically look good with any furnishings. Select a hardwood that is a shade lighter, or a shade darker than the wooden trim in the room to give the room depth, and create distinction between trim and the floor. Generally, dark woods with a high sheen are considered appropriate for formal rooms, like a dining room, while lighter woods with a more natural finish are preferred in rooms with a rustic decor, or a less formal purpose, like the living room.

In an area where there is heavy traffic, or where there is a risk of water damage, avoid both wood and carpet. Instead select a tile, laminate, or vinyl flooring that will both hold up well to use and clean easily. In a bathroom, take the time to look at the permanent fixtures. If they are bright white, the floor is an opportunity to include a splash of color. If the existing fixtures contain color, a more neutral flooring is appropriate and will prevent clashing.

In an area like the kitchen, there are a lot of other design elements to consider when selecting a floor. Most importantly, the counter tops and cabinet fronts should be considered. Also, if the kitchen has canister sets, family heirloom kitchen elements or other existing decor, the colors already present in the room should be considered. Select flooring that can be worked into the room in other ways. If you are laying large tile, find one that is similar too or complements a small tile that can be used as a backsplash. If you are laying laminate, take a sample of your countertops and look for a laminate flooring that closely coordinates in terms of texture and color.

No matter what furniture and decor is in the room, remember that the floor takes up one-sixth of the visual space, more than any other uninterrupted space, with the exception of the ceiling. Select a flooring that ties all the furniture, decor and natural elements of a room together. Try to find flooring that contains the same color palate as the walls, the room trim, or the furniture. Avoid colors that are too bold, especially in small spaces where they will become overwhelming. Consider the room’s natural or artificial light source, and consider how that will affect the appearance of the flooring after it is installed. Finally, take home samples of the flooring and see how it looks in the room before purchasing enough to do the whole space.

A guest contribution by Samantha Harvey for Rugs2you.co.uk – the choice for all kinds of rugs.

About Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID
Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID, is the owner and founder of S Interior Design, the exclusive provider of Pawprint Design Services™. Suzanne works with her clients to develop a winning combination of design elements that result in warm, comfortable and functional spaces that reflect each client’s personal style. Suzanne and her team specialize in residential, contract and hospitality interior design, from simple color selections, to office build outs, to restaurant, spa and hotel designs. Suzanne shares her years of expertise through the power of social media. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at this blog. To speak to Suzanne about your interior design needs, please call 480-220-4659 or visit her website at www.sinteriordesign.com.

Green Home Staging Tips & DIY Green Design Projects

One of the biggest reasons people take advantage of the benefits of rental furniture these days is for home staging purposes. Home sellers often ask us for our tips on home staging and what they can do to entice buyers more than the usual furniture configurations and room decorations. There are several things to keep in mind when staging a home for sale like minimizing the clutter, making sure it is sparkling clean, and removing all personal objects; but what about those prospective home buyers that are looking for something more?

One of the major trends we’re seeing these days is the desire for a “green” home that already demonstrates to future homeowners how they could use their new house to save money and be eco-friendly. Follow these green home staging tips and check out our easy do-it-yourself projects to impress prospective buyers.

Green Home Staging Tips

Document All Environmentally Friendly Changes

If any green modifications have been made to the home, it is important that prospective buyers know of the savings and the long-term benefits they will reap. Conduct an energy audit pointing out the green changes and upgrades. Be sure to include changes like caulking, insulation, and lighting, and make a special note of any Energy Star appliances or HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning) system improvements that have been made to the home, like filtration systems.

Highlight The Home’s Green Features

Detail the home’s green aspects by displaying them on a drawn out floor plan. Include CFL’s (compact fluorescent lamps), solar panels, energy efficient appliances, water filtration systems, and flooring and other building materials made out of natural materials in your floor plan.

Display A Commitment To Sustainability

Make sure cleaning supplies in cupboards are non-toxic, recycling bins are visible, and plants outside the home don’t require excessive watering. Compost bins outside the home are also a great way to show the home is eco-friendly. Also make sure there are no chemical-riddled products, like Miracle Gro or harsh pesticides, visible in the garage or shed.

DIY Green Projects to Impress

Assorted Glass Centerpiece - Group together an assortment of glass bottles and jars on a tray and fill them with flowers and leaves for this simple table centerpiece. You can collect bottles from home including perfume bottles and jelly jars, or buy some from the thrift store for super cheap. The more variation in size and shape, the better! You will be surprised at how easy and how elegant this is! 

Sweater Reupholstering – If you are considering reupholstering your dining room chairs, you may not need to look any further than the back of your closet. Simply cut an old sweater apart, trimming off the neck hole and sleeves, which will leave you with two large squares. (One sweater should cover 2 chairs.) Remove your seat cushions, which are usually unscrewed from the bottom, and cover the cushions with your sweater fabric. To secure the fabric, you can use small tacks or a staple gun. Voila! Brand new chairs on the cheap!

Cork Trivet – Don’t just toss those corks after opening a bottle of wine! Start holding on to your corks so you can create your very own cork trivets to protect your tabletops from hot pots and pans. You will need to collect about 50 corks of the same size and arrange them into a circle. Use a metal hose clamp (8-10 inch clamps are best and you can find them in the plumbing section of a hardware store) to surround the corks and hold them together. Then tighten the clamp to bind them all together and trim the excess clamp with metal clippers. We promise you will enjoy the prep work for this project!

Plastic Bag Dryer – This one I am sure we are all guilty of: throwing away zip-lock and sandwich baggies after only one use. Did you know they can be washed and re-used several times? For the perfect plastic baggie recycler, you will need an old toothbrush holder and some chopsticks. Simply place the chopsticks in the holes of the toothbrush holder and then place washed plastic baggies upside-down on the chopsticks to air dry. Recycling at its finest!

Carpet Coasters – Did you know that carpet accounts for about 1.75 million tons of waste per year in the U.S.? We’re not telling you not to install new carpet in your home, but if you do, save any leftover pieces to make some awesome fuzzy coasters! Simply cut out squares of carpet and trim away any fraying parts. And if you stain them? You can wash the coasters in the sink with soap and water. These coasters will protect your furniture from water damage and cut down on waste at the same time, which is pretty awesome!

Images and Tips: Al, ToolBarn, WholeLiving

Bio: Chris Coleman is the community manager at Signature Furniture Rental, a San Diego rental furniture company that has been in business since 2002. Signature specializes in residential and office furniture for a broad range of clients in home staging and temporary housing.

About Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID

Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID, is the owner and founder of S Interior Design, the exclusive provider of Pawprint Design Services™. Suzanne works with her clients to develop a winning combination of design elements that result in warm, comfortable and functional spaces that reflect each client’s personal style. Suzanne and her team specialize in residential, contract and hospitality interior design, from simple color selections, to office build outs, to restaurant, spa and hotel designs. Suzanne shares her years of expertise through the power of social media. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at this blog. To speak to Suzanne about your interior design needs, please call 480-220-4659 or visit her website at www.sinteriordesign.com.

Making a beautiful old house more energy efficient can be difficult. Victorian and Georgian buildings are notorious for leaking heat and letting in the cold. But no one wants to compromise on style. So the question is, how do you make your house green and beautiful?

Here are some simple energy efficient solutions for period homes.

Eco Friendly Sash Windows

Often one of the first things to go when trying to make your home more energy efficient are the beautiful sash windows. Especially with so many double-glazing salesmen knocking on doors! But now you can get double-glazed and energy efficient sash windows with a U value of at least 0.8. However, they can be pricey. The good news is that a recent study by the English Heritage has shown that by simply getting your sash windows repaired you can reduce heat leaks by as much as a third. And if you add draft proofing you can improve the efficiency by as much as 86%.

Stunning doors that lock the heat in

Normally when we think of energy efficient front doors it conjures up images of ugly white plastic. Not exactly in keeping with the style of a period home. But this needn’t be the case. Most good composite door manufacturers provide you with a choice of period styles ranging from Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian to contemporary. In addition to the style you should also be spoiled for choice in the color department. But, best of all, they should all have low U value scores (the measurement of heat transfer) of 1.0W/(m2.K) giving them and your home great thermal performance.

Cavity insulation

Post 1920s houses are likely to have cavity walls so filling them with insulation can boost efficiency and shouldn’t affect the outside look. But with older walls there’s little that can be done without hiding away the beautiful stone or timber work. The good news is that a recent survey conducted by SPAB showed that 79% of old walls including timber, cob, limestone and slate retained heat better than expected. If you do choose to insulate your walls, make sure you choose a suitable material. Older walls need to “breathe” to function properly and a non-breathable material could cause damp problems down the line.

Attic insulation

Of course no one is going to see this so you don’t have to worry about style. But if you’re keen on keeping it contemporary to the period of the building you might consider insulating with sheep’s wool. It breathes naturally and unlike some man-made insulating materials won’t cause problems with damp.

This article was brought to you by Nick Williams and Yale Door. Yale Door manufactures new composite front doors; each door complies with strict U-value legislation and looks outstanding. 

About Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID

Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID, is the owner and founder of S Interior Design, the exclusive provider of Pawprint Design Services™. Suzanne works with her clients to develop a winning combination of design elements that result in warm, comfortable and functional spaces that reflect each client’s personal style. Suzanne and her team specialize in residential, contract and hospitality interior design, from simple color selections, to office build outs, to restaurant, spa and hotel designs. Suzanne shares her years of expertise through the power of social media. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at this blog. To speak to Suzanne about your interior design needs, please call 480-220-4659 or visit her website at www.sinteriordesign.com.

Famous Bathrooms

Celebrities invest on their personal spaces. It’s their sanctuary from the public. One area in their house which may be considered the most private, even sacred, is the bathroom. The bathroom is a place where they can go without make-up, styled hairdos and all the shiny bling. It’s a place where they can be as is, as they want to be. Here’s a look on some of those private, intimate and celebrity worthy bathrooms.

 1. Actress Meg Ryan’s bathroom is fresh, airy and simple. With a custom window panel to give her a good view of nature outside while soaking in the tub, we can only imagination the relaxation she experiences each bath. What brings personality and cheer in her bathroom are the potted plants and the sheer simplicity of white on white, and square window frames.

2. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban is an award-winning celebrity power couple. Kidman, an actress, and Urban, a country singer, share their moments in a $10 million home in New York. This bathroom sets a calm and bright mood. Most of the colors are neutral. Shades of grey and accents of wood provide contrast, and the extra touches of paintings and flower decor accentuates the bathroom’s already appealing style.

3. Away from the cameras and clapboards, actress Jennifer Aniston is a yoga and Zen practitioner. Her beliefs in East Asian philosophies reflect on her bathroom design. Simplicity with maximum efficiency and harmony with nature and its elements are the key factors of Zen. The warm color of stained wood gives contrast to the lighter shaded tub.

4. Fashion designer icon Ralph Lauren desired to have a bathroom that is very simple, open, clean and spacious built for him. By nature, this design is a true manifestation of minimalism. Note that most of the flat surfaces barely have anything on top of them except for the water fixtures and the vase. The bath is mostly polished and mirrored, the room reflects itself in almost all angles.

5. Actor Charlie Sheen’s stylish bathroom is another white on white themed room with tasteful accented rugs below the double vanity’s sink. You cannot go wrong with the classic white on white theme. It makes any room larger. Being a tabloid favorite, Charlie Sheen prepared to protect his privacy from paparazzo, this bath’s curtains are ready to be drawn in anytime.

6. Nicolas Cage’s numerous homes and properties are covered by the returns of his acting career in Hollywood. However, financial burdens and accumulated debt forced him to sell this Orange County property with a slashed down $1 million price tag from $1.7 million. This bathroom manifests the Californian style of “bringing the outside indoors” as exemplified by its bright color coordination.

7. Hit-maker rapper Kanye West’s bathroom is a straightforward minimal bathroom with a slight twist of glamor and aqualife. He can take a bath while watching fish or enjoying the view outside the oversized window panel then lounge at the bench beneath the chandelier bling.

8. Reality star and tabloid mainstay Kim Kardashian keeps her bathroom traditional with wooden storage and fine marble. The bathroom is built to accommodate a couple.

9. Actress and writer Julianne Moore spends her time musing over what next children’s book to write in her remodeled bathroom influenced by designs during the 1880’s. The old world feel must give her inspiration to write chapters of playful thoughts in her books.

10. When not in the adrenaline inducing action scenes of 24, Kiefer Sutherland enjoys his alone time in his simple, minimalist bathroom. The blue mosaic tiles give a relaxed, laid back feel of the bathroom. His oversized mirror creates an illusion of space too.

About the Author: Adie Sotelo is a contracted writer for PremiereVanities. A specialty store dedicated to proving our customers with a great selection, competitive pricing and unparalleled customer service.

5 Accent Pieces that can Change your Dining Room

Putting a dining room together is one of the most important steps when completing the layout of your home. After all, this is one of the most important rooms in your home! You will have romantic candlelit dinners and festive family get-togethers, tasty meals and perhaps even family game night all around your dining room table.  Even though we are just through the holiday season of entertaining, having a functional and beautiful dining room is always important.

Choosing just the right furniture in your price point is feasible and can actually be a really fun experience. One of the main goals is to make sure the dining room area matches the rest of the home’s flow of decor. It doesn’t mean that the colors and exact feel need to simply be duplicated, however you don’t want to create a room that feels completely out-of-place from the rest of your décor. This is accomplished by the used of repeating design elements such as wall colors, and furniture styles–just remember–sets are predictable, break up the set!

Dining room accents can come in many different ways. You can have a table, chairs, picture frames or elegant rugs just to mention a few of the accents that will decor you dining room just the way you’ve always wanted. Of course you can’t forget the lighting! Perhaps something soft and romantic like mid century modern lighting is your style. As you can see there are many ways to improve your space but let’s stick with 5 simple ways to take your dining room from blah to brilliant.  Lighting is a crucial design element here as in all rooms, you definitely want your dining room lighting to be on a dimmer switch to support the mood of the occasion.  Also you need to make sure the lighting is of the proper size and scale for the room and the design aesthetic you are seeking.

1. Dining Room Table

The main accent piece that will bring your dining room together is the dining room table. A dining room table accent that has a high quality wood with a luxurious style will certainly help to tie the room together with great results. Don’t forget about a round table as an option.  Round tables encourage intimacy among diners.

2. Decorative Chairs

Decorative chairs to complement your dining room table are another great accent that will change your dining room just the way you want. Although most of the time the chairs will come together with the table as a set, choosing your chairs individually can also be an option. Two of the main aspects to consider when investing on chairs for you dining room are comfort and style. At the very least, choose different chairs for the head of the table when working with a rectangular shaped table.  You can vary the upholstery or the entire chair style.

3. Wall Art

Another accent that can complement your dining room beautifully is wall art. Wall art pictures can really enhance your dining room with a unique style and fashion. You can be certain that with just the right kind of art, you will surely complete your dining room to perfection.

4. Rugs

Luxurious rugs make for also great accents for your dining room. Tying the room together is easily done with an elegant rug. Many of the rugs that are sold nowadays can easily go for a great affordable price. Shopping around will easily help you find the rug that will work perfectly as an accent for your dining room. Make sure the rug is large enough so when diners push the chair back from the table the chair is still on the area rug.

In addition to serving as an art studio, the room was used as:

•  a home office
•  a guest room
• a place to do yoga
• a place to watch TV
  AND
• a place for her 5 cats to climb their unique indoor trees, socialize, relax and use the litter box

Here are some BEFORE pictures

Over sized roll top desk took up a lot of space

Unique cat tree climbers covered in tattered pastel carpet

Another desk surface and book case with cat boxes under neath

The design plan:
The client wanted to bring a tropical feel to the Arizona desert and create a visually clean and uncluttered space.  She loves natural, woven design elements.  The space needed to look and feel bright, open and airy while serving all of the functional needs and be cat friendly and easy to take care of.

1. New easy to care for flooring to replace the worn Berber carpeting-18″ tile in reddish brown was laid
2. Re-upholster the cat trees in a super durable and attractive fabric – Crypton fabric was used
3. Provide comfortable seating and guest sleeping option in an easy to care for , pet friendly fabric-A custom air mattress sleeper sofa was designed using two fabrics; the cushions have an indoor/outdoor tropical fabric and the main sofa is covered in a commercial grade vinyl that has a rattan pattern embossed on it
4. Storage and display for art supplies, books, magazines-a space plan was developed and all was purchased through IKEA or custom constructed.
5. Working surfaces to create artwork-a main desk with a light box is placed by the french doors to take advantage of natural light, and a secondary surface was constructed to spec to stand at and as a dual benefit house and hide the litter boxes
6. Area rugs to soften and define the zones-two sisal rugs (cats love sisal) were placed in the room
7. New window coverings to filter but not block the light-natural woven shades were installed

 AFTER PICTURES

The Cat's Can Climb and look out the window

Litter Box Storage & Cat Trees

The client is thrilled with the results.  We both believe that the redesigned space will result in even more beautiful paintings being created and serve as a wonderful room to relax in with and without her 4-legged family members.

Bamboo Dry Erase

6 Simple Eco-Friendly Elements for a Visually Striking Home Office

Green products for an environmentally-friendly work environment

The home office combines your professional and personal life—so it should, rightly so, be a reflection of you. Unfortunately, the home office is usually an after-thought and designated to a corner in your kitchen or living room. If you’re concerned about the environment, there are green products that you can incorporate into your home office to make it more environmentally friendly and more visually appealing as well. Considering this home office will be where you spend the majority of your day, it would make sense to make it as comfortable, functional and attractive as possible.

Here are our 6 simple Eco-friendly product recommendations for a visually pleasing home office that you can get inspired in:

1. Eco-friendly wall décor: Green wall décor is offered in various patterns and textures—plus it’s better for your health than conventional wallpapers that can contain chemicals. Look into attractive wall décor and coverings like:

• Glass whiteboards—or glass dry erase boards provide a natural and safe surface for brainstorming
• Eco-friendly wallpaper— made from natural renewable bamboo, rice paper, flax, cork, arrowroot and a mish-mash of recycled papers
• Reed, cattail and paper weave murals—make beautiful wall décor with delicate dried leaves and natural grasses twisted together and making unique wall art
• Ceramic and mica photo frames—are constructed from natural sands in the soil and formed into a beautiful variety of colors and sizes

2. Recycled office furniture: You can find some really great eclectic pieces of second hand office furniture at your local thrift shop or Salvation Army. A lot of large companies also throw out their office furniture rather than repairing it during an upgrade so you can salvage some top quality ergonomic office chairs and desks and save it being thrown into a landfill site.

3. Eco materials for your home office: You can find an abundant of environmentally-friendly and recycled materials for your home office, for instance:

• Wheat board – for the walls (and it can double as a posting board) as well as floors
• You can buy 4GB bamboo flash drives as opposed to the plastic variety
• Moleskine notebooks (made of bamboo pulp) are waterproof with washable covers
• Sustainable timber – for your desk and storage units
• Recycled aluminum – again, for office desks, storage units and office chairs
• Recycled glass – ideal for walls and attractive office desk tops
• Recycled upholstery – great for throw pillows, stuffed bean bag chairs and desk chair coverings

4. Harness the power of sustainable energy: Look to natural resources with these really aesthetic pieces of office equipment:

• Solar-powered cell phone chargers
• Water-powered calculators
• Solar LED bottle light bulbs

5. Recycled or refurbished electronics: Akin to finding used office furniture from large corporations, you can often buy refurbished electronics for a fraction of the cost. Many large companies will host a used electronics sale when it is time to upgrade their computers, laptops, fax machines, photocopiers, printers and office telephones. You can feel good rescuing that refurbished laptop from a life in the scrap yard. Keep in mind that your home office electronics give off VOC emissions as well as other chemical vapors that pollute the air in your home. Try these additional energy-savings tips for a greener home office:

• Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer—laptops use less energy
• Unplug the printer, fax machine and computer when your day is over
• Plug multiple electronics into one power bar so that you can turn them all off with one switch
• Leave office equipment on timers so that everything automatically shuts down overnight
• Minimize the number of office electronics you use by purchasing all in one photocopier/printer/scanner/ fax models
• Use online fax and telephone
• And when you are finished with your home office electronics, donate them to local schools, shelters or for reuse where needed

6. Refillable/reusable office supplies: When you look for office supplies—such as pens, pencils, files and ink cartridges for your printer—seek out refillable and reusable varieties. And also:

• Look for recycled plastic products such as pens.
• Buy pens and printer cartridges with non-toxic inks like vegetable- or soy-based ink
• Buy multiple packs of pens, Post-it notes and staples to cut down your packaging waste
• Reuse all of your elastic bands, thumb tacks and paper clips
• Set up a recycling bin so you don’t throw used up items away

Great discussion about how we can have a fabulous looking, feeling and ‘smelling’ home even when we have one or more furry family members.

Take a listen and hopefully it will give you some things to think about when ‘designing with pets in mind’

FURvently Speaking

THANK YOU TO THE RADIO HOSTESS EILEEN PROCTOR!!

If you are looking to give your room a quick facelift without spending a zillion dollars on the same, then I have solution for you. Placing decorative mirrors will add a new dimension and result in more light for your room. When placed appropriately, the mirror can give the room a whole new look.

Adding mirrors to rooms that are small or look congested will make it look roomier and brighter. The trick is to place the mirrors on the wall opposite the window so that the natural light from the outside is reflected inside. The reflection of the room in the mirror causes an illusion of a larger and spacious room.  Also, if your rooms have no windows placing a turned on lamp in front of the mirror will diffuse the light across the room and make it look brighter.

Full-length mirrors with frames when placed against the wall in a room can work as an art piece and be the focal point of the room.  A mirror placed in front of your favorite painting will emphasize it more and make the colors in the painting more vivid.

 
Finally, a mirror in a narrow passageway makes it look broader. I have added a white antique mirror at the eye level in my passageway – it not only makes the passageway look broader, but also lets me get a quick look at myself before I leave for work. 

 The best part is that there are so many shapes and sizes to choose from. You can have one or more mirrors on the same wall, but make sure the size of the mirrors are proportional both to each other and to the wall.

 So what are you waiting for? Let your creative juices flow and add some mirrors to your room and give it a new look without breaking the bank!

Renuka is an editor and writer for a shopping blog called Pocket Change which is a part of Become.com’s shopping network and has categories where they write about everything from interior design to men’s and women’s fashion.