subject: Refresh Any Room Easily With New Flooring [print this page] When it comes time to revamp the look of your home or even just a room, it can be easy to overlook flooring as a place to make a change. The style of floor you have in a room may not always register as something you consciously notice, but it is one of the biggest factors that play into a rooms overall feel. The floor is the foundation of any rooms style and is the one constant factor that affects everything else in the room. You may be able to get away with a couple of pieces of furniture that do not fit together very well, but the floor has to go with, and preferably accentuate, every other aspect of the room. That is why deciding on the perfect floor for your room is essential to the atmosphere that you want to create.
The room that is getting the style overhaul is all important in selecting the proper flooring. If you are changing up the look of a living room, you should consider what it is going to be used for. Is the room primarily going to be a gathering place for family and friends to watch television and relax? If that is the case, carpet might be a good choice. Carpeting gives a room a softer, more comfortable feel and creates an inviting, welcoming atmosphere that makes visitors relax and feel at home.
There are many types of carpet you can choose from, as well as countless different colors. The shorter, tighter, more even loops of a berber carpet give more of a formal look to a room, while not sacrificing that homey feel of carpeting. Traditional tufted carpeting is softer to the touch and can make a room feel warmer, but is more prone to wear and tear. When it comes to material used to make the carpet, nylon is the most common and most inexpensive, but does not hold up to spills and stains as well as others. If you have children and pets running around or regularly have guests visiting, you may want to consider a wool and polyester blend, which is more naturally resistant to stains.
The color of your carpet also dramatically affects the feel of a room. Lighter carpeting creates a brighter, livelier space, but shows heavy use more quickly and does little to hide spills and dirt. Darker carpet creates a cozier, more intimate atmosphere. It also hides stains and spills quite well. Again, pet owners and parents generally will want to consider darker flooring, as keeping an eye out for the carpet all the time is not always possible.
For a dining room, you might want to take a different approach to the floors. First consider what style of dining room you are after. If an elegant, formal dining room is what you have in mind, the traditional choice is a nice hardwood floor with square, flat edges that create a smooth, refined surface. Generally a maple or some other wood with fine, well-defined graining is used to enhance that feel of sophistication, and the whole floor is usually coated with a glossy finish to give it a mirror-like shine. The pattern of floor boards can also be altered from the traditional straight planks to a diagonal or zigzag herringbone pattern to add even more personality to the floor.
Perhaps you want a more informal, comfortable dining room feel. In that case, ceramic tile or even finished stone can create a classy yet inviting feel, while still keeping cleanup fairly easy after the inevitable drops and spills. There are a large number of materials that can be used for tiling, and each can have designs and textures applied to them to further personalize your floor and make it stand apart. Ceramic tile is also naturally resistant to moisture, making it a fine choice for both kitchens and bathrooms as well.
Another option you might consider for any of these rooms is laminate. Laminate can be made to mimic the look of nearly every other kind of flooring, and is usually much less expensive and easier to care for. Laminate consists of several synthetic sheets pressed together, with the top layer made to look like hardwood or tile. The whole thing is then coated with a protective finish to both make it shine and protect it from spills and scratches.
No matter which room you want to refresh, the flooring is an essential part of the puzzle and should be the first thing you consider when deciding which direction you want the style of your new room to go.
