Fabulous Floors Magazine Summer 2014

Beautiful Home Interiors Begin With

f loors FABULOUS

No. 42, 2014

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WHAT COLOR IS YOUR WOOD? Fashion Color Wood Floors Are Here!

Plum, Olive, Dijon, Expresso and Bone

COOL WOOL WINS

Even When The Sun Shines Luscious NEW Looks In Laminate, Resilient, Carpet, Area Rugs, Cork, Tile and more

Whatever your budget, lifestyle, or decorating style – you can get the look and feel of real wood from Mannington.

ADURA®

Avalon in Cabana Brown

PORCEL AIN

L A M I N AT E

HARDWOOD

LV S

Wilderness in Dry Kindle

Riverside in Natural

Georgetown in Olde Towne

Tacoma in Redwood

M A NNINGTON.CO M 1. 8 0 0 . 3 5 6 . 678 7

International Edition No.42 | 2014 Welcome to the Summer 2014 issue of FABULOUS FLOORS, a consumer magazine

Colorado is Mannington Vinyl’s take on contemporary, large-scale, slatelook vinyl with rich colors and rectified grout lines that offer a modern twist to a traditional stone.

On the cover: Bali in Nutmeg outdoor rug from Stanton

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURE STORIES

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TILE IN STYLE

7 WARMIN’ UP!

The Light in Your Eye — Tile Brilliance. Love the feeling of natural light throughout your home? Tile enhances light, encouraging it to bounce, pool, glow, flow, ripple and glide.

8 STONE STILL SOLID AS A ROCK!

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DESIGNERS DIARY

Memorable room makeovers plus interior design tips and tricks from the newest member of the Fabulous Floors team, Florence Michelson.

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DESIGNER’S WALK

Featuring Erin Adams, founder of House Fifty Two. Erin talks about her journey over the past 30 years designing everything from tile and wallpaper to fabric and coordinating housewares.

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14 MIXED MEDIA PROVIDE A UNIQUE TWIST ON TRADITIONAL VISUALS

Not for the faint of heart, the mixed media trend creates a bold design that will immediately draw the eye to the floor.

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UNDERFOOT

27 MADE IN AMERICA: MORE THAN A SLOGAN

Introducing 4 American made collections from Mullican Flooring.

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FIND FLOORING FAST

A Buyers Guide to what’s inside this issue.

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36 INTRODUCING THE RUG REVOLUTION FROM STANTON

Think Outside The Square: more than 1000 options, designed by you.

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For more useful information and complete back issues... visit us online!

THE SECRET IS OUT!

The Ashbury Collection from Silver Creek Carpet, a division of Bloomsburg Carpet, combines geometric and floral patterns for savvy minded shoppers.

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BARRIER-FREE OR FUTURISTIC DESIGN

Jeanette Chasworth tells us about designing for a lifetime rather than just for the current situation.

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DESIGN WITHOUT BARRIERS

Curbless flooring to-shower transitions enable designing without barriers in the bathroom 70

Subscribe online today!

HEALTHIER CHOICE CARPET CUSHION

The Industry’s Best Kept Secret!

COOL TOOLS

Useful and fun places for information on the World Wide Web!

WEST COAST STYLIN’!

An affordable range of sophisticated products from Tuftex Carpets of California

Switch up a look with area rugs! There is nothing like an area rug to instantly change the feeling in your home.

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THE DREAM COLLECTION

Fashion color wood floors have finally arrived. Plum, deep mustard, cranberry and more from ALLWOOD.

ON THE BOARDS

Imagination and ingenuity… Laminate flooring makes the improbable possible.

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Featuring the unique designs of Creative Edge Mastershop, the pioneers of waterjet artistry.

ALWAYS RESILIENT

Best performances in any setting. As a performer, resilient lives up to its name.

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13 WATERJET ARTISTRY

CARPET COUTURE

Summertime and the livin’ is easy! Remember as a kid the feeling of beach sand between your toes? Or how wonderful and luxurious the carpet felt on your feet when you woke up in the morning? Let’s talk about carpet.

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Bring the outdoors in with Pebbles from Florida Tile’s Pietra Art Collection.

WOODN’T IT BE NICE

Eco-friendly, sustainable flooring … just a plank away 28

Consider radiant heat for your next flooring project.

YOU CAN ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Courtesy of Mannington. Today’s hard-surface flooring choices prove it!

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COOL TOOLS

Outdoor Décor… Create your very own outdoor sanctuary.

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CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL

Cool Wool Wins… Even when the sun shines.

fabulousfloorsmagazine.com *Subscriptions $9.95/yr *Back issues $5.95 *Higher outside US For reprints, WEB and other uses, call (US) 678.761.5002

SUMMER 2014

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Elizabeth Andrews

SUMMER COLORS!

he colors and images of Summer. They’re all around us. For me, they start with my perennial garden of flowers. For as long as I can remember, each year when they break through the ground I know the summer season isn’t far away.

The poet called summer “the perfect season.” Dreamy magical light. A landscape of color.

The philosopher said summer is where ease finds respectability.

Summer is such a liberating season. It encourages us to bring indoors the elements of nature and memories of places we treasure most. In this issue you’ll find all kinds of ways to bring the outdoors in, starting with your floors!

As Fabulous Floors continues to grow and finds it way to virtually every country in the world via digital publishing, it becomes more and more evident to me that we are not just about floors, but ALL surfaces, because they all need to work together in a total home décor. Nothing illustrates this point more than Interior Designer Florence Michelson, featured on pages 52–53, who shares with us memorable room makeovers she has created over the years and tips and tricks for your next makeover or remodel. You’ll be seeing more of Flo in coming issues of Fabulous Floors, because creativity like this is such an important part of making a house a beautiful home.

PS: Always on the go? Get Fabulous Floors Magazine now on your tablet or favorite device.

We can be found at MAGZTER.COM, ISSUU.COM and ZINIO.COM. Have a happy and relaxing summer!

floors FABULOUS

point of view |

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2014 No. 42

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE! www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com MARGO RODGERS LOCUST Publisher & Editor-In-Chief margo@fabulousfloorsmag.com LISBETH CALANDRINO Associate Publisher & Director of Social Media lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com RON TOELKE Creative Director ron@toelkeassociates.com MARSHA HOWLAND Senior Editor MARTINA BRANDT Administrative Assistant EMMANUEL LOCUST Director Trade Show & Event Operations BARBARA KEMPLER-TOELKE Editorial Assistant RAY STEWART Production Manager ALEXANDER & ASSOCIATES Newsstand Director JIM CARROLL media developer jimcarrollstudio@gmail.com SPECIAL FEATURE WRITERS BRIDGETTE KELLY Contributing Writer, UK ALEX ROSS fabfloorsalex@gmail.com JEANETTE CHASWORTH Jeanette@thecolorwhisperer.com SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS E. A. O’Connell, Marsha Howland, Paul Friederichsen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Don Rountree, Florence Michelson, Seth S. Rodgers, Stuart Hanson Marjorie Dunning, T. C. Lovett, Jasmine Grey, Betty Isaacson

 SONNA CALANDRINO  Founder and Publisher Emerita Editorial & Advertising Offices

PO Box 2166, Dalton, GA 30722 678.761.5002

Margo Locust Publisher and Editor-in-Chief FABULOUS FLOORS MAGAZINE is published quarterly

by Fabulous Floors Magazine, LLC, PO Box 2166 Dalton, GA 30722, a Georgia LLC. Fabulous Floors assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, images or artwork.

The FABULOUS FLOORS logo is a trademark of Fabulous Floors Magazine, LLC. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and timeliness of information, FABULOUS FLOORS cannot be held responsible for discrepancies, discontinuance of product nor color reproduction.

INDUSTRY PARTNER

PRINTED IN THE USA Copyright 2014 Fabulous Floors Magazine.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Full-text content licensed to EBSCO Publishing research databases at www.ebscohost.com.

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78% of consumers would rather buy American-made products*.

We give you everything that’s important to consumers, including products made in the USA, so you can sell with confidence. *Source: Consumer Reports National Research Center

Products made in the USA

www.kronotexusa.com I 866-334-9923

Healthier for the home and planet Inspired styles and designs Online consumer education All from a worldwide laminate leader

Š2014 KronotexUSA, LLC. All rights reserved.

SUMMER 2014

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tile in style |

The Light of Your Eye — Tile Brilliance

BY BETTY ISAACSON

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Opposite page: Gorgeous contrast and intricate detailing make Mohawk’s new Stonehurst porcelain tile collection one of the most sophisticated on the market. Available in a combination of rich color tones and multi-size offerings, Stonehurst (shown here in Copper) offers the ultimate in design flexibility. This product is perfect for homeowners who want to use tile to create a customized space. Equipped with Mohawk’s Reveal Imaging™ technology, Stonehurst delivers a very authentic natural stone visual, while also providing the wear performance benefits of porcelain tile.

Stonehurst is highly durable and is, by nature, very easy to maintain. Right: Magnolia, a familiar sight in the South, a fragrant tree unmatched in its size and year-round beauty, much like the new wood-look tile line from Florida Tile that bears the same name.

The Magnolia HDP line from Florida Tile shares both a large format and year-round beauty. Below: Bold, large-format porcelain tiles from the Eliane Decortiles Minimum collection.

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s your design theme light? Love the feeling of natural light throughout your home? Here’s a great design tip: Tile. Tiles are liquid planes of color, manipulating light within and across surfaces in living space.

Tile enhances light, encourages it to bounce, pool, glow, flow, ripple and glide. Varieties of tile include ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, natural stone, mosaics — even handcrafted concrete, cork and leather — with sizes ranging from delicate glass mosaics to dramatic marble slabs. >>

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tile in style | Cutting-edge processes have now added myriad shapes and patterns, unique glazes, enhanced textures, richer color shading, and a variety of glosses, even those with shifting patinas.

The soft iridescence of glass tiles is a popular choice today.

From blush pink to soft aqua, translucent tiles complement the stainless steel appliances and sleek wood of contemporary kitchens and baths. You will find a growing selection of stunning glass tile and mosaics with increasing recycled content.

Ceramic tiles are also bright and reflective, offering an infinite palette of colors from muted to bold, as well as finishes from lower luster to bright glaze and distinctive crackling. The slight irregularities of individually fired ceramic tiles give a classic, hand-crafted appearance. >>

Left: Unlike hardwood, stylish large-plank porcelain tile Season Wood by Daltile allows you to have the warm natural look of wood flooring in any space. Above: Combine the desire for a look of sophistication and of generational integrity With Shaw Ceramic’s Ashford line. The chiseled-edged pattern with a honed surface emanates a luxurious and organic feel.

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Warmin’ Up! Cold Feet are Bad. Warm, Toasty Feet are Good!

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hen planning a floor tile installation, consider adding an under-floor radiant heating system that provides a comforting, consistent source of heat. Because heat is directly transferred through the floor to your feet, your whole body will feel warm.

Once considered a luxury item in high-end homes, underfloor radiant heat systems have become viable because of technological advances and their inherent energy efficiency.

More benefits include the absence of noxious gases, particulate discharge, allergens, and dust.

Under-floor radiant heating systems work best with cold flooring options such as stone and tile. Indeed, these systems extend your flooring options by making tile a more livable surface.

Walking barefoot across a warm tile floor is a pleasure.

In a family room or playroom, children are more comfortable when playing on a heated floor.

The most straightforward under-floor radiant heating installation is with electric components. There are three main options in the electric radiant heating category: mats, strip and roll, and cable. All three systems, however, are based on the same fundamental principle — an electric current passes through wire that consistently produces and sustains heat. Nearly all electric radiant systems come with fully programmable thermostats for each zone in the home, further increasing comfort and energy efficiency.

Mat systems are pre-built pads similar to an electric blanket. A thin wire is sandwiched between two layers of fabric, which is adhered to the subfloor with thin-set mortar. Strip and roll systems are similar, with the heating wire placed on a mesh backing. These systems come in various widths that are then rolled out from one end of the room to the other —

and back again — covering progressively more of the room with each pass. Cable systems basically forego any type of backing, opting instead for a spool of heating cable and loose guides. These guides are placed around the perimeter of the room. The cable is then woven back and forth and covered with self-leveler to eliminate movement Widely available floor heating systems are popular with heating professionals. Systems are simple to install and radiate even heat with no cold spots.

Floor heating systems are energy efficient, and can be controlled using a variety of programmable and non-programmable thermostat options. ■

Below: An electric radiant heat installation, demonstrating how mortar unites tile and the grid of radiant heating wires.

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BY RICHARD HOWLAND

tile in style |

Stone look still solid as a rock!

About 10 years ago,“bringing the outdoors in” was the coming thing in interior design.

B

ack then, designers were excited over the return of wood and stone looks for the indoors and the growth of another kind of “open concept” in which the outdoors flowed in visually, via large doors and windows, and natural materials and stone or porcelain floors flowed out from the living area to a patio or pool.

If you look around and as you thumb through this issue of Fabulous Floors, you will see how that bringing-the-outdoors-in look is still popular; you might say, “solid as a rock.”

The reason for the popularity of stone is a bit richer than just bringing the outdoors in. Designers say that stone and stone looks in porcelain provide earth tones from reds and browns to yellows and creams to blues and grays.

However, designers emphasize that stone is loved because it provides texture. It creates the look and feel of three dimensions on your floors, walls and counters.

Florida Tile is a manufacturer and supplier of natural stone such as its Travertine and other natural stone, including some fascinating departures from traditional stone made by creating new stone looks and color combinations in porcelain.

Recently, the company unveiled a very sophisticated look called “Pebbles,” an expansion of its PietraArt natural stone line. This is a natural stone line for walls and floors, and, yes, they are actual pebbles, evoking the feeling of walking on brook or seaside pebbles.

Engineered in a mesh format for ease of installation, Pebbles is offered in three basic textured surface looks, rounded or flat and a novel pebbles-on-edge presentation. That alone should satisfy a designer’s desire for texture options.

When you add in traditional colors plus some new ones, the look is intriguing. And when you consider that you can get black, cotton and snow-white whites, reds and mixes, the options are staggering — more so when you factor in decorative trim.

Some might say… “Rock on.” ■

Now you can bring joy into your own living space with Pebbles, shown here in Rainbow, from Florida Tile. Smooth, mesh-mounted stones for use on floors and walls, available in both 12" × 12" interlocking and 6" × 12" and 4" × 12" pieces for use on walls, offers a true three-dimensional experience.

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American Style since 1954 For sixty years, Florida Tile has been a benchmark in the industry. As an innovator, we have marked many accomplishments, from building the first floor tile plant in the USA to introducing the first digitally printed products with our HDP – High Definition Porcelain lines. Throughout our history Florida Tile has been a pioneer, but equally important, we have been a guideline for style. Making products that are both practical and luxurious is what we are all about, and tile never looked so good.

www.floridatile.com SUMMER 2014

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Left: Wilderness, in Dry Kindle, is Mannington’s tile interpretation of classic American hardwood. Its realistic texture and 6" × 24" plank size offer both natural beauty and exceptional durability.

tile in style |

Porcelain tiles offer a uniform, silky look in an array of colors, a perfect choice for modern urban décor. In fact, digitally printed porcelain tiles are all the rage. They come in mosaic designs, large formats, plank shapes and even ultra-thin tiles — making renovation projects a snap.

Reflective metallics are truly in vogue. Copper, pewter, stainless steel and polished brass are available in multiple shapes, from ovals to octagons. Embossed metallics depict everything from rustic murals to the latest pixilated geometrics! One of the latest technological innovations is metallic glazes over porcelain.

Mixed elements are definitely fresh. Some tiles are embedded with semiprecious stones. Designers have even blended wool, fabric and metal yarns as details within richly colored glass tiles. The results are stunning. Visionary design artists have even produced gorgeous, dramatic globe lights fashioned from small, intricate tiles. >> Method™ by American Olean® pays homage to the design process with colors, sizes and textures that flow seamlessly from interior to exterior spaces. A neutral, yet rich color palette provides the backdrop for fluid movement and graceful visual detail. The line includes six design-inspired colors: Three textures — unpolished, polished, and textured — are offered in popular sizes with TruEdge™ rectified edges. Trim offerings include a cove base, bullnose and cove corner.

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Underneath the delicate and dazzling looks of tile is a rugged practicality. It is durable, easy to clean and environmentally friendly – made of natural and recyclable materials that now include electronic components — and impervious to odors, allergens and bacteria.

Remember this when you are designing with tile: The trick is to see the larger picture.

Don’t think floor, think project — the overall design, taking into account other surfaces, accessories and transitions to other rooms. Whatever you choose, see the light with tile and you won’t regret the design! ■

WOODSTYLE Color Body Porcelain Tile from Ragno USA WOODSTYLE’s impervious porcelain makes it a winner for areas requiring frostand impact-resistance. Because natural woods face challenges in these environments, Woodstyle is a viable option for showers, spas, patios, steamrooms and exterior vertical installations where wood looks great but is subject to the natural elements.Three authentic colors have a slightly textured surface that is unique in its presentation as a contemporary, nuanced wood-look. Large-format rectified planks offer pattern options for creative floor effects that can readily transition from floors to backsplashes or entire walls.

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tile in style |

Waterjet Artistry A

Ornate design layout with finished medallion.

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s a cutting tool for tile, stone, glass and metal tiles, computer-controlled waterjet technology breaks down the barriers to integrating detailed and complex patterns into your hard-surface designs. Imagine a single blade, twice the thickness of a human hair, that can precisely cut intricate designs in solid rock, ceramic, glass and any metal, with reliable accuracy and repeatability. This is the power of waterjet.

Waterjet technology made its first appearance in the 1980s. Today it is used in the fabrication of everything from aerospace components to auto glass, and even frozen pizza! For the home, think of waterjet as a tool that can be used to make a large or small jigsaw puzzle out of the most aesthetic and exotic materials.

To do this, waterjet blasts an abrasive mixture of water and finely ground garnet dust at nearly 3,000 miles per hour through a minute aperture in a ruby gem stone. A computer-controlled machine precisely moves this powerful stream across the target material.

With unparalleled accuracy and repeatability, waterjet cutting enables execution of complex designs for floors, murals and backsplashes that would be unthinkable using traditional cutting tools. The advantages of the waterjet process extend beyond its cost competitiveness with other cutting techniques.

Waterjet allows for the fabrication of many materials for which there are no effective alternative methods.

With this in mind, when you are designing your next project, whether it is a whole house, an entryway, a bathroom or just a kitchen backsplash, let traditional tile design boundaries vanish. With the waterjet process, the possibility of using any two dimensional design you can dream up, mixing tile and stone of any color or texture, is real.

Creative Edge Master Shop pioneered the use of waterjet for creating “fine art floorsâ€? and other residential and commercial decorative elements. One of the things that make Creative Edge unique from other shops with waterjet machinery is its world-class art team. Hands-on expertise with the waterjet technology and eye for design make the team an invaluable asset for all who work with Creative Edge. www.cec-waterjet.com â–

AUTHENTIC. PERSONAL. TRULY SIGNATURE WORKS. Art for the floor. Affordable luxury. Architectural sculpture.

Creative Edge Mastershop is where space-age technology meets fine art.

The result is a renaissance in floors, wall décor and more.

Enjoy one-of-a-kind luxury or a timeless treasure crafted exclusively for your home.

Mixed-media masterpieces in stone, wood, glass, resilient and prized décor metals.

Inspired collections, insets, medallions, accents and unique commissioned works of art.

Dream it! Design it! Décor as unique as you.

Call our masterful artists, designers and technicians. Hundreds of designs on our website.

Insist on authenticity!

601 S. 23rd Street • Fairfield, IA 52556 • 641.472.8145 • www.cec-waterjet.com

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tile in style |

Mixed Media Provide a Unique Twist on Traditional Visuals

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raditional (and not so traditional) wood-look and natural stone tile collections are seen as commonplace on today’s floors. With mixed media moving to the forefront of tile design trends as another dynamic option for designers, the two no longer need to compete for space.

Mixing stone and wood pieces adds a new twist to their conventional usage, incorporating both popular visuals into a variable landscape. One striking example is Marazzi USA’s Fontanella™ ColorBody Porcelain, which offers some pieces that are stone, some pieces that are wood and some pieces with randomly and masterfully mixed sections of each.

Not for the faint of heart, the mixed media trend creates a bold design that will immediately draw the eye to the floor. Create a customized look by using the wood sections in a linear fashion or by rotating some at right angles. An entirely different vibe is achieved, based on the layout selected. Fontanella™ makes any space totally unique — no two installations will be the same. The design options are endless, with unlimited customization opportunities. ■

Left: Marazzi USA’s Fontanella™ in Milan.

Marazzi USA’s Fontanella™ in Brianza.

Marazzi USA’s Fontanella™ in Monza.

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woodn’t it be nice |

Eco-friendly, Sustainable FlooringBY TC LOVETT

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Just a Plank Away

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nvironmentally conscious? Tired of a room designed around a single-matching look? Hardwood floors can satisfy both! Its natural warmth and beauty can rejuvenate an ordinary-looking room and make it appear more vibrant and cozy.

Today, there are responsible forestry practices worldwide, and the American hardwood forests are renewing, abundant and sustainable. In fact, the quantity of hardwoods in American forests today is actually 90 percent greater than it was 50 years ago, producing oxygen and reducing greenhouse gases! >>

Opposite page: Rustic charm, hand-scraped and beveled edges — this floor from Shaw Hardwoods has it all. Below: The timeless character and heirloom quality of US Floor’s Navarre Royal Modern floor becomes imbued with a saturated patina over time, as the Natural-E Natural Oil Finish enhances the natural grain and character of each plank.

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woodn’t it be nice |

The Dream Collection Fashion Color Wood Floors Have Finally Arrived!

“Cool colors”

have come into play in many industries that traditionally have been oriented to “neutral colors” — computers, phones and Jeeps, for example. The wood flooring industry has been holding ground with the traditional wood look for a reason — no material is as tasteful as natural wood. Indeed, over the past 15 years, millions of square feet of Allwood flooring have been installed in high-rises, hotels and homes; 80 percent were natural wood or bamboo, with clear finish to show grain pattern.

The world of wood flooring is about to change with Allwood’s Dream Collection.

INSPIRED The decision by Allwood to bring “cool” to wood flooring in the Dream Collection was prompted by a visit to Hotel Nine in Portland, Oregon, by Allwood’s president, Hung Chen. “Walking into the hotel, I was pleasantly surprised that the Midnight Bamboo from Allwood was installed in the entrance hall, not on the floor, but on the wall!”

Chen said.

“The overall design of this hotel was so refreshing I could almost feel the breeze of the ocean by the bright blues, and my emotions were touched by the pink.

Inspired by this experience, I worked with interior designers and came up with a palette of fashion colors for the Dream Collection.”

Right: Plush — Chic, romantic and elegant, this pinkish color evokes an emotional response, great for a girl’s bedroom or a fun room.

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To get feedback on the new collection, the Allwood design and marketing team and Mrs. Chen visited about 100 distributors/dealers around the country in the past 12 months. Shawn, an Allwood dealer from Florida, echoed refrains heard around the country: “I am fed up with the same colors and patterns that everyone is selling. Bring me something exciting.” The Allwood team was delighted to see the enthusiasm about its new Dream products prior to their roll-out.

DREAM ROOMS Television superstar Larry King’s Home Couture cable program has used the Dream Collection’s Bone color, giving a Boca Raton bedroom a refreshing feel that stands out from traditional wood flooring. By the way, the Home Couture program has used products from other Allwood lines, including Mercury from the Galaxy collection and Red Mahogany from the Antiqua collection.

Both are exotic in color and unique to the market.

FIND YOUR DREAM FLOOR The Dream Collection offers rich, opaque colors with a 25-year residential-wear warranty. To find a dealer/ distributor near you, visit www.allwoodgrp.com, or call 503-255-7976

Plum — Romantic, luxurious and creative, this purplish color gives depth to home décor, and is great for a bathroom or a living room. Below: Bone/Sand — Clean and pristine, this creamy, light sand color will liven up any room; it’s awesome for a bedroom or an art studio.

Far left: Oxblood — Rich, happy and energizing, this is a very popular color for Asian homes and great for a family room or a living room. At left: Olive/Apple — Relaxing and calming, these nature colors are very meditative and emphasize relief from stress; great for any room.

At right: Dijon — A happy color that energizes and stimulates the appetite, this is perfect for an exercise room or a kitchen.

Far right: Espresso — Deep, noble and solid, this color is mostly favored by men. Great for any room.

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woodn’t it be nice | Changing the look of a room with hardwood flooring has never been easier, thanks to the wide range of factory-finished product styles, colors and textures. Wood floors can be customized right out of the box by using one or more colors to create patterns, borders or inserts. You can mix boldly contrasting shades for maximum impact, or slightly varied tones for a more subtle effect.

>>

Above: Goodwin Company’s Antique River-Recovered® Select Heart Pine features a cathedral arching grain with a border of vertical pinstripe grain. Wider widths are available. Below: Indus Parquet’s Brazilian Pecan features engineered, multi-ply construction that can be installed in any room of the home, including the basement. The exceptionally thick 3mm top-layer is dry-sawn hardwood that captures the pure beauty of the finest solid wood floors. The thick top-layer can be sanded and refinished should it ever be required.

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Oshkosh Design Parquet Repetitive patterns enhance a space, add interest, and certainly delight the eye. Flooring can be a major design element in a room. Taking classic parquet patterns and adding unique woods or a different finish can really make a statement. Oshkosh Designs can help design any parquet pattern and you can choose from over 30 different wood species. We have standard parquet flooring options or we can customize any order to fit your space. Our parquet flooring has a very durable wear layer that comes in 5/16" to 3/4" thickness. Oshkosh Designs also specializes in herringbone patterns as well as leather and wood parquet, known as the Artizano™ line. ■

Fabulous wood floor patterns from Oshkosh Designs! Above: Basketweave; right: Artizano leather and wood parquet flooring is available in many color combinations; below; herringbone-style parquet flooring available in any width, length, and wood species.

Oshkosh Designs specializes in customizing any wood or stone inlay to fit your design needs. Medallions can be any shape or size, ranging from four inches to over 46 feet, and will create a focal point in any room. Borders can help define an area, accent stairways and fireplaces, or transition two floors with a radius border. You can place floor medallions in stone or hardwood flooring. Oshkosh Designs prides ourselves on being American made, producing quality products in a timely manner. Our wood inlays are as beautiful as well as durable because of our 5/16" wear layer, which allows for refinishing as needed, to last for years to come.

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woodn’t it be nice |

The latest trend in wood flooring is toward deeper color, greater contrast, brighter gloss, wider and differentsized boards and increasingly exotic appearance.

Brazilian Tigerwood from the Amazon Basin offers a unique exotic option, featuring a golden background and distinctive graining. However, if you are looking for exotic visuals that do not come from fragile tropical eco-systems, check out renewable “domestic exotics.” The North American yellow birch offers the same tigerstriped graining as the Brazilian Tigerwood. In fact, ash can be stained to look like gorgeous exotic varieties, as well. >>

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Above: US Floors Horizontal Spice is a Beautiful, eco-friendly Natural Bamboo floor.

The perfect choice when you seek a distinctive and exotic visual. Below: A unique find, Mannington’s Pacaya Mesquite, Lava, is a perfectly antiqued hardwood that evokes the rustic look of mesquite. Crafted by hand, this floor features random widths and dramatic natural character.

Only if you dare! K채hrs Black Silver is a 1-strip ash, black stain with silver metallic in the pores.

Dramatic color and texture combine for a memorable floor.

Rockford Maple in the color Brendyl Maple from Mohawk. This engineered 5-inch plank sets the stage for this cheery gathering area.

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Bamboo is a stylish, sustainable exotic. The trend today is striking, new, colored bamboo. Naturally blond, it can be transformed into medium and dark browns though steaming, an eco-friendly process requiring no dyes. Bamboo is highly renewable, tough, moisture resistant, elastic, affordable and chic.

Do you insist on green construction? Well, hardwood is the only flooring material that is completely renewable. Reclaimed wood from old ships, barns and other structures are also coveted for modern wood floors.

Teak and abundant teak alternatives possess natural moisture-repelling oils and bacterial resistance, perfect where moisture is an issue, below grade or in a contemporary kitchen or stylish bath. Teak is incredibly durable and environmentally friendly.

What about cork? Cork is another durable and sustainable option. From its familiar honey tones to the newest reds, greens, creams and chocolates, cork is available in both tiles and planks. These are distinctly soft underfoot and mix brilliantly with other elements.

Here’s a tidbit: Cork is sustainable because only the bark of the cork tree is gently stripped to harvest the cork. The tree continues to live and grow.

Wood floors offer excellent value because they are high-fashion products that can last the life of the home. The wide range of qualities and species appeals to homeowners’ different decorating tastes and budgets. The enhancement of engineered hardwood floors makes them applicable for virtually any room, easy to install and maintain.

Here’s the best news: “Look, Ma — it’s ecofriendly!” ■ Top right: Marcas Areia from the Almada Collection, New Traditions in Cork from US Floors. Cork can be finished, refinished, stained, painted, etched, bleached, inlaid and 24 in patterns. Or you installed canFABULOUSfloors simply purchase a color like Aphrodite Cream from APC CORK, shown at right.

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The arresting character of CORK!

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rom its familiar honey tones to the newest reds, greens, chocolates, near whites and blacks, cork planks and tiles—beautiful to look at yet easy to care for— are distinctly soft and warm underfoot.

Striking variegated patterns within the cork rival the character of wood and stone with even more arresting, detailed patterning. Along with their predominating color, these cork pieces feature complementing and contrasting tones and hues that reach out and grab your other design elements, from upholstery to gleaming metal and glass accessories.

Cork is resilient, durable and fashionable with the added bonus of insulating against noise and temperature change while repelling insects, allergens and water.

Numerous finishes are available from natural to oil, matte and high gloss.

Interlocking planks and tiles—with lengths extending to 48-inches and widths ranging from ½ to 36 inches are now available in glueless, floating, interlocking formats, offering warrantees that last up to 25 years.

And the peeled bark of this coastal Mediterranean tree simply grows back for future harvests. It is one the “greenest,” most environmentally responsible floors you can have. ■

Iris from the Olympian Collection by APC Cork

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Customize Your Fabulous Flooring

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e all know the importance of flooring. It sets the overall mood, feel and look throughout your entire home. This is why the design and dĂŠcor of your flooring should be in your hands.

With the new Korus unfinished line, now it is. This commercial-quality wood flooring is the first-ever residential line to allow customers to select their own color and gloss levels on nine different types of engineered wood.

The American-crafted flooring has a square edge and is compatible with most major stains and finishes to match existing millwork, stair treads and molding. It is 300 percent more dent-resistant than standard wood and, like all Nydree engineered wood flooring, uses no additional urea-formaldehyde resins in its manufacturing.

The Korus unfinished line is not available anywhere else in the flooring industry. This unprecedented line incorporates the same acrylic-impregnated technology for which Korus is known with an added flexibility and customization for residential customers across the country.

For more information on the Korus unfinished line, visit koruswoodflooring.com.

A selection of Korus woods and colors: above, clockwise from upper left: Cherry Natural, Hickory Natural, Plainsawn White Oak Natural, R&Q White Oak Natural, Reclaimed Oak Natural.

White Oak Symphony.

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Made in America: More Than a Slogan ★ ★

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oday’s consumers are looking for readily available made-in-America products. Mullican Flooring has responded to consumer demand and expanded its U.S. manufacturing to include engineered products, in addition to the solid products already produced here.

Since 2012, Mullican Flooring has introduced four new American-made engineered collections — HillShire, LincolnShire, Ponte Vedra and San Marco. In January, the company announced it would move production of the RidgeCrest Collection, an engineered product previously offshored to Asia, to the U.S. In addition to being domestically manufactured, these five collections offer greater diversity for consumers, including wider widths and longer planks, as well as a variety of species and colors.

Expansions and various capital upgrades, including the introduction of state-of-the-art equipment, have resulted in increased efficiencies, allowing Mullican Flooring to remain competitive in the marketplace, despite rising lumber costs.

Consumers reap benefits beyond the price point, including improved delivery due to increased inventory levels. In addition, the company has minimized the length of time between development of a new product and its launch into the marketplace.

Notably, Mullican also manufactures hundreds of solid hardwood flooring products that are made in U.S. plants. Headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, Mullican ranks among the nation’s top five hardwood flooring producers, and operates additional manufacturing facilities in Norton, Virginia; Holland, New York; and Ronceverte, West Virginia.

For additional information about Mullican’s Made-inAmerica collections, visit www.mullicanflooring.com.

Ponte Verda Hickory in color Destin

Mullican Flooring’s San Marco, a domestically produced, hand-sculpted engineered hardwood flooring offering 6-foot lengths is seen here in Maple Wood, Dark Mocha shade. Below: Mullican’s RidgeCrest offers ½" sliced cut hardwood for the look of solid floors; seen here in Oak, Caramel shade.

Hillshire in color Hickory Saddle

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carpet couture |

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Opposite page: Mohawk’s CustomWeave carpet in the textural Tropenzia pattern; the color is Loggia.

At left and below: Mohawk’s WundaWeve Botanical Bliss carpet is foot friendly and easy care.

BY LISBETH CALANDRINO

Summertime and the livin’ is easy — especially with carpet beneath your feet!

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emember as a kid the feeling of beach sand between your toes? Remember how wonderful and luxurious the carpet felt on your feet when you woke in the morning? It’s summer… that time of year when our fancy turns toward the love of everything fresh and new.

Maybe it’s time to update your décor. Why not start with flooring and take a look at carpet? By the way, it can be done economically. >>

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carpet couture |

West Coast Stylin’

From Tuftex Carpets of California!

Design Selections from Tuftex Carpets of California offer an affordable range of sophisticated products designed with today’s savvy consumer in mind. This collection includes the bestselling trends in the floorcovering market today, such as soft textured loops, two-tone cut and loop patterns, a subtly striated cross-hatched pattern and an attractive better-best textured cut pile. The Design Selections product line from Tuftex brings you classic, West Coast styling with beautiful colorations — all designed at a great price.

By Chance is a handsome, two-tone grid loop carpet that adds textural appeal to the floor at a fantastic value. The harmonious blend of tonal color variations and texture create visual depth and casual beauty. The soft loop texture adds exceptional style with incredible performance. Made from 100 percent Anso® nylon yarn, By Chance’s color palette features a sophisticated mix of 30 of the most popular neutrals and accent tones.

Splendid Moment is a stylish two-tone multilevel loop pattern with timeless charm at a marvelous value. The beautiful tonal variances combined with the textural design elements make Splendid Moment versatile for any décor. The soft loop texture adds exceptional style with incredible performance. Constructed of 100 percent Anso® nylon yarn, Splendid Moment’s color palette features a splendid mix of 30 of the most popular neutrals and accent tones.

Refined Step is a new addition to our popular two-colored Anso® patterns. This ultra-sophisticated, two-tone cut and loop pattern has incredible value. The tonal color variations of this small-scale grid add dimension and versatility to the floor.

Refined Step, which is constructed of 100 percent Anso® nylon, has a glamorous West Coast inspired color palette that incorporates 30 of the most popular neutrals and accent hues.

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Subtle Touch is a new addition to our popular two-colored Anso® patterns. Its unique two-tone cut and loop pattern has artistic appeal at a fantastic value. The light and dark color effects of this linear brushstroke design add textural interest and versatility to the floor. Subtle Touch, which is constructed using 100 percent Anso® nylon, has an enticing West Coast inspired color palette that incorporates 30 of the most popular neutrals and accent hues.

Mystic Charm is a new addition to our beautiful striated pattern collection. Mystic Charm’s crosshatched pattern pairs beautifully with the subtle yarn striations of this style. Its harmonious blend of color play and pattern create a sophisticated, yet relaxed elegance. This eye-catching cut and loop carpet is sure to make a stylish statement in any home at an amazing value. Mystic Charm is made of 100 percent Stainmaster® Active Family™ nylon for lasting beauty and durability. The color palette includes a beautiful blend of the most popular West Coast inspired neutrals and fashionable accents tones.

Below, all from Tuftex, left to right: By Chance, Splendid Moment, Refined Step, Subtle Touch, and Mystic Charm.

Impressions

Impressions by Tuftex Carpets of California include six opulent cut and loop carpet designs. Ovation-a mosaic tile design, Applause- a random line pattern, Paragon-a basket weave pattern, Prime Time-a grid work pattern, Rave Review-a floral damask, and Arbor-a contemporary botanical.

Impressions were inspired by high-end, woven textiles that utilize multiple colors to achieve an elegant design. This beautiful mixture of color and pattern creates design versatility when decorating a room.

Exceptionally soft and luxurious, all six of the styles are constructed of 100% Anso速 solution dyed nylon yarn and include twenty-four custom-blended color ways. These attractive patterns reflect a timeless elegance with a contemporary touch.

All six of the new patterns are available in broadloom and area rugs.

www.tuftexcarpets.com

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carpet couture | Design should be personal. Carpet choice can be your way to break through conventional thinking and introduce your own personality and vision.

Inspired by nature? Want to bring the outdoors inside? How about carpets that are more flat than fluffy? It’s a lighter look.

These can include carpets woven with coconut fiber, seagrass and corn fiber as well as coir and sisal. Colors range from pale eggshell to coffee. Think about how this might create a more serene feeling, and think about its practicality.

Consider the ways a carpet’s yarns are twisted, loose to tight.

Generally, the higher or tighter the twist, the better the performance characteristics are apt to be. Higher twists result in more defined, more sophisticated carpet loops. Looser twists are more casual; tighter twists more formal. Here’s a helpful tip: Tighter twists are easier to vacuum!

Confused as to the types of carpet fibers? Well, there are four basic types, plus blends. Here’s a guide:

SmartStrand® Silk™ SmartStrand® Silk™ with DuPont™ Sorona® from Mohawk is the ONLY luxuriously soft carpet that cleans with just water and has built-in stain and soil protection that never washes or wears off.

•L uxuriously Soft with Exceptional Durability •B uilt-in Lifetime Stain and Soil Resistance, Not Topically Applied •P rotection that Never Wears or Washes off, like Other Carpets •E asy to Clean with Just Water, No Chemicals Required •E nvironmentally Friendly Because it’s made from Renewable Resources •T hat is Why SmartStrand is Rated #1 in Customer Satisfaction

•N ylon, the most popular pile fiber, is wear resistant, resilient, able to withstand the weight and movement of furniture, and provides brilliant color. It can conceal and resist soils and stains, making it a good choice for most areas.

•O lefin (polypropylene) is strong, resists wear and permanent stains and is easily cleaned. Its resistance to static electricity, moisture and mildew makes olefin applicable indoors and outdoors.

•P olyester is noted for its luxurious, soft “hand” when used in thick, cut-pile textures. It offers excellent color clarity and retention, resists water-soluble stains and is easy to clean.

•W ool is renowned for its luxury and performance, is soft, has high bulk and comes in many colors, patterns and textures.

•B lends, such as wool/nylon, combine the superior look and comfort of wool with the durability of nylon. Nylon/olefin is among the most popular fiber blends.

Bliss STAINMASTER with Magic Fresh Westminster

Eco-friendly SmartStrand® Silk™ has built-in stain and soil protection that will never walk off, wash off or wear off.

DID YOU KNOW? Mohawk SmartStrand® Silk™ carpet is made in part from corn — the same kind you grow in your garden.

It also uses less energy to produce.

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But wait…there’s more! Are you inspired by saving the environment? “Eco-friendly” carpet is here! Manufacturers use recycled and recyclable materials for carpet and backing. Carpets made from natural fibers like Mohawk SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona are just as beautiful and luxurious as they are eco-friendly and healthy. The SmartStrand Sorona fiber is made, in part, from plant-based, renewable resources, instead of more limited petroleum ingredients. What’s more, it requires 30 percent less energy to produce than an equal amount of nylon. In fact, the production of 7 square yards of a 40-ounce SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet saves enough energy to equal one gallon of gasoline. Coupled with its superior stain resistance and durability benefits, it’s no wonder SmartStrand is ranked Number 1 in customer satisfaction.

Finally, fiber brands certify and warrant their products, which gives you the assurance that these carpets will perform. Visit your local retailer for recommendations tailored to your specific needs, and remember to have fun! ■

Shaw’s Eco Choices include the Satin Beauty carpets, seen here in Satin Lustre.

Tonal Solid Carpets Are a Natural Choice Dreamweaver Carpet offers superior stain and fade resistance, is impervious to harsh chemicals and has a soft and luxurious feel.

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he new tonal variations in solid color carpet design have actually taken a cue from a similar trend in granite countertops that reinvented that industry several years ago. In nature, there are no flat solid colors, and that’s what makes a “natural” solid color with its subtle variations so appealing to the eye.

This is true of Dream Weaver carpet’s Tonal Solids — depending on your vantage point in the room, or the effect of light at different times of day, you’ll get a slightly varied perception of that solid color.

These tonal multicolors are quickly becoming the new standard in carpeting. Homeowners want a more natural-looking appearance on their floors. Last year, Dream Weaver launched the “Tonal Solids” collection — carpets with fibers of complementing colors of beige, strategically placed into the overall designs of brown, gray, or slate-colored solid carpet.

As an added benefit, the complementing color variations that make up Dreamweaver’s Tonal Solid collection makes carpets easier to maintain — the fiber has natural stain resistance and the tonal shade combinations increase the soil hiding ability of the carpet — so it’s less of a hassle to keep clean. ■

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carpet couture |

‘ Healthier Choice Carpet Cushion is the industry’s best-kept secret’

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ealthier Choice Carpet Cushion has withstood the test of time. Since its introduction in the early 1970s, it has outperformed all other carpet pads on the market and continues to offer the best overall value. Still today, many people don’t know why this cushion is called Healthier Choice; it was originally developed to be the lowest VOC-emitting carpet cushion in the industry compared to rebond.

While it continues to hold that title and reigns as the only GREENGUARD® Certified Carpet cushion, that’s not its only asset. The performance characteristics of the foam allows for a soft, comfortable feel underfoot but wears like iron. It’s warranted for a lifetime and can even outlast the carpet by up to 4 times.

The cushion contains no harmful chemicals such as PBDEs or Triclosan; it is allergy and asthma friendly and hypoallergenic.It also incorporates a film-less Breathable Moisture Barrier™ and includes Ultra-Fresh® Antimicrobial Protection. In the last few years a portion of petrochemicals have been replaced with a soybased technology, which is a rapidly renewable resource and contributes to LEED credits.

There are many retailers throughout the country who testify to the value of Healthier Choice products.

Healthier Choice continues to support retailers’ efforts by creating tools that aid them in the sales process and by creating new products.

Carpet cushion from Healthier Choice supports the carpet in a myriad of ways, from residential to the most demanding commercial settings. It is easy to install, provides outstanding comfort, and fights odors with its breathable moisture barrier and Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial protection. And with a twenty-five year track record and millions of yards installed around the world, confidence is assured with carpet cushion from Healthier Choice.

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carpet couture |

The Ashbury Collection from Silver Creek Carpet

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ilver Creek Carpet, a division of Bloomsburg Carpet, is happy to roll out another exciting introduction, the Ashbury Collection. The collection combines modern interpretations of geometric and floral patterns with the highest quality one can expect from all Bloomsburg products. The Ashbury collection achieves a balance of subtle, yet striking patterns by using the highest-quality wool accented by lustrous nylon.

The Ashbury collection features four designs, Maisey, Baisey, Casey and Gracie, all with four colors. Maisey is an exciting take on traditional floral patterns, while Casey, Gracie and Baisey are all forms of geometric patterns ranging in size from small to large, respectively.

As with all Silver Creek and Bloomsburg Carpet products, the carpet is woven only at the highest quality in the company’s Bloomsburg, PA, home.

Using only the finest wool and craftsmanship, the new Ashbury Collection is an exciting addition to the Silver Creek line. ■

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Left: Maisey in color Oyster; above: Gracie in color Shell. Below: The Ashbury Collection in available designs and colors — Gracie, Maisey, Baisey, and Casey.

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always resilient |

Best Performance in any Setting‌ As a performer, resilient lives up to its name.

BY SETH S. RODGERS Armstrong’s Alterna Premium tiles perfectly capture the true-to-life colors and textures of travertine stone, quartz and slate.

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The vibrant hardwood colors and textures of Armstrong’s Luxe Plank™ collection radiate luxury and add instant beauty to your rooms. Authentic plank lengths, along with beveled edges and ends, combine to make Luxe Plank visuals incredibly natural.

T Flexitec Majestic, shown here in Romano, gives you the freedom to choose a beautiful floor that will enhance your unique style and stand up to the wear and tear of everyday life.

Mannington’s Adura, here in Relic, has the look and elegance of stone without the worry. Adura is FloorScore certified, which means that it meets strict indoor air quality guidelines.

oday’s resilient flooring is not a cheap or rugged alternative. It is a stylish and designer-oriented category with a new lease on life.

Not only does it bounce back under foot, but it also has rebounded from a false accusation. For the record, today’s resilient is not your grandparents’ kitchen floor.

Picture vibrant hardwood, and you are picturing a resilient floor with the graining and texture of zebrawood, spalted maple, hickory or oak in authentic plank lengths with flush or beveled ends and edges, and if you wish, chic distressed looks.

Imagine slate, limestone, polished marble, pressed metal or ceramic tile with chiseled edges — perhaps envision them laid out dramatically on the diagonal — the possibilities are fabulous!

Resilient floor coverings include vinyl sheet, vinyl composite tile, linoleum, rubber and cork. It’s flexible enough to install easily, springy enough to pamper your feet, tough enough for malls and airports, and gorgeous enough to create high-end looks quickly and economically. >>

Metroflor’s Engage offers aesthetically appealing luxury vinyl tile (LVT) collections in a beautiful array of designs with eight different textures, so the products “feel” as real as they look.

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always resilient | As a performer, resilient’s appeal includes durability as well as easy installation, especially where cutting is required. In fact, resilient can allow you to customize, blending the look of stone, wood and metal in borders or inlays with minimal effort and without the prohibitive expense.

Prep work can be minimal — or nonexistent. Resilient flooring may be applied over a variety of surfaces, including plywood subfloors and concrete. And, as long as the surface is flat and sound, it may be applied over existing floors such as wood or linoleum.

Superior water resistance allows installation below grade or in high-moisture areas, including bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas, while a durable top layer resists scuffs, scratches and wear. Some resilients boast warranties that extend to a lifetime.

Many resilients are antimicrobial, recommended for highly allergic people, and antistatic, for safeguarding your electronics. And many are environmentally friendly. Linoleum, for example, is composed of linseed oil, wood flour and pine rosin and is biodegradable.

Take some time to investigate the upper end of the resilient scale called Luxury Vinyl Tile or LVT. Truly design driven, the latest innovation in LVT even allows for authentic grouting. Rather than tightly butting tiles, you can leave a gap to be filled with a specially designed acrylic grout.

Luxury Vinyl Tile boasts gorgeous dimensional texture along with radiant finishes and stronger wear layers, allowing for the textures, hues and character of terracotta tiles, weathered stone, dimpled ceramics, grained leather and myriad hardwoods, including impressive hand-scraped looks and exotics. Still sound like Grandma’s resilient floor? ■

Shaw’s Easy Vision LVT (luxury vinyl tile), here shown in Curry, is a premium resilient flooring with soft, nature-inspired tones that pair well with design inspirations from contemporary to classic.

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Moduleo from IVC is a feast for the eyes, warm to the touch, sound proof and hard wearing

DID YOU KNOW…?

Resilient flooring can be installed anywhere in your home, including basements and other moisture-prone areas, plus really wet areas like baths and spas.

Today’s resilient flooring has a universal appeal, and has taken on a new personality with the emergence of high-end designs and top-quality resilient flooring called luxury vinyl tile, or LVT, which can look like ceramic and porcelain tile or hardwood.

Ask about care and maintenance. This goes for ANY flooring product you buy, but for resilient, look into the ease of caring for it over the long haul, for example, why resilients are tough enough for hightraffic areas like public buildings, cleanable enough for use in hospitals and stylish enough for fashion-minded designers.

The often pricey design trend of mixing flooring materials might seem out of reach, but resilient can be a cost-effective way to integrate the look of stone, wood and metal along borders or inlays. Blending the contemporary movement toward opalescence and gloss with Old World looks, for example, is easy to do with resilient.

Above: Mohawk resilient C9 002_ 92_00

Inspired by breathtaking images of sandy beaches, clear waters and colorful seashells, Mannington’s Sanibel 9" stone tile layout, here in Seawater, has a textured surface, unique tonal variation and realistic grout lines that offer a warmth that can blend with any interior for many stylish possibilities.

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always resilient |

Fabulous Fashion Flooring Just Got Easier!

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heck out Karndean’s LooseLay; it’s the newest, cutting-edge, glue-less addition to the Karndean product portfolio and is perfect for any space in your home. Highlighting the innovative and beautiful qualities that it’s known for, Karndean LooseLay offers quick and easy installation along with an incredibly durable floor that you will enjoy for years to come.

Using a unique friction grip backing, LooseLay secures to the floor without the need for adhesives. Saving you money through reduced installation time, all you need is a smooth, stable and clean floor and you’re ready to go.

Not to be overlooked is the fact that Karndean is Designflooring. The LooseLay range combines innovative technology with stylish stone and wood visuals. Available in 12 planks and 8 tiles, you can mix and match LooseLay’s designs to create an individual and versatile look for any room in your home.

This fall, Karndean will launch six new plank designs with Karndean LooseLay Series 3. Featuring warm, neutral visuals, Series 3 will be an exciting addition to the popular line of products.

LooseLay also is incredibly practical. The floors have a durable, commercially-rated wear layer and a limited lifetime residential warranty. Furthermore, LooseLay is simple to maintain and avoids many of the drawbacks inherent in natural wood and stone floors.

To learn more about Karndean LooseLay, find your nearest retailer at www.karndean.com.

From Karndean: Below: Ashland’s oak grains coupled with a cool, chalky washed finish. Below right: Newport LooseLay planks give you the authentic rustic appearance of unfinished timbers. Right: Featuring a mid-brown linear textile design, Pennsylvania adds interest to any space.

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Karndean LooseLay

YEAR

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BR ATIN

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LLP95 Ashland

Karndean LooseLay Introducing 6 new plank styles featuring distressed and worn wood looks and 4 new concrete and striated stone looks in our newly expanded Karndean LooseLay collection.

Call: 888-266-4343 Visit: www.karndean.com SUMMER 2014

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on the boards |

BY MARGO RODGERS LOCUST, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Imagination and Ingenuity‌ Laminate makes the improbable possible.

The perfect path begins with the familiar and makes good on the promise of taking us in exciting new directions.

A one-of-a-kind pattern from Mannington, the Chestnut Hill collection, possesses all the rustic beauty found in a natural, wormy chestnut. It’s a true original and a perfect addition to the Restoration Collection. Seen here in Natural.

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aminate floors offer paths to the timeless and traditional appearance of wood, stone and tile while adding cutting-edge technologies and visionary designs. The result is incredibly durable floors with a virtually endless selection of looks, textures, edges and finishes.

What are some other results of ingenious technological breakthroughs? Flooring that is impact, fade, stain, wear and moisture resistant, antibacterial, antimold, antistatic and sound insulating.

Laminate is available in gorgeous porcelain, ceramic tile and realistic stone designs inspired by nature, many with textured and embossed surfaces. Laminate also comes in trendy larger tiles.

You can also have traditional tailored looks in narrow boards like oak and cherry or trendy rustic planks in wide pine, maple and hickory.

Elegant exotics like bamboo, cypress and tigerwood are also available. Even species too rare and too fragile to cut for flooring – olive wood, pear, burlwood and original teak – are available in laminate at affordable prices.

Laminate can be installed in any pattern – including parquet, herringbone, basketweave and checkerboard. You might have admired the elegant look of a diagonal floor. With laminate’s interlocking, snap-together construction, diagonal planks or tiles are relatively easy to install and are significantly less expensive.

Contrasting borders and medallions can effectively define spaces or add a dramatic focal point, and with laminate these rich looks are achieved with relative ease and at a lower cost. >>

Left: The Lexington collection from Torlys is a premium class of laminate with smooth grain surfaces and beveled edges that recreate a traditional tongue-andgroove timber look in a wide plank. Seen here in Cafe Walnut.

Quick • Step’s Reclaimé collection features the visual charm of a timeworn reclaimed hardwood floor.

These White Wash Oak Planks mirror the wood grain pattern of natural wood.

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on the boards |

GenuEdge Technology Brings Superior Realism to Laminate Flooring

��

Chances are, you have recently walked on or noticed a beautiful laminate floor without ever knowing it.

Mohawk laminate flooring continues to set the new standard in unmatched design, pulling in the natural characteristics and textures found in today’s most popular hardwoods. Capturing the beautiful look of hardwood floors goes beyond just the top surface. The edge and end treatments on laminate flooring complete the overall desired look of hardwood floors, creating an incredible visual. The new standard in realism and maintainability, GenuEdge Technology truly captures the essence of hardwood by allowing the gorgeous paper designs to actually roll over the edge of the laminate planks. Combined with the best registered embossed designs in the industry, Mohawk Laminate flooring gives your home the natural look of authentic wood floors.

GenuEdge™ is a life-saver in the clean-up department, as well. Homeowners everywhere appreciate laminate flooring for how quickly and effectively it can be cleaned. The unique overlay design of GenuEdge prevents the build-up of dust and dirt between planks. Not only do your floors look amazing, they are now easier to maintain.

To keep your laminate flooring looking newly installed, even in high-traffic areas, laminate floors with GenuEdge technology have the added durability of ScratchGuard™ Advanced Finish Protection. Designed with your active home in mind, ScratchGuard preserves your shining exterior by infusing aluminum crystals into the top layer of the laminate planks as an actual part of the finish. ScratchGuard gives you unparalleled surface defense against abrasion, providing increased resistance to micro-scratches and outperforming other leading laminate brands in MAR (Micro Abrasion Resistance) Tests.

Dulling and tiny scratches from everyday dirt and dust are no threat to your beautiful laminate floors. Together, GenuEdge and ScratchGuard create spectacular-looking laminate flooring and ensure the finish will remain spectacular for years to come.

GenuEdge™ is so realistic and so close to hardwood, you can’t tell the difference! ■

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It’s hard to believe it’s not wood!

It’s laminate.

Mohawk Laminate featuring GenuEdge Technology, below left; Barrington in the color Bourbon Hickory.

Below right; Barrington in the color Barnwood Oak.

GenuEdge Technology.

The actual look of Hardwood with durability of Laminate Mohawk’s new GenuEdge™ Technology features the most realistic hardwood looks ever seen in laminate flooring. This superior visual effect is achieved through an innovative process that allows the paper to roll over the edges of the laminate plank, just like with real hardwood. This innovative process combined with gorgeous paper designs and Mohawk’s quality, direct pressure laminate technique makes these laminates the closest thing to real hardwood you will find!

Featuring Barrington

• True Hardwood Edge • Superior Realism • Easy Maintenance

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on the boards | With mixed media as the trend in high-end design, you can create a truly custom look for less, adding in a ceramic, leather or metal tile. Another bright idea? The newest laminate staircase systems, from traditional to contemporary, allow you to create stunning integrated floor designs.

Today’s laminate is a collaboration of technical and artistic genius. The multiple layers that comprise each laminate play a clever and critical role in establishing appearance, strength, durability, moisture resistance and versatility of design and installation.

A nearly diamond-hard, transparent wear layer versatile enough to create a soft matte look or a highly polished glossy finish protects the captured beauty of a high-resolution photographic image. Other layers contribute strength, stability, dimension and moisture resistance.

Laminate manufacturers employ a high percentage of renewable and recycled materials and ensure low emission levels. Many laminates have cores, backings and joints treated with water repellent chemicals and paraffins. Be sure to ask about these features, especially for applications in a bathroom, kitchen or below grade.

With laminate, the journey begins with tradition, proceeds with innovation and ends in undeniable beauty. ■

Pergo’s Claremont Slate gives your space a breath of fresh air with its modish color and stunning textures.

You will have the beautiful effect of real tile while maintaining the hassle-free features that laminate flooring provides.

Kronotex’s Designer Series collection has enhanced wood grain texturing backed by a 20-year warranty against wear, staining and fading. Shown here in Australian Pepperwood.

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Mannington’s Riverside has the natural organic appeal of birch, in colors that are both serene and stylish. These 8” wide planks feature a finish inspired by high-end European wax finishes.

Shaw ‘s Reclaimed Collection is a collection that features a new wire-brushed, ultra-matte finish texture that replicates European oil-rubbed looks.

The special finish diffuses light, so the colors, here Cabin, are beautiful.

Armstrong’s Coastal Living in Patina has a weathered look. With a hand-scraped texture, Coastal Living is reminiscent of driftwood.

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T Designer’s Diary

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be on the Fabulous Floors team. My name is Florence Michelson, and I have been decorating since I was 14 years old. It started when my parents bought a two-story Victorian house in a suburb in Far Rockaway, New York. I asked my mom if I could decorate the bedroom my sister and I would share.

BY FLORENCE MICHELSON

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he room was a nice size with twin honey-colored maple beds and two beautiful windows on different walls. I went to the fabric store with my mother, who could sew anything, and chose a fabric called “chintz” — a cotton with a shiny appearance that made it look alive. The pattern was six-inch wild roses. Imagine huge red roses on a bed of green leaves on a background of white. It was so alive and so beautiful I just couldn’t resist.

My mom made the bedspread, dust ruffle and a giant pillow with ruffles in the rose fabric. She also made crisscross matching curtains. It was gorgeous; I remember to this day that I couldn’t get over it!

We painted the beds, nightstand and chest of drawers white to match the walls and ceiling. The floor was hardwood, which was the flooring of choice back then. There were not many flooring options at the time.

Right then I knew this was my passion. By the time I was 18 years old, I had attended the New York School of Interior Decorating and was on my way!

To this day that bedroom is still one of the prettiest rooms I’ve ever done. It looked so charming and was so warm and wonderful. It’s the best memory I have of decorating. I could repeat the same bedroom today and it would be as fresh, new and beautiful as it was then. The style is country — country English or country French, or even traditional. The feeling is relaxed and friendly, which is what “country” means when it comes in front of “English” or “French”.

In this column I will be discussing interior design with you on a very informal level. I’ll offer practical advice to help you plan a new bedroom, kitchen, bathroom or living room. Above all, my advice will be easy for you to implement. I am always available via email at flo@fabulousfloorsmag.com to answer any questions you have. I know we will become fast friends, and I’m looking forward to seeing you next time! ■

In this column I will be discussing interior design with you on a very informal level. I’ll offer practical advice to help you plan a new bedroom, kitchen, bathroom or living room.

A typical country dining nook. It features an old oak pedestal table with Windsor chairs dressed up with chair cushions for a splash of color. Always a winner!

This lovely bedroom features a favorite: classic toile (pronounced twall) in a French Provisional or country style. Toile is an 18th-century French scenic pattern usually printed in one color on a light background. Did you know you can even use it to cover walls, beds, chairs and drapes in the same pattern for maximum effect? Toile is still a highly regarded provisional style.

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Solution Dyed Looped Nylon Carpet for Commercial Areas Strong, Durable, Stain Resistant and Beautiful Jonathan Baron, ASID New York City is known as the city that never sleeps. New Yorkers need carpeting that is not only strong, durable and stain resistant but also beautiful. Commercial carpet needs to hold up to high traffic — particularly in apartment building lobbies and hallways. These spaces can be improved enormously with appropriate carpeting, and it’s essential to look for the best value. While each interior calls for a different style, commercial carpet can last for many years and remain in beautiful condition if the carpet is especially designed for this specific use. If you require commercial carpet for any heavy traffic commercial areas, you can choose from a limitless array of colors, styles and quality. Of course, selecting the right commercial carpet from a bewildering array of choices can at times become frustrating.

Our firm recommends starting with a solution dyed looped nylon commercial carpet made specifically for high traffic commercial areas. Solution dyeing is a pigmentation process in which color is actually 54

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built into the fiber when it is formed in the liquid state, thereby becoming an inborn color that cannot be removed from the fiber. Nylon is the most flexible of all fibers, allowing exceptional versatility in creating a variety of commercial carpet styles. This material is durable, resilient and receptive to dyeing for color flexibility and consistency. The nylon carpet is extremely resistant to spills and stains, and can be easily cleaned with the strongest cleaning agents without bleaching or fading. The looped design enhances the durability of the commercial carpet so it can last for many years in its original, beautiful condition.

Jonathan Baron, ASID, of Baron Design Inc., is known for his design of public spaces in New York City, particularly residential apartment building lobbies and hallways. He has been published widely in local NYC real estate management publications and appeared on local and national TV. He is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a New York State Certified Interior Designer.

Experience the Possibilities

Achieve the highest quality and smartest solutions with an ASID designer.

Creative consultant and problem solver, an ASID interior designer asks the right questions, analyzes the answers and creates a personalized solution that delivers long-term value and design quality — the first time.

Find a qualified ASID designer for your next project.

Visit www.asid.org.

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RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONAL

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BY E. A. O‘CONNELL

Designer’s WALK

Designer Erin Adams F

abulous Floors sat down with Erin Adams, founder of House Fifty Two, to talk about her journey over the past 30 years designing everything from tile and wallpaper to fabric and coordinating housewares.

Designer Erin Adams is known for her chic style, quirky personality and creative spirit. Her designs have been sought out by celebrities, including Cameron Diaz and Sharon Osbourne, as well as prominent companies like the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Adams pursued her love for product design by attending Pratt School of Art and Design for a master’s degree in ceramics. Her passion for art led to an entrepreneurial career.

In 1987, Adams started the high-end housewares collection A Brand that was carried by luxury retailers Henri Bendel and Neiman Marcus. To further explore her artistic ability, Adams launched Erin Adams Design, where from 1998 to 2010 she was the exclusive creator of six collections for Ann Sacks Tile, Stone and more.

Eventually, Adams was ready to broaden her focus to more than just tile design. In March 2013 she launched House Fifty Two, a lifestyle brand that offers a variety of interior products including tile, wallpaper, fabric and coordinating housewares.

Uni Diamond is a textured wallpaper in Erin Adams’ Grasscloth Collection

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Swell is a colorful stained glass tile collection designed by Erin Adams

“I feel like I hit my design stride at the age of 52 and the result is a labor of love and my most personal endeavor yet,” says Adams. “I merge together the tile and housewares industries, and create a complete lifestyle line that can be tailored to fit any taste or budget while having some fun!”

“House Fifty Two is about creating harmonious spaces that reflect a joyous and happy lifestyle,” adds Adams. “I like to take materials and use them in ways that have never been done before, with just a little touch of organic pizzazz, like three dimensional tile and woven metallic wallpaper, products that are truly one-of-a-kind.”

Her new Swell series of glass tiles goes through a weathering process to produce a final product that is both colorful and matte in finish, with smooth edges. “I wanted to bring a light, soft, clean and fresh glass mosaic to the marketplace,” Adams explains. “Swell looks as if the tile was swept up on the tide after years in the ocean.” >>

Inspired by the swells of the sea on glass, this collection exudes a soft freshness to mosaics

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Grasscloth Uni Diamond’s unique burlap and laminate weave adds texture, dimension and a customized feel

Erin’s other products include Merge, which supersedes flat tiles, combining arts-and-crafts colors with 3-D, and Grasscloth, a unique burlap and laminate weave in coordinating tiles and textiles. She’s collaborated with Imagine Tile on the Slant Stitch Collection, which has a subtle Aztec tribal pattern married with fresh colors for floors or walls.

1. What motivates you design-wise?

Patterns from all over. I love traveling to developing countries and seeing their folk art and colorways. I seek people who put their handiwork together without the limitations of a set style. My camera goes where I go. I snap everyone in sight from street culture to chicken cages to wornout houses and painted walls — all that has been touched by human hands.

2. Where did you grow up?

In San Antonio, Texas; I’m an 8th generation Texan. My mother owned contemporary and folk art galleries in San Antonio. When I was young, we went to Oaxaca and other towns in Mexico and Guatemala searching for folk artists. We also traveled to New York to visit with minimalist artists.

4. What style of architecture speaks to you?

Mid-century architecture, and, most recently, ancient and modern Japanese architecture.

5. How do you apply your personal style to designing?

My lines have an organic quality, neither linear nor fussy. I call it “quirky chic” tending toward organic, light-filled, timeless qualities. My products accentuate craftsmanship and celebrate the touch of the human hand.

6. Tell us what makes a room a sanctuary.

The lived-in essence from daily life and shrines of memories. Rooms must have personal touches and natural light. I like to see personality shine through.

7. D o you create different moods in a house or aim for a consistent feeling?

All aspects flow together. In my own home I create vignettes, almost like mosaics of pictures and things I like. I call it “containing chaos.” I build what amounts to storyboards on the walls, mosaics of different pictures and things that I believe relate to each other that are contained within a defined area. On my walls, I have pictures of my kids and family hung with special remembrances and objects that speak to me of love and preciousness.

I like houses that are eclectic, not just one style. For instance, even though I love mid-century architecture, I will have a Charles Eames chair next to a period coffee table with ancient Imari from Japan on it, an abstract painting behind the chair with a Chinese funky funerary piece to finish the look.

8. Do you have a design pet peeve?

YES — many. Although I love modern I don’t like perfect and stiff modern. I do not like the sense of too minimal, too cluttered or over stuffy. I feel too minimal and sparse does not show a person’s true personality. Also plastic brass, and oak furniture, as well as colonial era. YUK! Also ivy or tschokes on the top of kitchen cabinets, fake or real… >>

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The Merge Collection breaks the mold of traditional flat tiles, combining arts and crafts colors with threedimensionality

Blue Merge Collection

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Swell Collection

9. H ow do you decide what kind of flooring to use in a room?

It depends on the client. I like the tile and flooring to become part of the architecture. I hate when tile is just used as a decorative element. I like natural organic flooring, mostly wood or tile floors. I like tile for the floor when it creates a pattern, subtle and not cold. I don’t want to see a floor overpowering a room.

10. W hen developing flooring or wall tile, what comes first: color, texture or design?

DESIGN always; pattern, then texture, then color. I always give options in color and try to design my collections so I am not dictating the design but allowing the client to have a say in the design process. I give the client the wherewithal to design what they want. Just because I like mid century does not mean my client needs to like modern or mid century, just that they like fine craftsmanship. When I am designing with a new material, I always scour the past to see what has been designed with it and then I don’t do that. I push the materials to where they have not been before.

11. H ow do you choose a flooring category when designing a room?

I usually go with a flooring that resonates with the reason for the room. For instance, in designing the Swell collection, I was living in an 80s style suburban house and I wanted to stay somewhat true to the style of the house, but wanted to perk up the floor. I designed a simple 12" × 12" floor tile that is not overpowering but gives a subtle hint of newness.

12. D o you see any trends in what’s selling in your flooring?

Right now, yes, my encaustic concrete is selling like crazy, especially the hex tiles with simple stripes.

13. A re you developing any new flooring products or lines?

YES! I am working with Japanese ceramic tile factories to develop some great new ceramic floor tile. There’s also a new marble water-jet line that is sophisticated in its linear pattern.

I have the Cinta Tile collection of reclaimed teak wood in an 8" × 8" format that will also be in a ceramic tile where the two can be used together … lots options the client can choose from.

14. I n terms of flooring, what do you have to have in a kitchen?

I think a simple floor tile, clean but with a hint of color. I do love my Slant Stitch tile for the kitchen; it’s fresh, white with a hint of color. Also, the Cinta ceramic tile line or the Lee collection encaustic floor tile.

Also, a great backsplash works well. I really like it when tile goes all the way up to the ceiling and the cabinets just intersect the design. A pet peeve is when the backsplash tile is just for decoration rather than a room element.

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Opposite page right: Grasscloth Paisley. At right: Grasscloth Letterpress.

In a master bedroom?

IndoTeaks reclaimed wood floor is just beautiful — a simple wood floor with a simple rug.

In a child’s room?

Wood flooring with a great but simple rug that reflects the child’s personality. I love it when children take part in the design. I like the Slant Stitch for the kids’ bathroom and then a simple subway tile with some of David Csicsko’s fish tiles or his new bird series in accents on the wall.

In a family room?

The family room is a cozy place for a small pile carpet with an accent rug on top. This is the spot for some fun patterns.

In a bathroom?

This is where you can play with wallpaper on the vanity wall and water closet and a fun mosaic or one of our new concrete tiles on the floor. ■

Above: Orange and Blue Swell Collection; at right: Grasscloth Argyle.

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aging in place |

Jeanette Chasworth, nicknamed The Color Whisperer by her clients, believes in the transformational power of design and color.

Jeanette draws inspiration from the homeowners’ lifestyle, taste and experiences and also attunes herself to the house itself. Her clients often describe their newly designed space as a visual expression of their personality.

There is a sense of peace and comfort created by colors and textures that now harmonize with the energy of the clients — and with their homes. As a result, Jeanette’s portfolio illustrates great diversity in design. Her philosophy is unbounded by a particular style — her inspiration drawn from the desires that houses may “whisper in her ear.” http://www.thecolorwhisperer.com

BY JEANETTE CHASWORTH

Barrier-Free or Futuristic Design… isn’t just designing for a situation, it’s designing for a lifetime.

As our lives change, our needs change. While it’s hard to have a crystal ball to see exactly what is ahead in our lives, there are things that make every home more comfortable at every stage of life and add to the value and convenience of your home.

The Milestone Collection in Anew Gray from Masland.

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s you are remodeling, it is easy to take into account these simple solutions. You may even need to make some of these changes individually, but they will increase the ease of living in your home.

One very important design element in a home is at least one door that is barrier free, which means that there is no step and that the door is the same level as the ground outside. Sometimes this is a front door, or it can also be a back door that is reached by a driveway. This is very important in situations where the house may be built on a couple of levels.

Having an outside door with easy access has several advantages. It makes moving in and out easier, and large deliveries such as furniture have access to the inside of the house. It also makes it easier for a wheelchair to enter. The fact that you don’t use a wheelchair doesn’t mean you don’t need an easy-access door.

What if your friends use wheelchairs? Not being able to get in or out of your own

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house can leave you stranded and feeling alone. However, not being able to invite friends over may also leave you just as lonely and stranded, especially if you can’t drive. Maybe it’s your parent(s) who use wheelchairs or walkers. An easy-access entrance could be the difference between them being able to visit or not. Regardless of where you are in your life, an accessible door gives you more life in many ways.

Bathrooms are one of the most important rooms of the home and could be the most difficult. In the last issue we talked about creating a more accessible bathroom. Another way to help is to include scald-proof plumbing. Having a preset temperature or scald-proof temperature for the shower/bath is a great way to make getting a shower easier. It can be set to your favorite temperature with less work. If you have bad arthritis, turning knobs could be difficult. This type of plumbing also prevents the water from getting too hot and possibly burning you. Not being able to react quickly to hot water could result in dangerous burns.

There are many aspects of home life that we take for granted, and we aren’t aware of the possible difficulties. However, addressing these issues makes it easier to live now and in the future, allowing you to stay in your home and enjoy your independence much longer. ■

The Milestone Collection from MASLAND, features 100% Universal Fibers® Type 6,6 for superior performance — its six graphic styles are tufted for low resistance to roller traffic. Each take cues from natural elements for a nourishing aesthetic.

What if your friends use wheelchairs? Not being able to get in or out of your own house can leave you stranded and feeling alone. However, not being able to invite friends over may also leave you just as lonely and stranded, especially if you can’t drive.

A barrier-free bathroom is accessible to everyone.

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BY STUART HANSON

Curbless Flooringto-Shower Transitions Enable Designing Without Barriers in the Bathroom Transforming the bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary has always been in style, and one of the hottest design elements these days actually involves a newer element of bathroom design — the zero-threshold shower.

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recent survey by the National Kitchen & Bath Association found that more than half of respondents designed zero-threshold showers for clients in 2013, with 70 percent expecting to do more in 2014 and beyond. The reason? The ‘curbless’ shower offers ease of access, eliminating the potential trip hazard which is becoming especially important now that baby boomers are growing older… and want to continue living within their existing, upscale home. Flooring retailers and installers should take particular notice as this “ageless design” trend seems poised to only increase as roughly ten thousand baby boomers turn 65 each day according to Pew Research.

Fabulous Floors Magazine recently discovered ARC, Inc. (www.ARCFirst.net) — the Wisconsin-based company with dealers nationwide that is fast becoming an industry leader in enabling “Design Without Barriers” for those seeking stylish yet barrier-free shower systems. Two of ARC’s flagship products, Tuff Form and TriForm, are shower foundation pans made of structurally reinforced, recyclable materials, allowing for easier installation and thus reduced overall installation costs when considering labor and materials. uff Form and TriForm can be used to create curbless showers within both new and existing construction projects — much easier than the labor-intensive, mud bed method of shower construction. The result: These ARC products deliver an open canvas for homeowners to create their in-home spa with decorative stone or modern, largeformat tile flooring, both of which are so popular.

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TuffForm and TriForm curbless shower foundation pans deliver an open canvas for homeowners to create their in-home spa with decorative stone or modern, large-format tile flooring that are so en vogue. Photo courtesy of ARC, Inc.

ings our products offer, they get really excited,” says Chris Inman, president of ARC, Inc. “Both Tuff Form and TriForm make the structural reinforcement aspects normally associated with a curbless shower unnecessary — and that nicely combines ease-of-installation with an elegant-looking shower for an open, spa-like bathroom.”

Further, TriForm includes linear shower drain options to nicely finish the sleek, modern look — whereas Tuff Form allows for traditional square drain coverings and can be trimmed to desired dimensions, if needed.

For more information about ‘Design Without Barriers’ — contact ARC, Inc. at: www.ARCFirst.net or 877.319.6521. ■ Below and below right: One of the hottest bathroom design elements these days actually involves a relatively newer element of design — the bathroom flooring-to-shower transition, otherwise known as the zerothreshold shower. Photo courtesy of ARC, Inc.

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underfoot |

Switch Up a Look with Area Rugs!

BY MARSHA HOWLAND

Tuftex’s custom program allows you to build your own area rug, as seen here with Beach. At right: The Rhapsody Area Rug Collection by Nourison offers a modern mix of European and Persian textile traditions.

Background: Experience the texture of a traditional Nepalese rug with Nourison’s Nepal collection.

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n area rug can be the foundation of any room. It’s up to you! If you are the type of person who likes change and wants to switch up your home design look, area rugs could be the perfect solution! Let’s say it’s Spring and you want to reflect a light, airy feeling to your living room after coming out of a harsh Winter season. There is nothing like an area rug to instantly change the feeling in your home.

Area rugs do more than protect the floor; they define space and create focal points, pulling together color, patterns and textures. Don’t be afraid to layer… put a rug-on-rug or rug-on-carpet to create a new, interesting look in a room.

You can use area rugs to connect spaces, transition from one room to another, mix-and match colors and patterns or coordinate the palette of your stair landings — the possibilities are endless! >>

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underfoot |

Karastan’s Sereno pattern combines elements from an early 20th-century Sultanabad carpet in a flowing arrangement that settles gently into the subtle ombre of the cerulean blue ground.

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Below: Tuftex Custom Wave Rug.

Searching for that perfect area rug?

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dding an area rug is a great way to add color, design, comfort and personal style to any room. If you have been wishing to discover a rug with that luxurious color, unique size and shape and leading design to complete a space…your search is over!

Open up a world of fascinating possibilities with that perfect design solution. Make it your way… Make it custom from Tuftex Carpets of California.

From simple bordered rugs to detailed designs, Tuftex Custom Rugs offers an array of options that allow you to create the rug that’s right for you. Plus, all of the Tuftex styles and colors are available as custom area rugs.

With irresistible designs to choose from, all you have to do is select size, shape, style, color and border! Tuftex Carpets of California will do the rest!

For more information and to find a flooring retailer in your area that offers Tuftex products and Tuftex Custom Rugs, visit tuftexcarpets.com and click on the dealer locator tab.

Pantone is always looking for colors that capture the mood of the moment. Whether it’s Pantone’s color of the Year or a special, attention-getting shade from fashion or high design, Pantone color selection is always timely and on trend. Focus, the new rug collection from Oriental Weavers, translates these color trends into high-density, complex shag rugs woven in some of today’s most popular colors.

Area rugs are as diverse as they are versatile: hand-knotted, woven, hooked or braided. Machine made or hand tufted. Synthetic or natural. They can be playful and inexpensive — try shags, which offer so many vibrant color choices.

What’s more, most rugs are environmentally friendly, fashioned from natural fibers like wool, silk, sisal (spun from plant fibers) and coir, each with a distinctive texture. And of course, some come from recycled materials.

Whether inexpensive or of heirloom quality, area rugs can be taken to your next home or passed on to the next generation. The better area rugs are often referred to as decorator rugs because they come in many types, varieties and patterns.

As you shop for a rug, make sure you have samples of your existing colors and fabrics in hand. Maybe bring a throw pillow or tear sheets from Fabulous Floors of a look you want!

Remember, area rugs can be fun, fresh, practical and easily changed, just like your mood or the seasons! Give it a whirl!

You can do it! ■ Couristan’s outdoors-friendly Recife collection complements the simple yet classic styling of outdoor furniture and is uniquely colored to make stone entryways and patio decks warmer and more inviting.

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Today’s HardSurface Flooring Choices Prove that You CAN Always Get What You Want BETSY AMOROSO, DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANNINGTON MILLS

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he Rolling Stones told us “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”… but we disagree! Today’s hard-surface flooring offers more choices than ever before to help you get just the right product for any room in your home. Whether you’re looking for that spectacular floor to set the stage just right or something traditional yet stylish, you can look to Mannington for all the solutions.

Mannington offers a bit of a unique perspective on hard-surface flooring because it’s the only manufacturer that offers vinyl, LVT, wood, laminate and porcelain tile. Thanks to innovative styling and state-of-the-art technology, you can choose a look you love in the floor type that best fits your needs.

When it comes to choosing home furnishings, it’s all about style. Love the look of wood but need something low maintenance? Want a tile floor, but think your only option is going to be too cold and hard? Or just want something beautiful and easy to care for? Look no further, because you have options that will satisfy your decorating taste as well as your lifestyle!

Wild About Wood

From Mannington — at top: Inspired by the landscape of the Caribbean, the Grand Cayman collection’s Mountain Range is an exceptionally bold 12" rustic slate. Here, Adura Luxury Vinyl Canadian Maple Plank in Natural. Above right: Spalted Georgian Maple vinyl planks have a unique character with beautiful graining and color.

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Wood brings warmth and elegance to any home.

Sometimes, however, real hardwood just isn’t practical. So if you love the look of wood but need something that better suits your busy lifestyle, you’re in luck! Thanks to advancements in technology, you can now have the look of wood in a variety of hard-surface options, suitable for any room and any lifestyle. Vinyl flooring has seen a resurgence in popularity, and Mannington offers several types of vinyl floors that

stand up to kids and pets and work great for wet areas. Mannington’s Adura® Luxury Flooring offers everything from traditional Canadian Maple to rustic Avalon to exotic Spalted Georgian Maple. These floors are super durable, easy to clean and maintain and give you the elegant look of wood with special features and benefits.

Laminate flooring is another wood look-alike option that has benefitted from advanced technologies. Now available in wide-width (8") single-plank designs with realistic texturing and color variation, Mannington laminate offers unique and fashionable looks that will stand the test of time.

Examples include rustic Riverside Birch, elegant Chateau and modern Antique Walnut.

Tile With Style Real porcelain tile is in a class by itself. It’s elegant and durable and offers a custom, upscale look in any space. But when your feet, back and dishes crave something a little softer and easier to live on, think vinyl! (Yes, vinyl.) Mannington’s Adura® also comes in tile formats, most of which are groutable for an even more realistic tile look.

Check out Corinthia for a distinctive mixture of marble and cut stone, which enhances today’s more modern décor.

Or for a more traditional interior, a slate look like Dakota sets the stage for a timeless look that blends with almost any color scheme.

Another Mannington vinyl option is the new LVS (Luxury Vinyl Sheet), which offers an even softer feel underfoot and uses the most advanced printing technology to bring out the nuance of color in every design.

Get the appeal of an urban loft with the stained concrete look in Relic; or the beauty of slate in Grand Cayman – both in soft, luxurious LVS that is as easy on the eyes as it is on the feet.

Mannington has a variety of hard-surface flooring to suit any home and please any homeowner. Each one offers its own distinctive features that set it apart from others and help your home look beautiful and stylish for years to come. Because Mannington offers products in wood, tile, laminate and vinyl, it has the unique ability to “translate” popular looks from one flooring type to another, which helps you find a look you love in a product that fits your needs. ■

At top: Available in a range of browns and grays to whitewashed tones (here in Cabana Brown), Avalon is a versatile hardwood-look vinyl plank. Above: Relic features a versatile 12" staggered concrete tile floor look.

Above: Riverside laminate flooring in Natural offers the natural organic appeal of birch. Below: A beautiful variation of color, Dakota in Iron Mountain is a stunning 16" × 16" slate design.

To view the complete line of Mannington floors, visit: www.mannington.com Follow boards and pins for home details: www.pinterest.com/manningtonfloor/ Like the Facebook page and learn about all the new products www.facebook.com/ManningtonFloors

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Fabulous Floors Magazine is now featured on Magzter, the world’s largest and fastest growing cross platform global digital magazine store and newsstand. You can find all four quarterly issues of Fabulous Floors Magazine on Magzter!

Go to www.magzter.com and search for Fabulous Floors under Home Décor or Fashion tabs.

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More than just a page turn pdf, Fabulous Floors has added video, animation and embedded links giving you an interactive experience connecting you to more information about products, color trends, design tips and more!

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In These Challenging Economic Times, How Can You Maintain Your Cash Flow?

WE CAN HELP Overnite capital wants to be your financial partner. We advance money to commercial Customer receivables SHOPPING FORterms.

NEW FLOORS? that are on payment

Use Our Money to Make Money!

City

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SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER!

Get The Credit You Deserve

HOW DOES IT WORK? Overnite Capital advances 80–90% of the invoice amount prior to your customer paying.

When purchasing your next floor, ask about credit WHAT CAN USEspecialty flooring retailer. No promotions offered byIyour THE MONEY FOR? longer is credit merely a way to spread out payments.

Use the money for operating costs It’s become something far different—a money manageor paying your supplier so you can ment tool for today’s family chief financial officer. More take the next order right away. than a way to manage payments, credit represents the WHAT ARE THE opportunity to buy better merchandise, especially when REQUIREMENTS? the timing’s right.

OurFlooring factoring credit line ranges is an investment as much as it is fashion from $100K to $5M. Your business because it becomes part of your home’s structure. can have as little as $20,000 a month When purchasing flooring, consider how long you plan in receivables. We can help you if toyou keep floor and long it will take to pay it off arethat a startup or ahow seasoned with credit.

Wood lasts generations. company. The main criterion is You may want to change your every five years receivables orcarpet purchase orders from or so.

Ask yourself if the floor will add substantially to the credit worthy customers. value of the home. Credit options may turn out to be a IS THERE A MINIMUM? bargain if you can comfortably pay off the purchase in a We have no monthly minimums year two, keepattheyour house for a long time and so or you useplan ourtofunds plan to buy lasting, quality fashions. discretion.

Your project will likely begin with a budget. So, Evenflifooring you only have one with comprising ascredit much as a third of one’s worthy customer to factor, we can renovation cost, your credit plan can actually keep costs help your cash flow. contained by helping to track and limit expenditures.

Plus, credit lets you purchase economically—for example, when that special flooring goes on sale. Smart money managers also look to store credit as a way of keeping their regular credit cards open for routine— even emergency—expenditures.

Because credit impacts your overall cost, look for stores that promote their own store card and offer specials to new cardholders.

2933 Bunker Hill Lane, Suite 210 Ask about long-term special programs such as Santa Clara, CA 95054-1152 one and two-year “same as cash” offers. As a matter 800 957-4309 of course, better stores should be able to offer 60 to www.overnitecapital.com 90 days with no interest. At that time, your purchase (Disclaimer: Capital either is paidOvernite off or rolls overonly into a revolving charge serves the commercial or business with interest starting on the purchase date. As a credit to business market) customer you can call ahead and plan future purchases with your specialty flooring retailer. Ask to be added to its VIP list for private offerings, too, and look for special shopping days and special products offered to credit card holders.

COOL TOOLS

BY ALEX ROSS

Dear Readers,

Outdoor Décor

A

h, summertime! I know some of you might have summer weather year-round. But here where I live we had snowstorm after snowstorm this past winter, so the sunshine and heat are a welcome change. If you’re looking to maximize your time outside before (brrr…) the next winter storm warning is issued, read on for some shopping tips to turn your outdoor space into a cozy retreat everyone will love.

Today’s furnishings for outdoor living make it as easy to decorate your patio as it is to decorate your family room. From sofas to coffee tables and even lamps, your backyard can be as comfortable as your family room and allow you to enjoy the lazy days (and nights) of summertime even more than before.

Lean back and rock the night away in a Nantucket Rocking Chair from Grandin Road, www.grandinroad.com.

The chair comes in a variety of colors and is a great way to add some swing into the patio. Enjoy a glass of lemonade with family and friends during the day and do some stargazing at night. Rocking chairs are a timeless piece of furniture and have been a part of America since the beginning. A chair like this makes watching those Fourth of July fireworks a little more comfortable and enjoyable.

Those chilly summer nights will heat right up with an outdoor fire pit. One that brings style, warmth and family together, while being a perfect heater and marshmallow roaster! There are quite a few styles and sizes to choose from — check out World Market (www.worldmarket.com) to find the one that best suits your home.

Stay outside from dusk to dawn with outdoor lighting to brighten the conversation and the patio. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy spending time outside with the people I love. Crickets chirping, breeze blowing — there’s no better way to end the day! Thank goodness for outdoor lighting – some that even repels those pesky insects. Gardencia has a great selection of lamps that can be used in all weather to help illuminate those summer nights. Check them out at www.gardenica.com.

Who would have thought rugs would be the “must-have” item for the patio this year? Frontgate (www.frontgate.com) offers a wide variety of outdoor rugs to help you find the perfect fit and personality for your patio. And just as flooring sets the stage indoors, these rugs can provide great inspiration for outdoor décor.

Now, go pour yourself some lemonade!

Cheers Alex

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new dimensions | Find Flooring

FAST

ALLWOOD 855.245.1080 www.allwoodgrp.com

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS www.asid.org

BLOOMSBURG CARPET 212.688.7447 www.bloomsburgcarpet.com

BRITISH WOOL MARKETING BOARD www.britishwool.org

CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL www.campaignforwool.org

FLORIDA TILE INC. 800.789.TILE www.floridatile.com

HEALTHIERCHOICE www.healthierchoice.com

KARNDEAN DESIGN FLOORING www.karndean.com

MANNINGTON MILLS 856.935.3000 www.mannington.com

MOHAWK INDUSTRIES Smart Strand 800.2MOHAWK www.mohawkflooring.com/ green

OSHKOSH DESIGNS www.oshkoshdesigns.com 877.582.9977

OVERNITE CAPITAL 800.957.4309 www.overnitecapital.com

TUFTEX CARPETS OF CALIFORNIA The Premier Carpet of Shaw Floors 877.224.7429 www.tuftexcarpets.com 828 INTERNATIONAL www.828rugs.com ALTOGETHER HOME www.altogetherhome.com AMERICAN HARDWOOD INFORMATION CENTER www.hardwoodinfo.com AMERICAN OLEAN 888.AOT.TILE www.americanolean.com AMTICO www.amtico.com ANN SACKS 800.278.8453 www.annsacks.com ANDERSON HARDWOOD FLOORS 864.833.6250 www.andersonfloors.com

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ANSO® NYLON/ SHAW INDUSTRIES www.ansonylon.com APARICI TILE www.aparici.com APCOR www.realcork.org APC CORK 866.222.3241 www.apcork.com ARMSTRONG FLOOR PRODUCTS, which include Bruce®, Armstrong® and Robbins®, offer hardwood, resilient, laminate, ceramics and Genuine Linoleum™. To see products, go to www.armstrong.com BELLAVITA TILE www.bellavita.com BERRY FLOOR www.berryfloor.com BLISS CARPETS Beaulieu of America Inc 800.227.7211 www.beaulieuofamerica.com BONAKEMI www.bona.com BR-111 800.525.BR111 www.br111.com BRINTONS www.brintons.com CAPRI CORK www.capricork.com CARLISLE WIDE PLANK FLOORING 800-595-9663 www.wideplankflooring.com CARPENTER CO. STAINMASTER™ Carpet Cushion System www.carpenter.com CARPET ONE FLOOR & HOME www.carpetone.com CARPET & RUG INSTITUTE www.carpet-rug.com CARPETSPLUS COLOR TILE ECOCHOICE FLOORING 800.261.6456 www.carpetspluscolortile.com www.ecochoiceflooring.com CENTIVA www.centiva.com 888.CENTIVA COIR BOARD Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Government of India www.coirboard.gov.in www.coirboard.nic.in COLONIAL MILLS (CMI) 800.343.9339 www.colonialmills.com COLUMBIA FLOORING www.columbiaflooring.com CONGOLEUM CORP. www.congoleum.com COURISTAN www.couristan.com

Anywhere outdoor carpet in style Bora Bora from Stanton.

A BUYER’S GUIDE

CREATIVE EDGE MASTER SHOP 641.472.8145 www.cec-waterjet.com CROSSVILLE INC. 800.221.9093 www.crossvilleinc.com CUSTOM WEAVE By Mohawk 800.2.Mohawk www.mohawkind.com DALTILE CORP. 800.933.TILE www.daltile.com DB COVER Fabricushon, Ltd. 800.475.0801 DIXIE HOME 800.273.8546 www.dixie-home.com DOMCO-TARKETT www.domco.com www.tarkettusa.com DREAMWEAVER CARPET www.dwcarpet.com ECODOMO LLC 301.424.7717 www.EcoDomo.com EGE SERAMIK www.egeseramik.com ELDORADO STONE www.eldoradostone.com ELIANE CERAMIC TILES www.elianeusa.com EMIL CERAMICA www.emilamerica.com ENGINEERED FLOORS LLC www.engineeredfloorsllc.com EPRO TILE www.eprotile.com EXCELSIOR WOOD PRODUCTS, LLC 845.339.6630 www.excelsiorwood.com EXPANKO www.expanko.com 800.345.6202 FABRICA INTERNATIONAL 800.854.0357 www.fabrica.com FAUS GROUP INC. 888.231.3287 www.fausinc.com FCITS www.fcits.org FLOORMAX DIRECT 800.423.1823 www.floormaxdirect.com FORBO LINOLEUM 866.MARMOLEUM www.themarmoleumstore.com FORMICA www.formicaflooring.com FORTIS ARBOR www.fluxstudios.com GOODWIN HEARTPINE www.heartpine.com GODFREY HIRST 800.480.7135 www.godfreyhirstusa.com

HB FULLER Construction Products www.groutboost.com HELIOS CARPET www.helioscarpet.com HOMERWOOD www.homerwood.com HOMESPICE DÉCOR www.homespicedecor.com HOME LEGEND 877.630.1800 www.homelegend.com IDG • INTERNATIONAL DESIGN GUILD • JUST SHORN 800.205.4345 www.justshorn.com www.design-guild.com www.dabbiericollection.com blog.dabbiericollection.com ILVA www.ilva.com.ar IMAGINE TILE www.imaginetile.com INTERCERAMIC USA, Inc. 214.503.5500 www.interceramicusa.com INTERNATIONAL VINYL CORPORATION 706.278.8008 www.ivcgroup.com JMISH CARPETS www.jmishinc.com JOHNSONITE www.johnsonite.com JUST SHORN www.justshorn.com KAHRS INTERNATIONAL 404.206.9910 www.kahrs.com KAINDL www.kaindl.com KARASTAN www.karastan.com KARLSON HARDWOOD FLOORS 404.422.2264 www.karlsonshardwood.com KATHY IRELAND www.kathyireland.com KORUS –NYDREE WOOD www.koruswoodflooring.com KRONOTEX USA www.kronotexusa.com LAND PORCELANICO www.landporcelanico.com LAUFEN 800.321.0684 www.laufenusa.com LAUZON DISTINCTIVE HARDWOOD FLOORING 877.427.5144 www.lauzonltd.com LEA CERAMICHE www.ceramichelea.com LILYWORK CERAMIC ORNAMENT www.lilywork.com LIORA MANNE www.lioramanne.com

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS 1-800-HARDWOOD www.lumberliquidators.com MARAZZI USA www.marazzitile.com MASLAND CARPETS & RUGS 800.633.0468 www.maslandcarpets.com MEDITERRANEA 305.718.5091 www.mediterranea-usa.com METROFLOR www.metroflorusa.com MILLIKEN CARPET & RUGS 800.528.8453 www.millikencarpet.com MINWAX® 800.523.9299 www.minwax.com MIRAGE HARDWOOD FLOORS FROM BOA FRANC www.miragefloors.com MOHAWK CREDIT 800.2MOHAWK www.mohawkflooring.com MOMENI www.momeni.com MOTAWI TILEWORKS 734 213 0017 www.motawi.com MULLICAN 800.844.6356 www.mullicanflooring.com NALFA www.nalfa.com NAFCO by Tarkett www.nafco.com NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION www.woodfloors.org NORTH AMERICAN LAMINATE FLOORING ASSOCIATION (NALFA) www.nalfa.com NOURISON www.nourison.com OCEANSIDE GLASS www.glasstile.com OLD AMERICAN LUMBER reclaimedwood@charter.net PARTERRE FLOORING www.parterreflooring.com PERGO 800.337.3746 www.pergo.com PLANETA PEDRA www.planetapedra.com QUICK-STEP, INC www.quick-step.com ROGER OATES www.rogeroates.com RUGSTREET 480.635.8643 www.rugstreet.com SAINT GAUDENS METAL ARTS 760.891.0300 www.vsgmetalarts.com

Happy 60th Anniversary to Florida Tile!

What’s Color Got to Do With It? Jeanette Chasworth, ASID, who is president of the California Pasadena Chapter, has a new book out on color: What’s Color Got to Do With It? Paint Color Ideas to Create Balance and Harmony in Your Home.

“Selecting paint color for your home can be a difficult and sometimes scary chore. This book is a step-by-step guide to turn your fear into fun and help you to select a paint color that you will love and you will love to live in. You will learn how to use color to create a mood and how to use that to your advantage to increase your health, make your food taste better, and increase energy.” To order your copy, go to www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com SHAW INDUSTRIES/ SHAW LIVING www.shawinc.com SAFAVIEH 866.422.9070 www.safavieh.com SCHUMACHER www.fsco.com SENECA TILES www.senecatiles.com SHAMROCK PLANK FLOORING 866.473.3765 www.shamrockplankflooring.com SHAW FLOORS 1.800.441.7429 www.shawfloors.com SICIS The Art factory www.sicis.com SOUTHWIND CARPET MILLS (a division of Cherokee Carpet Ind.) www.southwindcarpet.com 800.272.2808 SPHINX, DIV. OF ORIENTAL WEAVERS 800.832.8020 www.owsphinx.com STAINMASTER CARPETS STAINMASTER CUSHION 800.438.7668 www.stainmaster.com STANTON CARPET 516.822.5878 www.stantoncarpet.com TARKETT www.tarkett.com TERAGREN Fine Bamboo Flooring, Panels & Veneer www.teragren.com 800.929.6333 TERRA LEGNO (800) 393-7424 www.terralegno.com TILE CIRCLE www.tilecircle.com TILE OF SPAIN® 305.446.4387 www.spaintiles.info TORLY’S www.torlys.com 800.461.2573

TOUCH UP PRODUCTS www.exactmatchwoodtouchup.com 1.855.YOU.TOUCHUP UNIQUE CARPETS www.uniquecarpets.com US FLOORS/NATURAL CORK 800.404.2675 www.naturalcork.com www.usfloors.com VILLEROY & BOCH www.villeroy-boch.com WALKER ZANGER www.walkerzanger.com WEAR-DATED CARPET FIBER 800.845.5270 www.weardated.com WELLMADE PERFORMANCE FLOORING www.wellmadefloors.com WHITE OAK CARPET MILLS www.whiteoakcarpet.com WICANDERS www.wicanders.com WOOLS OF NEW ZEALAND www.woolpremierpartner.com www.wonz.com WORLD FLOOR COVERING ASSOCIATION (WFCA) www.wfca.org WUNDAWEVE COLLECTION

By Mohawk 800.2.MOHAWK www.mohawk-flooring.com YAREMA MARQUETRY www.yaremamarquetry.com YERRA RUGS www.yerrarugs.com WOOLS OF NEW ZEALAND www.wonz.com WUNDAWEVE COLLECTION

By Mohawk 800.2.MOHAWK www.mohawk-flooring.com YAREMA MARQUETRY www.yaremamarquetry.com YERRA RUGS www.yerrarugs.com

C

ongratulations to an American tile manufacturer whose initial 1954 mission statement remains valid today.

The company began 60 years ago in March when its founders recognized opportunity in making a difficult-to-manufacture trim tile. Subsequently, it was the similar ability to recognize and address changing American tastes by producing innovative sizes and shapes, style and design — and service — that catapulted Florida Tile into one of America’s largest tile companies.

Along the way came many industry firsts, the most recent being High Definition Porcelain®, a revolutionary technology using high-speed printers to give a life-like realism to the decorations on the tile. The editors at Fabulous Floors Magazine are fascinated by the many looks this expertise can deliver, from stone to rare vintage hardwoods to the modern urban landscape look.

Florida Tile was the first company to introduce a guaranteed minimum 40 percent recycled content in its product, leading to a virtual zero-waste tile production manufacturing environment. Also, Florida Tile was the first to attain GREENGUARD certification for all of its products and one of the earliest producers to carry the Certified Porcelain mark on all of its porcelain lines. How green is that?

To take the brand into the 21st century, Florida Tile found a perfect partner in 2006 when the company was purchased

by Panariagroup, one of the leading Italian manufacturers with a strong international presence, distributed in more than 100 countries around the world.

A year later and after a $25 million investment, Florida Tile opened an ultra-modern porcelain production line in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, one of only three such factories in the US capable of making very large-sized, throughbody porcelain tile. The factory now runs round-the-clock, even in a challenging economy, to keep the latest in tile style coming to customers like you.

You can read more about Florida Tile and its history online at www.floridatile.com, but since the style’s the thing, come to the pages of Fabulous Floors each issue to see the latest from Florida Tile.

SUMMER 2014

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campaign for wool |

Cool Wool Wins ...

Even When the Sun Shines

BY BRIDGETTE KELLY



Images courtesy of Nourison

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FABULOUSfloors

Hibernia Woodbridge; image courtesy of Hibernia Woolen Mills

H

ot Summer days and hazy Summer nights... how we love our Summers!

We crave them all winter long, then as the temperature rises, our thoughts turn to that glorious Summer look — cool, balmy shades that evoke the coast or bright patterns that brighten our spirits.

At this time of year people often change a textile floor, only to find that in winter it is far too cold. The heating goes up quite high to compensate. But remember – those carbon emissions climb at the same rate as the heating bills!

A little knowledge may be helpful here because even floor specialists may not be aware of wool’s special but somewhat secret asset.

Wool Smart...

Wool can breathe and it will adapt to its environment through a very ‘smart’ and efficient process. This makes it perfect for the floor — which is the largest single covered space in most homes. >>

SUMMER 2014

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campaign for wool | The highly complex cell structure of wool is why wool is so successful at keeping the temperature ‘just right.’ As wool has grown and is a natural fibre, it has many unique assets. Whilst on the sheep, it provided protection from weather, keeping the sheep warm but adjusting to the weather to keep the sheep cool and comfortable.

This breathability remains with wool throughout its entire life. So, in carpet, rugs, clothing and bedding — in fact, in any situation — wool will adjust to temperature. It is a ‘working fibre’ that performs by absorbing moisture into its core and releasing it later. Other fibres have a simple structure and subsequently can offer none of this amazing capability. Wool, on the other hand, is very high performance.

Athletes are now using this aspect of wool to help them perform. They have discovered that it will acclimatize to their body temperature when they increase the pressure on themselves and they start to get warm. Wool takes the moisture away from their skin and releases it later. So, the garment remains fresh and dry and the athletes remain cool and able to perform at optimum levels.

This process adds immense value to the way a wool carpet or rug can adjust to your living space, so on that warm, sunny day, wool will stay cool! This is like having automatic temperature control — acclimatizing seasonally and daily to those inevitable swings.

Summer comes and goes but real wool is a constant performer and an excellent allweather choice. So choose wool and be cool! ■

At top: Image courtesy of Stanton Carpets.

At right: Highland Marble Edge; image courtesy of Masland Carpets.

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Waffle; image courtesy of Godfrey Hirst Carpets

Left: Ulster Boho; image courtesy of Ulster Carpets Here, 14 Dog Tooth & Pastels Spot Pink; image courtesy of Brintons.

Images are courtesy of our Partner Brands, please look on our resource guide for contact details.

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Wool Resource Guide Axminster Carpets Ltd UK

Godfrey Hirst USA

Roger Oates UK

+44 (0) 1297 630647 www.axminster-carpets.co.uk/

800-480-7134 www.godfreyhirst.com/

Bellbridge Carpets USA

Hibernia Woolen Mills USA

+ 44 (0) 1531 632718 + 44 (0) 207 3512288 www.rogeroates.com/

800-227-3408 www.bellbridge.com/

562-945-8711 / 888-588-9665 www.hiberniawoolenmills.com/

Bloomsburg Carpets/USA

International Design Guild

800-233-8773 www.bloomsburgcarpet.com/

603-626-0333 or 800-450-7595 www.internationaldesignguild.com/

Brintons HO USA

J. Mish, Inc USA

678-594-9300 www.brintons.net/

(800)-655-8613 www.jmish.com/us/

Carousel USA

Karastan USA

800-241-5515 / 706-602-8080 www.carouselcarpet.com/

1-800-234-1120 www.karastan.com/

Carter International USA

Langhorne Carpet Co. USA

877-227-8371 www.cartercarpets.us/

215-757-5155 www.langhornecarpets.com/

Delos Rugs USA

Masland Carpets & Rugs USA

877-988-5595 www.delosrugs.com/

800-633-0468 www.maslandcarpets.com/

Fabrica Carpets USA

Nourison USA

949-261-7181 / 800-854-0357 www.fabrica.com

800-223-1110 / 201-368-6900 www.nourison.com/

Hagaman Carpets USA

Rodeo Collection

by Stark USA

706-861-6028 / 800-448-0279 www.hagamancarpet.com

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www.starkcarpet.com

Savnik USA 510-568-3150 savnik.com/

Silver Creek Carpet USA 800-233-5016 www.bloomsburgcarpet.com/silvercreek

Stark Carpet Corp USA 00 1 714 434 0630 www.starkcarpet.com/homeMain.cfm

Stanton Carpets USA 888-809-2989 www.stantoncarpet.com/

Tai Ping USA 212-979-2233 taipingcarpets.com/

The Dixie Group, Inc USA 866-274-9776 www.thedixiegroup.com/

Ulster Carpets UK + 44 (0) 770-528-4724. www.ulstercarpets.com/

Westex Carpets UK + 44 (0) 1274 861 334 www.westexcarpets.co.uk/

One Wool... One Brand Welcome to the

Green Sheep The Green Sheep is the new brand for real wool from the Campaign for Wool. Supported by quality manufacturers and run by the major wool organisations of the world.

Live Naturally Choose Wool

A Campaign for Wool promotion www.campaignforwool.com

#onewool SUMMER 2014

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Don’t Worry.

I T ’ S S M A R T S T R A N D. Life can get messy! But, with SmartStrand carpet by Mohawk, you don’t have to worry.

Featured carpet: Tender Tradition in color Bare Essence

SmartStrand is the only carpet with built-in stain and soil resistance that never washes or wears off.

Visit your local Mohawk retailer and let the fun in with SmartStrand carpet: MohawkFlooring.com/SmartStrand

View Messy Moment #1