When you think of the colors associated with fall, green doesn't necessarily come to mind. Environmentally speaking, however, it should. There's no better time than now to lessen your home's impact on the environment and change the way you decorate and live. So, why not go green this fall? It's not nearly as difficult to become earth-friendly as you might think.
These days, you can find stylish, eco-friendly design elements for every room in the house. And, contrary to popular belief, going green doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style for sustainability. The two can coexist quite effortlessly.
You can start simple by covering your floors with formaldehyde-free carpets constructed of recycled fibers or select a natural material like hardwood, bamboo, stone or slate. Varying styles of carpet are available which are made from recycled plastic bottles. There are even some wood floors made with reclaimed timber.
Don't stop there, hang energy-efficient window treatments with high insulation and shading properties. Spice up your tired sofa with a design-forward slipcover and throw pillows crafted from 100 percent recycled materials. Add bright recycled glass plates and serving pieces to your china cabinet. Buy furniture made from sustainably harvested wood or, better yet, visit local secondhand shops and repurpose. Or, look around your own home and see what you already have that can be adapted for a new use.
Keep in mind that greening your home or business, inside or out, doesn't happen in a matter of minutes or even overnight. It's an ongoing process, but it doesn’t necessarily mean consuming your budget or drastic changes to your lifestyle.
Everyone can participate in trying to get a little “green”. As a business, the first part of our program includes an effort by Broadway Carpets to incorporate environmentally friendly practices wherever possible. The second part of our effort includes driving a company wide program with employees to reinforce environmentally friendly office practices. Some of our specific efforts include:
Recycling cell phones, computers and electronic equipment.
Placing a priority on recycled content in our office supply purchases.
Recycling mixed office paper.
Recycling all old carpet padding and new scraps to be remanufactured into new carpet padding.
Recycling all cardboard packaging from samples and product packaging.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Design Considerations
Flooring Is one of the first things your eyes are drawn to upon entering a home. Your flooring influences the look of the whole house. When deciding upon a floor you should consider how the flooring fits in with your overall decor.
With that in mind, here are some basic design tips that describe how flooring affects a room:
Look at your floor as a one of 6 walls - 4 walls, ceiling and the floor; they all have to be in sync.
Choosing a neutral color will give you more design options, now, and will make your home more sellable down the road.
Common designer recommendations are colors found in nature, such as greens, browns, ochre's, and bronzes.
Pale flooring helps a small room appear larger.
Plain colors and small patterns work well in small or larger rooms. However, large, bold patterns and dark colors should be restricted to larger areas.
Using the same neutral flooring to link adjoining rooms makes an area look bigger and creates a nice flow.
If you plan on integrating two or three types of flooring, view samples of all of them together before choosing.
Use a border to add interest or define an area in a room. Think of a border as a permanent area rug.
Medallions are accents commonly used as focal points in wood or ceramic floors.
Choose the right style of flooring for the look you want to achieve:
Stone floors combine durability and natural beauty. They provide a dramatic look in an entrance while being easy to maintain. They resist moisture, and combined with radiant heating make an ideal choice for a bathroom floor. Some of unpolished slate or limestone styles work great in sunrooms by creating a sense of bringing the outdoor in. Ceramic floors combine well with carpeting or hardwood as a transition from entry way to living area. Or continue it right through from entry to kitchen to maintain a flow and make an area appear larger.
Hardwoods provide a timeless design that easily adapts to any decor. Although they can be costly, the floors will last forever with proper maintenance. Laminate flooring is a somewhat cheaper alternative, but have come a long way. Make sure to install a sound-proofing underlay for a cushion.
Carpeting is a good choice if a good quality and well-maintained. It's one of the most popular choices for bedrooms; creating a warm and inviting space. Use your color palette when choosing a bedroom carpet, so that it relates to the flooring in other areas of the house. Carpet tiles can work well, but the key is to create a pattern, otherwise they'll remind you of the office.
Area rugs can add warmth and color to a wood or stone floor. They also define different areas such as a sitting area, almost making them appear as separate rooms.
Exotic flooring alternatives are on the rise. Popular wood choices are eco-friendly Bamboo floors,
Cherry, Brazilian, Santos or Mahogany. These can work great as accents or borders to a typical hardwood. Other non-wood choices include cork and even leather. Leather tiles look better with age and provide a warm, expensive look for a library or sitting room.
When choosing a flooring it's easy to be tempted by some of the cheaper versions,
but you will pay in the long run for the lack of quality. Try to buy the best type of flooring you
can afford, and if well-maintained it will last for years.
With that in mind, here are some basic design tips that describe how flooring affects a room:
Look at your floor as a one of 6 walls - 4 walls, ceiling and the floor; they all have to be in sync.
Choosing a neutral color will give you more design options, now, and will make your home more sellable down the road.
Common designer recommendations are colors found in nature, such as greens, browns, ochre's, and bronzes.
Pale flooring helps a small room appear larger.
Plain colors and small patterns work well in small or larger rooms. However, large, bold patterns and dark colors should be restricted to larger areas.
Using the same neutral flooring to link adjoining rooms makes an area look bigger and creates a nice flow.
If you plan on integrating two or three types of flooring, view samples of all of them together before choosing.
Use a border to add interest or define an area in a room. Think of a border as a permanent area rug.
Medallions are accents commonly used as focal points in wood or ceramic floors.
Choose the right style of flooring for the look you want to achieve:
Stone floors combine durability and natural beauty. They provide a dramatic look in an entrance while being easy to maintain. They resist moisture, and combined with radiant heating make an ideal choice for a bathroom floor. Some of unpolished slate or limestone styles work great in sunrooms by creating a sense of bringing the outdoor in. Ceramic floors combine well with carpeting or hardwood as a transition from entry way to living area. Or continue it right through from entry to kitchen to maintain a flow and make an area appear larger.
Hardwoods provide a timeless design that easily adapts to any decor. Although they can be costly, the floors will last forever with proper maintenance. Laminate flooring is a somewhat cheaper alternative, but have come a long way. Make sure to install a sound-proofing underlay for a cushion.
Carpeting is a good choice if a good quality and well-maintained. It's one of the most popular choices for bedrooms; creating a warm and inviting space. Use your color palette when choosing a bedroom carpet, so that it relates to the flooring in other areas of the house. Carpet tiles can work well, but the key is to create a pattern, otherwise they'll remind you of the office.
Area rugs can add warmth and color to a wood or stone floor. They also define different areas such as a sitting area, almost making them appear as separate rooms.
Exotic flooring alternatives are on the rise. Popular wood choices are eco-friendly Bamboo floors,
Cherry, Brazilian, Santos or Mahogany. These can work great as accents or borders to a typical hardwood. Other non-wood choices include cork and even leather. Leather tiles look better with age and provide a warm, expensive look for a library or sitting room.
When choosing a flooring it's easy to be tempted by some of the cheaper versions,
but you will pay in the long run for the lack of quality. Try to buy the best type of flooring you
can afford, and if well-maintained it will last for years.
Shaw Anso Fall Flooring Event
There are some really good deals for September, October & November for any Anso branded Shaw carpet. From September through November :
You'll save big with a $200 coupon from Shaw. This coupon can be downloaded at www.shawfloors.com and is deducted from the amount of the sale.
During the month of October, you can get an additional $ 250 rebate from Anso if the carpet is an Anso branded product.
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