Room redesign? Start with the floor (BPT) – To change the look of any room, start with the floor. A beautifully finished hardwood floor adds warmth and charm - and the range of options available for hardwood floors today can truly transform a room. With choices from soft natural to cool gray to dark charcoal you can find the perfect shade for your renovation. The floor sets the tone for the room’s overall appearance. Don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips to inspire a stunning redesign.
Choose an overall look To help with your design choices, consider the overall feel of the room. Every design element the floor stain, finish, wall color, furnishings and accents - should work together to enhance the mood and aesthetic. Do you want a soft and floral look? Sleek and modern?
tones to create a sense of urban luxury, in colors from white or walnut to charcoal. This style goes well with dramatic textures like glass, stone or shiny metal, and compleGet inspired ments colors like green, There’s no shortage of rich gray or dark plum. resources to inspire your Other design collecroom design. From art tions include Garden galleries and Pinterest to Atmosphere, Malibu nature itself, look for key Dreams and Touch of colors, textures or items Grace. Each option proto inspire the new room vides a suggested color design. palette and recommendaNext, get inspired by tions for furnishings. flooring options. ConsidUnderstand the er the collection of five process customized style options crafted with a full range Research the best of stains, sealers, treattools and products for rements and finishes from finishing your hardwood Bona. floor. The process can be For example, the Nor- seamless and pleasant, dic Shimmer collection or you can be left with a combines soft, natural dusty, smelly mess. The tones that work well first stage in refinishing a with whites and blues for hardwood floor is sanda peaceful, comforting ing off the old finish with environment. This look very light abrasion to complements furnishreveal the natural wood ings with simple, clean underneath. This requires lines. The New Modern just the right grit level collection offers rich, vivid of abrasive, and typically takes more than one pass, using increasingly finer grit. It’s important that the wood is not
Cool and airy? The color palette and sheen of your hardwood finish will become the foundation for the feeling you’re trying to evoke.
over-sanded, to avoid damage. Look for a hardwood flooring professional that offers dustless sanding. Reducing the wood dust in your home not only makes clean-up a breeze, it’s also healthier for your home. Next comes the stain (color) and possibly sealer, depending on the look you’re trying to achieve. Know that you can create custom colors, so take enough time to pick your perfect shade. The stain process may take a day or two as the stain sets and dries. Finally, pick your finish. Today’s hardwood floor finishes come in a wide range of sheens and durability levels. You can choose from a flat, natural matte finish to a shiny semi-gloss, and several sheens in between. Choose a waterborne finish to keep the home healthy.
Get creative In addition to mixing stain colors for a custom blend, you can also get creative with how you treat the floors. Consider
a wire brush technique to bring out the soft grain in the wood, or a distressed or scraped process for a more rustic charm.
Let the pros do it for you The process of refinishing hardwood floors takes a high level of skill and experience - in many ways it’s an art form. To make sure it’s done well, many homeowners choose Bona Certified Craftsmen - professionals who will help you choose from a range of products designed to protect and
maintain your hardwood floors. The right professional will guide you to the best stain, finish or sealer to suit your hardwood species and create the desired look. They will also take into account the room’s lighting and type of finish that is optimal for your room’s level of foot traffic. Let your floor be the guide for creating a beautiful new look for one room or your entire home. With a wide array of colors and textures, the possibilities are infinite.
Unique ways to add style and personality to your kitchen the recessed area just below the cabinets - which can be enhanced with subtle styling. Consider painting this area a fun statement color or adding tiles for a clever update you won’t see elsewhere.
and candy red, or choose from an array of custom colors. Learn more at www.elmirastoveworks. com. If retro doesn’t suit your fancy, consider the Antique line, which features intricately detailed Add vintage style appliances with historic appliances styling. These distinctive While stainless steel appliances are available in appliances are popular in a range of traditional and modern kitchens, colored custom colors, and can appliances are a great complement any vintage way to add personality if home design, including you’re feeling the desire a rustic cabin, country for something a little cottage or lake house. (BPT) – From cooking styles or experiment with different. Elmira Stove For a turn-of-the-century different shapes to add to conversing to enWorks offers several vin- feel, the Fireview stove is character. tertaining, the kitchen tage-inspired appliance especially stunning, with Another idea for truly is the heart of the lines in a variety of styles a visible wood-burning home. It’s also one of the freshening up your and colors. Whether you component that can also spaces that homeowners kitchen is to update a opt to update all your be used to heat rooms. few key cabinets. For in- appliances or choose a most often dream of Light up the room stance, you can paint the single statement piece, renovating. A growing cabinets above or directly your kitchen will feel trend in kitchen design Proper lighting is is personalization, where beside the stove in black inspired. essential for performing chalk paint, allowing thoughtful updates go kitchen tasks, but that For those who lean you to add fun words beyond stainless steel doesn’t mean it has toward a retro or midappliances and standard and phrases - or even to be boring. Lighting century modern look, cabinetry to incorporate a a favorite recipe - with provides an opportunity the Northstar line adds host of interesting design chalk markers. You could conversation-worthy col- to get creative and bring also remove the face of elements. or to any kitchen. Perfect touches of personality to several cabinets from the for basement bars, bonus the kitchen. By blending By adding splashes frame and add a clear or rooms and man caves of personality to your practical task lighting kitchen, not only will you opaque glass insert for with decorative ambient too, this line combines added visual interest and throwback style with make the space one of lighting, you can inject an unexpected touch of a kind, but you’ll also the right balance of funcmodern conveniences. beauty. enjoy it more because it tion and fashion. Add a fun pop of color Finally, don’t forget will reflect your unique Overhead and unwith classic hues like about the often overpreferences and style. tropical blue, mint green Consider these key ways looked toe kick space to breathe new life into any kitchen.
Switch up your cabinets Want to give your cabinets a fresh look and add some pizzazz without refacing them or installing new ones? An easy place to start is to replace existing hardware. Just as jewelry completes an outfit, hardware adds a finished look to cabinets. The availability of a variety of styles and materials for drawer and cabinet pulls - metals, ceramics, crystal, glass, stone - makes it easy to update your cabinets with little cost and effort. Don’t be afraid to mix-and-match hardware
der-cabinet lighting make it easy to chop, cut, cook and more. Add a bit of flair by using a layered approach - for example, strategically mix pendant and wall lights with recessed lighting. The globes that surround light fixtures are another great place to sprinkle in some character. From glass designs in vivid hues to textured metal looks, these surrounds come in myriad shapes and sizes. You can find your favorite kitchen lighting options at local home improvement stores or boutique lighting shops. For something truly one
of a
kind, visit antique shops, flea markets and home decor reclamation stores. Whether an amazing art deco chandelier or an adorable Victorian decorative table lamp, you’ll discover unexpected gems for your kitchen. Your kitchen should be as unique as you are. When you add personal touches, you’ll enjoy an updated, customized space that will have you cooking and entertaining in style.