Fabulous Floors Spring 2015

Beautiful Home Interiors Begin With

f loors FABULOUS

No. 45, 2015

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www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com

Porcelain · Haven

Adura ® · Rushmore

Laminate · Treeline Oak

WHY MANNINGTON?

Styles, performance, and durability that can’t be found anywhere else.

Resilient · New Castle

Hardwood · Mercado Oak

manningto n. co m 1.800.35 6.6787

We’ve been making quality flooring for nearly 100 years.

International Edition No. 45 | 2015 Welcome to the Spring 2015 issue of FABULOUS FLOORS, a consumer magazine

Rich color variations and authentic veining lie beneath Perseo’s highly polished surface from Marazzi USA.

On the cover: Tile of Spain Manufacturer Cerpa presents this gorgeous wood look tile called Teka

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURE STORIES

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ON THE BOARDS

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A laminate flooring for every taste. Laminate has become as fashionable as the trendiest New York eatery.

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CARPET COUTURE

The resurgent popularity of carpet is a reflection of reflection as homeowners reassess what really matters.

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ALONG MAIN STREET

Fabulous new section featuring designing with commercial products for Hospitality, Healthcare, Education, Retail and more.

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GREEN SOLUTIONS

Highlighting the newest, trendiest options in sustainable products for floors and walls.

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NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Fabulous floors begin with your flooring, but they “live on” for years when you use premium installation materials.

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Find a WFCA flooring retailer near you.

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29 CROSSVILLE TILE LAUNCHES MOONSTRUCK PORCELAIN TILE COLLECTION

Featuring Large formats, unique striations and a range of colors!

36 THE NATURALS COLLECTION

From Tuftex Carpets of California the premier residential carpet division of Shaw Floors.

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A buyer’s guide to what’s inside this issue

EVER HEARD OF RECYCLED PAINT?

Making it easier to be “green.”

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WANT TO PROTECT YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS?

Introducing Bare Floor Pro by Soniclean. See special offer!

60 THE BUYERS GUIDE TO PURCHASING A VACUUM CLEANER

The vacuum cleaner as we know it has not been around that long.

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ABULOUS FLOORS SALUTES THE MARBLE INSTITUTE F OF AMERICA

For over 70 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world’s leading information resource and advocate for the natural stone industry.

SUBSCRIBE TO FABULOUS FLOORS MAGAZINE FIND FLOORING FAST

WHEN YOU WANT THE BEST, YOU NEED ASID

Learn why ASID interior designers bring such breadth and insight to projects… including your home!

Available in both digital and print editions 72

THE SANGRIA COLLECTION

Modern glass tiles in 3 formats and 12 colors.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Beaulieu of America makes flooring donation that saves a business and longtime employee’s jobs!

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22 SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT FLOORING BEGINS WITH WFCA

DESIGNER’S WALK

A tribute to Designers Diary editor, Florence Michelson and a unique design of an open space from Pittsburgh!

STARECASING TO THE RESCUE!

An elegant way to solve a difficult problem for a Connecticut homeowner.

TILE IN STYLE

Tile can spice up your life. Even after thousands of years, manufacturers are still spicing it up!

BAMBOO FLOORING

Courtesy of the WFCA. 20

WOODN’T IT BE NICE

The appetite for wood flooring is insatiable. Whet your appetite with exotics both foreign and domestic.

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Introducing Art Select Stones from Karndean.

ALWAYS RESILIENT

Once upon a time it was called linoleum… now see its incredible transformations.

YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES

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LIVE NATURALLY… CHOOSE WOOL

Put the natural bounce back into Spring… Invest in Real Wool.

Subscribe online today!

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SPRING 2015

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Long awaited, Spring is here.

W

Elizabeth Andrews

point of view |

hat’s taken my thoughts this season is how technology and craftsmanship combine to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

There isn’t a facet of floorcovering that hasn’t been impacted by technology. In fact, the design aspects of flooring have been hugely influenced by the Internet. Sites like Pinterest and Houzz showcase the finest in design, at all levels. Homeowners want the feel and look of high design flooring, even on a modest budget.

Take for example, the popularity of herringbone patterned hard surfaced floors.

This pattern has been a hallmark of fine European wood flooring for hundreds of years.

Until recently, these herringbone floors were a challenge to fabricate, even for a master woodworker.

Responding to demand from customers in all price points, manufacturers have developed flooring products that easily translate into the beautiful herringbone look. Wood, tile, laminate, cork or luxury vinyl floor, a fabulous floor with a heritage look is only an installation away!

Carpet continues to be a top choice for living and sleeping areas. The trend to transform bedrooms to sanctuaries includes carpet for its comfort under foot and sound muffling properties. New fiber applications make carpet simple to maintain.

In this issue, we also take a look at commercial design in Along Main Street, examining what’s new in commercial flooring. We also take a peek at advances in materials used to install your floors with premium materials in Nothing but the Best.

If you take our lead and incorporate technology and design savvy into your flooring, take a snap and forward it to me. I’m always delighted to see how readers make our design recommendations their very own!

Happy Spring,

Margo Locust Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

floors FABULOUS

™

Spring 2015 No.45

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 BARBARA KEMPLER-TOELKE Editorial Assistant RAY STEWART Production Manager ray@stewart-comm.com ALEXANDER & ASSOCIATES Newsstand Director SPECIAL FEATURE WRITERS BRIDGETTE KELLY Contributing Writer, UK ALEX ROSS fabfloorsalex@gmail.com JEANETTE CHASWORTH Jeanette@thecolorwhisperer.com SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Barry Briskman, E. A. O’Connell Marsha Howland CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Seth S. Rodgers, 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

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.

PRINTED IN THE USA Copyright 2015 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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ADVANTA

Discover beautiful, sustainable design for your floors with infinitely inspiring tile solutions from Crossville.

US

Meet the Moonstruck Porcelain Stone Collection, by Crossville.

Distinctly American. Advantageously Crossville.

CrossvilleInc.com | 931-456-3136 SPRING 2015

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on the boards |

BARRY BRISKMAN

Left: QuickStep’s Veresque Oak Planks in Cargo Oak; opposite page right: Armstrong Laminate’s Acacia Cayenne Spice; Upper right: Mannington Laminate’s Peruvian Stone

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A Laminate floor for every taste….

Laminate has become as fashionable as the trendiest New York eatery. That’s because advancements in technology and structure along with manufacturers and colorists are pushing the envelope.

No longer just a hard-wearing, low-cost substitute for wood or stone, there’s a laminate for every taste. Today’s laminate designs, finishes and larger formats, together with improved noise and moisture control means a designer, architect, builder or home decorator can dish up an inspired decor.

Put another way, laminate is NOT a replacement for anything. It IS a separate and distinct flooring category all its own with features, stylings and performance benefits unique unto itself, and it’s a flooring type that can go just about anywhere in the home, laid down as planks, herringbone, tile or custom design. >>

SPRING 2015

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on the boards |

Sure, laminate may look like wood or stone, but it’s important from a design standpoint to factor in how tough it can be resisting dents, scratches from pets and everyday traffic — even cigarette burns! — and how the new, rugged laminate surfaces can stand up to heavy wear, stains and moisture. It’s a snap (literally) to install, especially for redecorating projects, and cushiony underlayments and surface treatments manage moisture, static and sound. Most installations today are glueless and tackless.

Ultimately, though laminate is all about “the look,” from traditional to exotic. And the today’s laminate has gone “luxe” with qualities to match the high-end fashion looks.

Laminate “woods” are offered in a host of species, even exotics, along with precision surface treatments to follow the decor grain — even hand-scraped for the antique look or oil finishes for the high-end look. You can experience laminate in very long planks, designed to appear endless and uninterrupted when matched end-on-end, or you can opt for the new, casual wide-plank look or the tailored, narrow-plank, or the V-groove, so popular in solid and engineered hardwoods. If you’re into the stone and tile look, the same kind of embossing that goes into the laminate wood decors is used to create fabulous ceramic and porcelain tile as well as stone installations in the new and popular larger 16-inch formats.

If we had to come up with one word that captures the essence of laminate flooring today, especially when compared to a decade ago, it would have to be ... “inspired!” ■

Kronotex USA Aberdeen Collection’s Woodstock Oak

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Left: TORLYS Laminate’s Lexington Collection in Cafe Walnut Plank; below: Bruce Laminate’s Hickory Collection

Left: Armstrong Coastal Living Collection; below: QuickStep Reclaime in White Wash Oak; right: Barrington Laminate in Country Natural Hickory

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always resilient |

BY MARGO LOCUST, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Once upon a time….

Tarkett Permastone.

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FABULOUSfloors

Metroflor Aspire Sumner Chromium Luxury Vinyl Plank.

You probably know bits of the story... Grandmother’s house...

Linoleum, the ugly duckling of floors… Now skip to the good part.

The incredible transformation.

Today it’s called resilient, a broad term for flooring that includes vinyl, linoleum, rubber and cork.

Resilient today blends gorgeous design with cutting-edge technology, providing beauty, versatility and performance at affordable prices.

Today’s resilients offer the remarkable looks and textures of realistic wood grain, natural stone, metal and even fabrics.

Stone looks include slate tile with softly aged edges, textured sandstone, shale with elements of jade, worn brick, Old World terracotta, Mayan pumice, Persian sandstone and Tibetan Slate. Traces of amber, moss, opal and quartz.

Wood looks range from honeyed oak to Brazilian cherry to deep-hued, wide-plank hickory and hand-scraped, antique walnut and exotics. >>

Above left: Armstrong Floors Alterna LVT; above right: Karndean Art Select Woods Auburn Oak Parquet.

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always resilient |

Art Select Stones W

e are proud to introduce Art Select Stones, a new collection of premium tiles created from original inspiration stones recovered from various locations throughout the world.

This line of luxury vinyl tiles boasts our most intricate and realistic embosses to date — each handcrafted to reflect the unique patterns and textures of real stone.

From the striking earthy, organic tones of our new Travertine designs — Washburn, Caldera and Gallatin — and rich, contemporary hues of Parliament Slate — Melbourne and Canberra — to the understated and classic look of our Marble — Otono and Fiore, there’s a design to match all décor schemes.

In addition to the textures and visuals, these stones are available in a variety of sizes and formats including large 16" × 16" and 18" × 24" tiles, random Ver-

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Art Select Melbourne; below: Art Select Travertine in Washburn.

sailles patterns, and Karndean’s revolutionary new FreeLengths. Replicating on-trend stone plank visuals in a variety of lengths, FreeLengths allow for endless design options.

Our designers traveled the world to find the original stones responsible for influencing this remarkable line. From the limestone cliffs of the English Channel Islands and historic slate quarries in the Welsh countryside, to the slate steps of a former ‘Parliament house’ in Melbourne, world famous marble quarries in Tuscany, and even the travertine terraces of natural hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, you can share the inspiration of these experiences in the comfort of your own home.

View the full collection at www.karndean.com/ artselect. ¢

Art Select Stones Travertine

Slate

Marble

Limestone

Each design has been created from its original inspiration stone recovered from various locations throughout the world.

Introducing the new collection of Art Select Stones.

Karndean traveled the world to find the original slate, marble, travertine, and limestone responsible for influencing this remarkable line. Now, you can share the inspiration of these experiences in the comfort of your own home. Art Select Stones are more versatile and easier to maintain, while offering the beauty and durability of natural stone.

Featured floor:

LM08 and LM18 Caldera (888) 266-4343 | info@karndean.com | www.karndean.com SPRING 2015

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always resilient |

Left: IVC Floors’ Bayside Everwood; below: Bliss COREtec One 100% Waterproof.

As conumers become more sophisticated, layering rather than matching design elements, they look for resilients with the authentic look of antique weathered stone, slate, limestone, sisal, leather and linen, or the contemporary appearance of stained concrete or metallics like nickel, copper and steel, or wood looks with colors and grains ranging from traditional tailored oak and distressed hardwoods to exotics like cypress and bamboo.

Today’s resilient comes in sheets (6 and 12 feet wide), tiles and even planks, offering custom possibilities to rival your imagination, from carved tiles or vibrant geometrics. Resilient now offers a host of subtle, realistic grout options — thick or thin or butt joints.

The often costly fashion trend of mixing flooring materials is now within reach.

Resilient can be an inexpensive way of integrating the look of wood, stone, tile, and metal into your floor design with custom inlay work, including borders and medallions.

Patterned resilient planks or tiles can be made into unique designs for a striking entryway, bathroom or kitchen.

The contemporary design movement toward blending opalescence and gloss with classic looks can be easily and affordably achieved with resilient.

Many resilient floors are environmentally friendly. Linoleum, for example, is composed of organics like linseed oil and pine rosin and is biodegradable.

Resilient floors are as tough as they are attractive – gouge, fade, stain and scuff resistant. In fact, resilient flooring remains the preferred flooring where moisture is a concern. Technological advances have made resilients so durable, some warranties extend to a lifetime.

This brings us, of course, to the happy ending.

And as with any good tale, the end is just the beginning. ■ Mannington’s Adura LVT’s Rushmore Black Hill.

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Left: Congoleum Dura Plank II in Forest Oak Honey; Mohawk Simplesse.

Where to use resilient?

Just about anywhere, but especially in wet areas, children’s or handicapped rooms where an easyto-walk-on surface is a must, in specialty niche areas like entry and especially in areas where you don’t want seams and want an easy-toclean floor.

Shaw Resilient’s Easy Vision 12 × 24 Tile in Curry.

SPRING 2015

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always resilient |

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been interested in everything building and design.

At ten I got my first jigsaw and hit the scrap wood pile to make the family a new kitchen table, one my parents proudly brought into the kitchen. While it might have been a little shaky, we shared family dinners on it for years. Soon after, I was building furniture, beds, and divider walls in my childhood bedroom.

From those early projects, I learned first-hand the challenges, excitement, and rewards of designing something and seeing it come to life.

With a wide range of experiences from my studies at Savannah College of Art and Design to the countless designs I’ve now created on television, for personal clients, and small businesses, I am continuously humbled and inspired by the positive and amazing changes good design and good products have brought into my clients’ lives.

My passion is to bring these life changes to more people through creating well-designed spaces and sharing well designed products.

Keep it real — keep it you.

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IVC US Floors — incredible realism, color, and texture

O

ne of the highest compliments a manufacturer can receive is a customer that expresses his or her admiration for their product and encourages others to use it, too. However — when a celebrity designer is said happy customer — that takes the compliment to an entirely different level of humble flattery.

Appearing on such shows as Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible and HGTV’s Designed to Sell, Designer Lynn Kegan first came across IVC US sheet vinyl products while searching for flooring for a television makeover show. “I remember my budget and install time were really tight and the visual impact needed had to be huge,”said Kegan. “I was standing in a retail store considering all my flooring options, and I kept coming back to this one particular sheet vinyl sample.” Kegan recalled thinking to himself, “Who is IVC?” Nevertheless, Kegan placed his order for the sheet vinyl sample that had caught his attention and used the flooring for the television makeover episode with great results.

“As a designer, I was drawn to the incredible realism of the color and texture of IVC sheet vinyl, and I could see and feel a noticeable difference between IVC products and comparable options from other manufacturers,” said Kegan. “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to install and to maneuver! Plus, I realized I didn’t have to worry about tearing, breaking, or scratching the flooring during installation.

The experience really made me want to find out more about IVC and how I could get

my hands on more of their products to use for my design and television projects.”

Kegan reached out directly to IVC US’s marketing team to learn more about the product and the company, and has since regularly used IVC flooring for his professional and television projects. IVC US and Kegan developed a professional relationship that spanned nearly two years, which resulted in IVC US offering for Kegan to be its official IVC Design Spokesperson. On IVC US’s new website, ivcfloors.com, Kegan has a prominent blog, Lynn Kegan | Thoughts on Style, where Kegan shares design tips, tricks, projects, photos and videos.

“Our relationship with Lynn is mutually beneficial, because we feel that Lynn is a game changer in his profession, just like IVC,” said Bart Rich, Senior Marketing Director, IVC US. “What speaks volumes is the fact that Lynn loved and used our products before the relationship between him and IVC ever began!” “I choose IVC products in my work because I believe in them, and I’m excited and proud to be IVC’s official Design Spokesperson,” said Kegan. ■

Left: IVC Moduleo Vision Collection in Tectona Teak; opposite page left: IVC Flexitec 7 O’Clock Style in Braveheart.

Searching for home décor and flooring inspiration? Check out IVC US Spokesperson Designer Lynn Kegan’s blog on ivcfloors.com today to learn his design tips, tricks and thoughts on style!

DESIGNER TIPS FOR WOOD LOOKS Official IVC US Spokesperson, Designer Lynn Kegan, has appeared on such shows as Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible and HGTV’s Designed to Sell.

He is known for his unique approach to creating an impressive visual impact on a budget. Guided by his personal philosophy that “great design is not about how much money you have to spend.

It’s about spending what you have creatively to bring your vision to life,” Kegan shares some of his thoughts on style when designing with wood look flooring.

1. W hen considering wood look flooring for your home, you must first consider your own personal style and your home’s decor; whether that’s contemporary, rustic or traditional.

2. I f contemporary clean lines are your thing — be bold with your floor! Bring in some texture or color.

Maybe play with cool greys or planks with a variation of color; both are hot right now.

IVC Flexitec 7 O’Clock Style in Kaiser.

3. I f you have a more traditional style, go with one of IVC’s timeless looking oak or cherry products. These are great compliments to more traditional color pallets and patterns. A rich cherry floor will add a pop of color to your neutral space.

4. I f you like a more rustic style, then consider an IVC product with a hand-scraped wood look. The wider planks and deep grooves add character and warmth, and go great with a variety of design styles from a city loft to a cabin retreat.

IVC Moduleo Horizon Collection in Brazilian Walnut.

Check out IVC US’s complete line or resilient flooring products at ivcfloors.com.

SPRING 2015

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woodn’t it be nice | BETTY ISAACSON

A true love of mine

T

he appetite for wood flooring is insatiable. It’s bringing to market domestic species overlooked for generations in favor of traditionals like oak and maple, and bringing new life to “experienced” wood reclaimed from old buildings or from river bottoms where they sank as far back as colonial times. Plus, wood species indigenous to far-flung, often exotic places are all the rage because of very different graining and colorations from what we are used to. In the US that might be Brazilian Cherry or African Wenge. In Brazil or Africa, that might be American Hickory. It all depends on what you’re accustomed to. >>

Mullican Hickory Saddle Hillshire.

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Below: Mannington Hardwood Mercado Oak in Silver. Bottom: Rustic Accents Engineered Hardwood from Armstrong.

Don’t forget that factory-finished hardwood floors come with 7–10 coats of aluminum oxide finish which add to their durability and beauty, and keeps the environmental mess out of your home. Look for prefinished trims in wood, too.

Rockford Maple 5" in Maple Crema from Mohawk.

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woodn’t it be nice | When it comes time to purchase your hardwood floor, “green” may be an important consideration. Prominent brands of exotic solids and engineered hardwood floors, work in two ways to ensure its resources are protected every step in the process. In both cases, individual trees are plotted within the forest area and carefully assessed for age and condition. Older trees, often susceptible to disease, are harvested first.

For timber taken from public lands, harvesting must meet regulations of the Brazilian Environment and Renewable Resource Institute which manages the natural resources and forestlands of the Amazon region, promotes sustainable forest management programs and issues a limited number of permits annually for the legal extraction of timber.

Because wood is a natural product, no two trees, no two boards are ever alike. It’s the very randomness of the wood graining and the ebb and flow of the very tones and shades within each piece that give wood much of its charm and good taste over the generations.

Now, add that to the human treatments we can give wood, and it’s easy to see that not only has wood remained a traditional favorite, it’s actually exploded in popularity in recent years.

Combine the traditional look of oak and maple and the newfound looks of exotics together with treatments such as the hand-scraped look, V-grooves, wider or mixed-witch planks and the world of designing with wood begins to open up wide.

A wood floor need not be just linear planks!

Start thinking creatively as you might with tile.

Think herringbone, parquet, basket weaves, borders in contrasting colors or different species. Think insets and medallions. Be creative!

Think color (yes, wood has a color from yellow to red to mellow brown which translate from cool to warm to neutral.) Think about your wood floor as a canvas on which you can design your room. Or, think of it as a focal point. A wood floor is as versatile as you can make it. ■

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Bamboo Flooring Courtesy of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) Rainy Asian jungles, wild monkeys and exotic birds. That’s probably what comes to mind when you think of bamboo, right?

The fact is that bamboo is a rapidly growing hollow grass (not wood) that can be harvested every 5–7 years, unlike tree wood, which can typically be harvested only every 15–100 years. When bamboo shoots are cut, their roots remain intact and new sprouts grow in their place.

As a result, bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly product that provides an excellent alternative to tree wood. It will provide the same natural beauty and feel in your home as hardwood.

Don’t worry, bamboo flooring is panda friendly too. The bamboo used for flooring (commonly called “moso” in Chinese) has no leaf growth on the first 16 feet of the stem therefore it is not a source of food for the panda. The particular species of bamboo used for flooring is grown in select groves of Southern China. It’s 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard maple and can be nailed-down or floated.

Not only is bamboo durable, it is frequently favored for its resistance to fire, insects and moisture.

Bamboo comes in different patterns and plank sizes to compliment a variety of decors, from casual to formal and contemporary to traditional. Like hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring is offered in both solid and engineered construction. It is installed with the same type installation methods and guidelines as wood flooring. Also, bamboo flooring is comparable in price to wood as well, including the installation costs. Note, not all bamboo floors will be of the same quality so it’s best to rely on your local flooring specialty store to be sure you get the right product and have it installed correctly.

The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) is an unbiased source of information on all types of flooring, including carpet, laminate, hardwood, ceramic tile, rugs, stone, cork, bamboo and vinyl flooring. The WFCA and its 3,000-members are dedicated to providing consumers the service and support needed to ensure a successful flooring purchase experience.

For more information about wood flooring visit www.wfca.org

When beautiful wood floors breathe…. Naturally.

Imagine a wood finish that penetrates deeply into the grain to strengthen, protect and beautify the wood’s surface from within.

Consider the silky, natural feel and texture under your feet providing the warmth only wood can give. Osmo Polyx-Oil, a unique finish which combines plant oils and waxes for lustrous, durable and repairable protection.

Polyx-Oil is the original hard wax-oil developed by Osmo, a century-old German wood products company. Thanks to Osmo’s expertise in wood and its deep understanding of wood’s cellular structure, Osmo has created a finish that protects and enhances the beauty of your wood floor in a manner that is unrivaled by other finishes. Not to be confused with traditional oil finishes, OSMO Hardwax Oil is an engineered finish made with plant oils and waxes, plus just enough highly refined mineral spirits to allow easy application.

This remarkable finish offers excellent durability and renewability plus a unique, lustrous finish. It will never crack, blister or flake off. Instead of forming a plastic film, like polyurethane does, OSMO Hardwax Oil has open pores that “breathe.” This allows any moisture that does get through to get back out again without pushing off the finish. The key ingredients in OSMO Hardwax Oil include sunflower, soybean and thistle oil, plus two hard, natural waxes—carnauba and candelilla.

A Brazilian palm tree, Copernica cerifera, produces the carnauba in its leaves, berries and stalks. Villagers cut down fronds, dry them for several days, and then beat off the wax. The candelilla comes from the outer coating on a desert shrub, Euphorbia antisyphiliti, that grows in northern Mexico. Farmers boil the leaves and stems with water and acid to release the wax. This is an oil-based product. Like most finishes, even those that are water-based, it needs a solvent to perform properly.

OSMO uses the safest solvent that works with oil-based finishes: benzene-free, low-odor mineral spirits. This is an aliphatic petroleum distillate, which means it is a petroleum product that has its carbon atoms arranged in open chains instead of rings. The more toxic aromatic and ring hydrocarbons have been removed, resulting in a milder odor and lower toxicity.

“Osmo is neither a traditional varnish manufacturer nor an eco-manufacturer, but keeps the balance between functionality and ecological awareness.” ■

For Wood Floors that Breathe Beauty, Use this Natural Finish from Osmo

O

smo Polyx-Oil: An exceptionally beautiful wood finish developed by wood specialists. Imagine a wood finish that penetrates deep into the grain to strengthen, protect and beautify the wood surface from within. Consider the silky, natural feel and texture under your feet providing the warmth only wood can give. Osmo PolyxOil — a unique finish which combines plant oils and waxes for lustrous, durable and repairable protection.

Not to be confused with traditional oil finishes or polyurethane, Osmo Polyx-Oil contains plant oils and plant waxes — maximizing the benefits provided by both. This remarkable floor finish provides durability that no other finish can offer; it will never crack, blister or flake off. Polyx-Oil avoids these traditional pitfalls by sinking deep within the wood grain, protecting it from the inside back out to the surface.

This natural finish allows wood to “breathe” instead of trapping moisture, a common ailment among troubled floors.

For more information, visit www.osmona.com.

Osmo’s Wood Finishes are: •D urable — Bind to wood grain and will not flake, blister, or peel •E fficient — Simple to apply, high coverage products that get the job done fast •B eautiful — Bring out the natural beauty of your woods •E co-Friendly — Engineered from natural, renewable oils and waxes •S afe — Conform to strict European standards for health and purity — approved even for use on children’s toys • Award Winning — Recognized by Sustainable Industries and Green Building Product Dealer

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woodn’t it be nice |

MARSHA HOWLAND

StareCasing to the Rescue!

‘An elegant way to solve a difficult problem’

M

y dilemma: Eighteen-year-old carpeting on my stairway.

Thirteen years of cats shedding and, putting it delicately, “presenting” hairballs on that very same carpet. Thirteen years of frequent spot cleaning and professional steam cleaning.

The carpet had to go.

I didn’t want new carpeting, because that would guarantee more of the same problems. A whole new stairway was financially out of the question. I didn’t want to refinish, because trying to keep cats away for three days would have been a nightmare.

StareCasing to the rescue!

StareCasing Systems, LLC, based in Columbus, Ohio, is a company that offers something different when carpet is no longer wanted and other options (such as complete stairway replacement) are too costly or just impossible. It had the perfect solution to my problem: a fits-like-a-glove hardwood covering for my disastrous stairway.

A more official description of what StareCasing provides comes from Ryan O’Toole, vice president of business development and a co-owner: StareCasing is a “proprietary hardwood stair overlay system that converts carpeted stairs to hardwood in a much faster time and at much lower cost.” The product is available from flooring dealers throughout the country in various species, finishes and stains, with options for custom color matching. It can even be installed unfinished, to allow for coordination with any look.

StareCasing put me in touch with Colonial Flooring Plus of Wallingford, Connecticut, and president Peter J. Escobar walked me through the entire process, from measurement to follow-up after installation. I was thrilled —the first-rate installation took just over six hours and the finished product is gorgeous.

“People absolutely love the product,” O’Toole said. “One, they’re just excited to have good-looking hardwood stairs. Next is the time and cost to install it. Typically a six-hour installation, the cost is generally 30 to 40 percent less than traditional methods. Third, customers are extremely impressed by the quality of the product — you can’t tell that it isn’t original.”

The StareCasing system is solid hardwood, three-eighths of an inch thick, high quality and very durable.

Jim McCool, founder, co-owner and vice president of product development, loves his product. “It’s so much fun to be with a company that has a unique product and see people get excited about it,” McCool said.

“I call this an elegant way to solve a difficult problem.”

McCool, who has 25 years of experience in flooring installation, got tired of telling customers there was no good answer to the problem of transforming carpeted stairs to hardwood. So he developed the idea of putting a cap over the existing, underlying wood material (often a pine or plywood type that can’t be refinished) — a product that gets nothing but stares of admiration from me! ■

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“People absolutely love the product,” O’Toole said. “One, they’re just excited to have good-looking hardwood stairs.

Next is the time and cost to install it.

Typically a six-hour installation, the cost is generally 30 to 40 percent less than traditional methods. Third, customers are extremely impressed by the quality of the product — you can’t tell that it isn’t original.”

Above: the staircase before; at right, the staircase after. The StareCasing system is solid hardwood, three-eighths of an inch thick, high quality and very durable.

The StareCasing system follows a step-by-step process to insure an exact fit and quality outcome.

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Searching for the Perfect Flooring woodn’t it be nice |

Begins with the WFCA

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When you’re designing your home, an unbiased perspective is exactly what you need. The World Floor Covering Association is the flooring industry’s only unbiased resource. Visit wfca.org and learn everything you need to know before you buy, find inspiration with the flooring gallery, learn how to care for and clean your flooring and get connected with a qualified WFCA retailer near you.

Our retail members abide by a code of conduct focused on integrity, trust and a high quality experience for customers. So, when it comes to a WFCA retailer, a quality customer service experience is not just a guarantee, it’s a requirement. Find your local WFCA retailer at wfca.org.

Your search for perfect flooring begins here.

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tile in style |

BY LISBETH CALANDRINO, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Crossville’s Speak Easy plank tile.

“Season to Taste!”

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Art tiles from Motawi.

W

hen we think of spices, we often think of strange and faraway places where unusual and unexpected flavorings are sourced for our ever-changing and demanding tastes.

The tile trade — and by that we mean ceramic and porcelain tile as well as stone, metal, glass and other varieties — could be considered a close relative of the spice trade. For thousands of years humans have been creating cut stone or clay tiles for uses both practical and decorative and using that tile in commerce, architecture and design. From the time before the Romans whose tile examples still survive until now, tile has enhanced our environments both indoors and out.

However even after those thousands of years, we are compelled to improve on the “recipe.”

Tile can spice up your design life! Colors and finishes range from rugged earth tone looks to the spice rainbow to the stunning metallic and glass tiles, so design possibilities are endless!

Metals are quite popular right now, from brass, bronze and silver to stainless steel, making them a wonderful match for today’s appliances and bath fixtures. >>

Above: Stonehurst Tile from Mohawk; below: Mannington Porcelain Tile in Haven Rain.

Above: Marazzi USA Livigno in Grigio; below: Ragno USA Woodstyle in Noce.

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tile in style | The differences between ceramic and porcelain tile can be confusing. Simply put, ceramic tile is a mixture of clays and other natural materials mined from the earth, shaped, colored and fired pretty much as they have been for hundreds of years. Porcelain is a relatively new form of ceramic tile, composed of finer clays fired at a much higher temperatures, making porcelain more homogenous, stronger and less prone to moisture and stain absorption. That makes porcelain suitable for outside installation and how porcelain can be made into stone fashions only tougher, a lot of times, that Mother Nature’s version. (Natural stone tile is stone quarried from the earth then cut and finished.)

Tile size helps determine the feeling of spaciousness. One trend, especially in larger homes, is fewer grout lines for a more solid, less broken-up look. You can find tiles in large formats such as 16 × 16, 18 × 14, 20 × 20 and some at even 22 × 22 and 24 × 24-inches!

Glass tile is popular, coming in many shapes and sizes but mostly in 2-inch squares and smaller, and in many different colors and qualities, usually mounted on sheets of paper or mesh for easy installation. Glass goes from clear to frosted glass block or bottle and sea glass. Glass tiles are being used on both the floor and walls, as accent pieces.

Spice up a room with “decos.” These are specialty decorative tiles which help set a design theme. Design away. Use one alone as artwork. Cluster several like a picture grouping, or mixed with field tiles to create unusual designs either on the wall or on the floor.

Got a “busy” room? Calm it down with neutral soft tones on floors or walls. Use contrasting colors to liven things up. Deep colored tile adds drama to a very large space or help showcase light-colored furniture. The beauty of ceramic is in the naturalness of the tile, so be prepared for different shadings. It’s part of the charm. ■

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Left: Dal Tile Willow Canyon; below: Mediterrenea Soho Mocha.

Porcelain Tile; background: Florida Tile Maltese in Palma Brown.

RICHARD HOWLAND

THINNER — slim

•

lightweight • porcelain • perfect

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a whole new take on thin tile which could revolutionize the way we decorate with tile.

A

s this issue was going to press, Florida Tile was unveiling what is seen as an all-new tile category, a large-format, thin, true-porcelain tile as little as 3mm thick and up to 10 feet long, yet with multiple benefits for new construction and makeovers.

Appropriately called “Thinner,” the new lines are incredibly lightweight, durable, flexible and easy to cut and handle, allowing countless installation options, only a fraction of which have been explored. Colors range from solids to the gritty urban look to the look of antique American hardwoods, right down to the plank format.

The Florida Tile manufacturing process compresses each tile to greater than 15,000 tons psi, resulting in a very dense, strong, thin tile with increased flexibility and breaking strength.

An 0.5mm fiberglass mesh backing is adhered to each panel for additional strength and also allowing for ease of drilling, cutting and handling. This process allows us to create a single 3.5mm thick panel with a size up to 1m x 3m (39" × 118").

Depending on the product, Thinner is available in 3.5 and 5.5mm thicknesses There actually are two “Thinner” thinnesses. The 3plus line (3.5mm) is suitable for interior and exterior, wall, floor and countertop applications in residential and light commercial construction. 5plus (5.5mm) has been rated for “extra heavy” duty

service, making it appropriate for commercial floor, wall and exterior applications as well as all residential floor, wall, countertop, stairs.

Thinner can be applied over properly prepared existing tile floors and will accommodate many curved surfaces. Thinner is non-absorbent, easy to clean and resistant to acid, stains and pollution. Furthermore, installation is easy, since Thinner is lighter, easy to cut and drill. In fact, installation time, even for the extremely large pieces is reduced by 40 percent over traditional tiles,” he continues.

The first three products are: ❚T ime/2.0, featuring a modernist minimal monochromatic graphic with a solid color palette of 6 colors, Snow, Black, Beige, Carbon, Cream and Silver. ❚R estoreHDP which takes on the look of 150-200-year-old barn planks, complete with worn character. ❚A ventis, which is inspired by urban landscapes and definitive of contemporary design, this is another 6-color palette of strong grey and olive tones for cool, minimal looks.

For more information, visit www.floridatile.com/thinner. ■

Left: Time 2.0 in Silver; below: Restore HDP Weathered Dock; right: Aventis in Eclipse.

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tile in style |

The Sangria Collection T

he Sangria Collection series introduces modern glass tile with 12 colors, and three dynamic formats — a 2" × 12"with angled cuts, a 2" × 12" rectangle and ¾" × 12" pencil meshmount. These tiles are designed so they can be used together in any application. The unique Sangria cut piece, offered exclusively by its maker Concept Surfaces, provides a classic, yet bold accent to your project.

These versatile formats create contemporary linear designs, including chic herringbone and chevron patterns. With these attributes, the Sangria collection is as at home in a residence as it is in a commercial application.

The combined effect of the Sangria collection installed on accent walls and backsplashes, inside and out, is stunning.

Each installation can be tailored to fit your style and preferences. Together with its unique shapes, Sangria’s range of color options provide a wide assortment of looks to match your design palette. ■

Concept Surfaces Icon Series’ Hexagon in Bone White.

Sangria Urban Glass Tiles in Chevron; Concept Surfaces Norr Series in Taupe, Gun Powder and Dove Grey.

Concept Surfaces Norr in Dove Grey.

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Concept Surfaces Norr in Taup.

Concept Surfaces Norr in Gunpowder.

Crossville Launches Moonstruck Porcelain Tile Collection New Line Features Large Formats, Unique Striations, Range of Colors

Short of booking a flight on Virgin Galactic, Crossville’s Moonstruck porcelain tile collection brings the look of pristine lunar surfaces and untouched ancient rock formations to your tile project. Moonstruck’s natural stone veining and colors lets you have your own, private space odyssey.

The collection is offered in a palette of five colors ranging from cool to warm tones, each available in both unpolished and polished finishes. The color names—Juno, Luna, Kosmos, Gemini and Apollo—are taken from lunar missions, in homage to the line’s celestial inspiration.

Field tile size options are 12" × 24", as well as Crossville’s first 18" × 36" offering. The collection comes with a 4" × 24" bullnose trim, as well.

Moonstruck is recommended for interior floors, walls, countertops, and exterior walls in both residential and commercial applications.

In keeping with all products produced at Crossville’s Tennessee manufacturing facilities, Moonstruck is made using third-party certified, sustainable processes, is Green Squared certified, and contains a minimum 4 percent recycled content. ¢ Left: Crossville Luna Tile; below: Crossville Apollo Tile; right: Crossville Moonstruck Kosmos.

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carpet couture | JASMINE GREY

Sometimes the look

you want starts with a feeling.

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Nourison Orbit-Dkear Heavenly Collection in Lasso Circles.

Something softer, perhaps.

It’s your style, after all‌.

The resurgent popularity of carpet is a reflection of reflection as homeowners reassess what really matters.

In a time of global economic uncertainty, our values become clearer than ever. And home becomes paramount.

Carpet brings to our homes tranquil softness, high fashion, subtle depth, meaningful tradition, a sense of rich textiles and a genuine reverence for nature.

Its appeal to the senses is obvious and immediate. Warm underfoot.

Quiet. And with new textures that are rich, subtle and inviting to a bare foot or the touch of a hand. The visual appeal of the latest offerings in carpet reflects a trend toward softer, more tailored looks. The blending of deep-dyed and shallow-dyed fibers, for example, creates subtle shading and visual depth.

Carpet helps create a continuous visual flow from one room to another, one floor to the next. Carpet is also ideal for combining with wood or ceramic when creating personalized custom looks. (Mixing flooring elements may be the strongest design trend today, something carpet allows you to achieve economically.) >>

Wunda Weve Classic Detail in Summer Blonde.

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carpet couture | Simply stated, carpet is a rich foundation for dĂŠcor decisions. Whether you are recreating a classic look or adapting ideas from contemporary design artists, carpet allows you to make a room playful or dramatic, cozy or chic.

To give your room a custom look using patterns, consider putting a solid border in a coordinating color around the perimeter of the floor, making the carpet look like an inset area rug.

Designers and consumers are increasingly attentive to visual texture; as a result, they often begin with carpeting. A velvety carpet might be perfect for establishing a formal, elegant look, while an uncut loop might declare an informal look, perfect for high traffic.

Appearance and performance are affected by the construction of a carpet with high or low loops, cut piles, or even a mixture of loops and cut piles. Add to that the variations in yarn twist. And then keep going! Visual texture is also provided by patterns, gorgeous and innovative carpet sculpting, or techniques that alternate deep and light dyes or add color flecks into the yarn. >>

Above: Bliss Indulgence Carpet by Beaulieu; left: Mohawk SmartStrand Silk.

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Karastan in Woolston Plaid; at right: Tuftex Stonewashed Casablanca Carpet.

Patterns are adding interest and elegance to our floors.

Once only used in formal rooms, these patterns spruce up any room of your home. And again, the latest in soft and stain resistant fibers make it possible to even consider lighter colors in any of your living spaces.

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carpet couture | One recent trend is toward multicolored, nature-inspired patterns that are woven or tufted into simple florals, including vines.

Choosing the color of your carpet is a primary consideration. Remember that light colors reflect and multiply light, creating a spacious effect, while dark colors absorb light, declaring a closer, more intimate feel. Medium shades, of course, do not tend to alter our sense of space.

While there is no single color dominating design today, colors that reflect and revere nature are most in demand. Yellows, reds, taupes and tans suggest canyons, cliffs and seashores, as well as spices and gemstones. Greens and blues mirror lakes and coves, forests and pastures.

It’s a matter of values, really. Practical beauty that begins at home. ■

Above: Dream Weaver with Fade Resistance; below: Shaw’s Caress Carpet in Stylish.

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Color, Style, and Fashion for Your Floors www.tuftexcarpets.com

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carpet couture |

T

uftex Carpets of California, the premier residential carpet division of Shaw Floors has recently introduced four new additions to its popular Naturals Collection. Marrakech, an elegant diamond, Madera, a handsome block, Casablanca, a Moroccan tile, and Mallorca, a floral scroll, blend classic motifs with the influence of natural, handcrafted materials. Inspired by sustainable design, these products have subtle yarn striations that exhibit organic variations in color and add a rustic, distressed aesthetic to any room. Constructed of STAINMASTER® Luxerell® nylon fiber and part of the Active Family™ brand, these stunning loop styles are offered in eighteen dramatic hues that have been custom blended to create a beautiful visual effect. All four of the patterns share the same stunning color palette. Perfect for wall-towall installations, staircases, and area rugs, these new products are sure to make a statement on the floor.

Marrakech, Madera, Casablanca, and Mallorca are offered in the following standard area rug sizes: 5' × 8', 6' × 9', 8' × 11', and 9' × 12'.

They are also available in custom area rug sizes and shapes. For more information and to find a retailer in your area that offers Tuftex products, please visit tuftexcarpets.com. ■

Left and above: Tuftex Carpets Natural Collection in Marrakech.

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The Naturals Collection from Tuftex: Far left: Mallorca; At left: Collage Below left: Madera Below right: Casablanca.

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along main street | E.A. O’CONNELL

High Fashion, Easy to Maintain, Stands Up to High Traffic C

ommercial flooring has grown to encompass high concept design options including polished concrete, wool carpet and LVT tiles and planks, along with traditional workhorse staples like resilient and porcelain tiles. Almost all manufacturers now offer sustainable, LEEDfriendly choices.

Whether in carpet or luxury vinyl, commercial flooring tiles bring performance, style and ease of maintenance to your commercial floor. With a sophisticated color palette and refined patterns, installation of modular tile flooring is seen increasingly in the commercial environment. Speaking of installation, carpet and LVT tiles are straightforward to install; if there are any unresolvable stains, the damaged tiles can be replace, not the entire floor.

Maintenance of commercial flooring is another consideration. For instance, commercial hardwood manufacturers have developed heavy-duty finishes that are easy care and scuff and scratch resistant while offering the aesthetics and class associated with hardwood.

Armstrong resilemt flooring in a hospital area.

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Tile is ideal for high-traffic areas, as shown at left from Florida Tile, and bamboo from Teragren and other wood flooring is not only durable and sustainable flooring, but adds warmth and texture to any setting.

In terms of commercial flooring, sustainability applies to manufacture and performance. Environmental, health and safety requirements, including formaldehyde emissions guidelines are met and exceeded across flooring that is designated sustainable. Tile manufacturers have stepped up and are using recycled materials to produce their hard wearing products.

With interlocking installations that need no adhesive and efficient manufacturing maximizing yield, eco-friendly laminate flooring qualifies as low-emitting and is eligible for LEED points.

These types of products are often used in facilities in the areas of healthcare, education, and hospitality. â–

Custom wool carpeting is long-wearing and reduces ambient sound — at left, the New York New York casino in Las Vegas, and below, a staicase on the ocean liner Queen Mary.

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The Ashbury Collection from Silver Creek Carpet

S

ilver Creek Carpet, a division of Bloomsburg Carpet, is proud to expand its design library with the Ashbury Collection. The collection combines modern interpretations of geometric and floral patterns with highest quality one can expect from all Bloomsburg products. The Ashbury collection achieves a balance of subtle, yet striking patterns by utilizing 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.

Whereas Casey, Gracie, and Baisey are all adaptations of geometric patterns ranging in size from small to large, respectively.

As with all Silver Creek and Bloomsburg Carpet products, the carpet is woven at the highest quality in the Bloomsburg, PA home. Utilizing only the finest wool and craftsmanship, the new Ashbury Collection is an exciting addition to the Silver Creek line. â–

At left, top to bottom: Casey Ocean; Maisey Ocean; Gracie Ocean; Baisey Ocean. Above: Gracie Ocean. Silver Creek offers customers exceptional quality products, woven with the finest wools here in the U.S.A., featuring a wide variety of colors and patterns.

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When you want the best, you need ASID ASID members not only adhere to a strict code of ethical practice and conduct, they invest in ongoing training and education. They know how to plan and execute your project, on schedule and on budget. When you need a fully qualified professional, choose an ASID designer.

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I

nterior designers bring such breadth and insight to projects. When I think about interior design, the word ‘encyclopedia’ comes to mind. Remember them? Today’s designers shape environments based on a rapidly expanding information base, then craft uniquely individualized homes from what is heard, seen, and sensed in getting to know our clients. Designers bring their own creativity and interpretation to each project, based on their conversations with clients. Our design concept suits the needs of our clients, excites their senses, and is meaningful to them.

On a sailboat, the keel is the foundation and strength of the structure and it keeps the boat right side up. I made this piece a feature of the island. It seemed fitting to me to create the illusion that the keel supports the island and to make it the focal point - a potent symbol of home.

Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building, and outreach, ASID designers strive to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives.

Before I started my interior design business, I worked in inner-city schools as a school psychologist. My experiences with these children deeply impacted my thoughts about home. My advanced education included Maslow, known for his hierarchy of needs. To move up the hierarchy of needs we must satisfy the needs at each level.

“

I believe that when you step into your home, and close your door, you should feel safe, comfortable, familiar, and surrounded by things that have meaning to you.

”

It’s no surprise that shelter is at the base of the pyramid - the first level to satisfy. For this reason, my design work is shaped around the critical importance of our homes.

I recently completed a kitchen remodel project for two passionate cooks. On my first visit with Jan, I noticed a ship’s keel in a corner of the adjacent den, and discovered that Jan’s father had made it while he was a student at MIT. My imagination kicked in and at that moment I envisioned the space plan for the entire room. Using the keel as a jumping off point for the palette and materials, I set out to create a kitchen that was both functional and meaningful to my clients.

ASID | 40 years. One Voice.

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Faith Sheridan, Seattle

interior designer, is a leader in creating interiors tailored to the lifestyles of the Pacific Northwest.

Faith is a past member and contributor to the first Benjamin Moore Residential Color Advisory team. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Creighton University in Omaha. Sheridan is a professional member of ASID and past president of the Oregon ASID chapter.

M

y journey with ASID started as a student. I knew that aligning myself with a professional organization that represents my industry and pursuing high-level experience and testing was of the utmost importance to my career track.

I have always lived my life as a high achiever, and I want the best for myself and my clients. I care deeply about quality and only deal with ethically responsible professionals. When I research a healthcare, legal, or financial professional, I look at their credentials and references. Would you use a lawyer who had not passed the Bar exam or a doctor who was not a member vetted by the AMA? Credentials matter. So why would you hire a designer who was not a member of ASID? As a professional designer and educator at the Fashion Institute of Technology, I want to offer both my clients and my students the highest level of professional experience and affiliation.

“

I am continually inspired by other members and I believe that the public is better protected by working with a member of the Society.

”

ASID is an inclusive organization representing all aspects of the interior design profession. Under the umbrella of our National offices, we are given the opportunity to pursue professional development through the Society’s continuing education requirements, participate in socially-responsible initiatives, and are given the opportunity to serve in leadership roles on a local, regional, and national level. I am honored to be serving the ASID New York Metro Chapter as president this year. It is wonderful to give back to an organization that has given me an anchor for the past 25 years, and to play a bigger role in the Society. ASID provides interior designers with a platform to educate, create awareness, and do great work. Design matters. asid.org |

718 7th St. NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001

Phyllis Harbinger,

ASID, NCIDQ, is an award winning professional interior designer, author, speaker, and professor.

She heads one of the Region’s most successful and versatile full service design firms in addition to coaching and mentoring other designers and industry professionals in best practices. Phyllis is a tenured professor on the interior design faculty at FIT in New York, giving her up to date knowledge of codes and keeping her current in her field.

©2015 American Society of Interior Designers

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green solutions |

TC LOVETT

The Sustainable Lumber Company • Walking the Walk

T

he Sustainable Lumber Company offers eco-friendly wood flooring that enhances a range of décor. In fact, there are five collections that give you unequalled choice in sustainable wood flooring. All of these floors are produces from reclaimed, salvaged and certified wood that is sourced within 100 mile radius of their Montana headquarters.

The Sustainable Lumber Company uses helicopters to ferry Douglas fir trees out from the wilderness to avoid scarring the landscape. No living tree is harmed with our method of harvesting. We take only dead, standing trees, which encourages reforestation.

All #2 grade flooring is donated to Habitat for Humanity.

All unusable wood, chips, and sawdust are donated for animal bedding to local ranchers and/or used as clean biomass energy to heat our facility.

The Sustainable Lumber Company’s Flooring Collections The Barnwood Flooring Collection features micro-beveled and end matched boards that come in 31⁄8", 51⁄ 8" and 7" widths.

This flooring has mixed grain, grain patterns with a weathered texture. The silver, gray and light brown tones of the floor is finished with a hand-rubbed penetrating oil and multiple layers of low VOC water based, catalyzed protective top coat that is used in all the Collections.

The Canyon Collection is a wire brushed and sanded finish that creates deep canyons and smooth plateaus, producing a naturally aged appearance.

The Mountain Collection features circle sawn Douglas fir flooring that is skip sanded and hand rubbed to create a Western plank flooring. This collection comes in five stains.

The Vintage Collection is a hand-scraped Douglas fir flooring.

This is truly hand scraped with a hand tool and countless hours of hard work. This collection comes in four stains.

The Beetle-Killed Pine Collection presents the one-of-a-kind, artisan milled flooring that is aged and slowly kiln dried. After milling, every board is inspected and any defects cut out by hand. Each individual flooring and paneling board is then end matched (tongue & groove on the ends). ¢

Left: Barnwood flooring in brown; below: in Grey.

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If These Walls Could Talk If these walls could talk, their tales would be many. The Barnwood Collection panels might talk of 4-H kids getting their heifers ready for the county fair; whereas the pallet wall panels could trace commerce across the nation; some of the older lumber in beetle-killed pine paneling might have sheltered the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Today, the conversation that surrounds these walls invariably contains words like beautiful, stunning and ecofriendly. The Sustainable Lumber Company holds to the creed of sustainable timber and wood management to the extent that it is part of the company’s name.

Panel wall treatments The interlocking system that delivers a seamless wall of reclaimed lumber is exclusive to the Sustainable Lumber Company with a patent pending. Installing the panels is simple and within the range of a do-it-yourself enthusiast. Rather than a panel, Beetle-killed pine is available in board lengths suitable for a wall application that resembles paneling.

The wall panels are crafted with staggered ends so where they are joined disappears, giving the visual of an uninterrupted expanse of lengths of distinctive, hand chosen wood.

Grey Barnwood Collection Paneling

Barnwood Collection panels The Sustainable Lumber Company’s Barnwood Collection panels are made from reclaimed wood that looks like it’s from the abandoned barns that dot the high country. The Barnwood Collection comes in the natural shades of weathered barn timber — an array of silvers and pale browns that only nature can provide.

Left and below: Barnwood grey paneling.

Pallet panels If you’ve ever had anything delivered on a pallet, you know what question may arise — What do I do with it? Sustainable Lumber wood pallet panels are the answer. By upcycling a leftover byproduct of the transportation industry into panels that are best-in-show in terms of both aesthetics and eco-friendliness. Pallet panels come in a silvered barnwood stain, or natural with browns, creams and grays.

Beetle-killed pine walls Stands of trees killed by beetle infestation are made usable

by Sustainable Lumber. Lengths of the beetle-killed pine are crafted into lengths that display the fabulous graining and natural color variations of the wood. The amazing variations in this wood draw and hold the eye.

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Hand-Crafted Inspired by their travels abroad, owners and makers, Paul and Esther Halferty have designed a tile line that evokes culture, history, time, and place.

Lilywork is committed to using old world methods and techniques, bringing back the human hand to every space.

Every Lilywork tile starts with a block of clay. The block is thinly sliced and prepared for pressing.

A hand-carved mold is then placed onto the clay and stamped to the desired thickness. Excess clay is trimmed and used to create the next tile. Tiles dry for a week before being glazed & fired to about 2200 degrees F. Orders are then sorted, packed, and shipped to homes across the country.

Men were not intended to work with the accuracy of tools, to be precise and perfect in all their actions.

J Ruskin

Lilywork Artisan Tile Stonington, Connecticut • www.lilyworktile.com • contact@lilyworktile.com 215-859-8753/860-599-6050

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Get Creative Naturally, with Recycled Leather Flooring!

I

n nature, everything old turns new again. It’s the same for leather flooring. Leather flooring décor dates back to prehistoric times, and it’s been used for hundreds of years in Europe, Asia and in the New World.

A brilliant alternative from EcoDomo, lavish leather tiles are made from special hides. They’re expensive, have less resilience and are prone to more moisture absorption than recycled leather floor and wall tiles.

Leather tiles install easily, even in complex weave patterns, as they are simply glued down like a cork or vinyl flooring. Once installed, paste wax is applied and buffed.

Normal maintenance includes vacuuming with a soft brush, damp mopping with a very well wrung-out mop and applying more wax.

EcoDomo Recycled Leather Tiles — Thanks to a nature-friendly, 65 percent post-industrial waste content — these tiles look, feel and smell like luxury leather tiles. They’re available in large sizes, shapes and formats, including 54-inch-wide rolls that are up to 100 feet long! They have just one tenth the humidity absorption levels of luxury-cut leather tiles, which adds significant stability to the product once installed.

Where can recycled leather floors be used? In homes, start with bedrooms, home entertainment centers, dining rooms, powder rooms, media rooms, libraries and home offices, closets and dressing rooms. Commercially, you’ll find them in luxury hotel bedrooms, showrooms, museums, bars, restaurants, member’s clubs, recording studios, theatres, galleries, boardrooms and offices. ■

EcoDomo’s Phoenix Collection is entirely made from used leather belts which have been collected from second hand stores and donations from partners. All the belts show wear and have a history.

These belts are sorted by size, color, and style before being cleaned and processed for application on panels. Available in black, brown, or multi-color, the Phoenix belt panels make a whimsical and gorgeous statement. EcoDomo Phoenix panels are made to size on a solid MDF or flexible substrate. Their maximum size is 4' × 8' × ¾".

You can use the belt panels for: Feature walls • Doors • Wall coverings or accent pieces • Benches Installation is easy and similar to acoustic panels.

Made in the USA from re-purposed, used belts.

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green solutions | JEANETTE CHASWORTH

Ever Heard of Recycled Paint?

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.” www.thecolorwhisperer.com

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e all do our part to protect the environment by using eco-friendly and recycled products whenever we can. Have you heard of recycled paint yet? Most people haven’t, but it’s a great way to protect the environment and save money during your next home remodel.

You already know that you shouldn’t throw those extra paint cans away. For 15 years, paint has been recycled, just like bottles and cans. However, most people ‘recycle and forget’ about their paint, not realizing that recycled paint is being used right now, in ways that you’d never expect!

Recycled paint was first used for removing graffiti and other projects where the paint color wasn’t an issue, as there were only a few colors available.

Today’s recycled paint starts with left-over paint that you bring to your local recycling center. It’s then renewed with special additives that give it new life and a level of quality which compares to any new latex paint found at your local store! Because it comes from recycled paint, it’s less expensive than most types of paint, even though it’s made from the same materials as name-brand paints!

Nature’s Palette is the first recycled paint brand designed for use in your home. It comes in 24 designer colors, is suitable for interior or exterior use, and every gallon not only saves you money, but also helps keep thousands of gallons of water protected from contamination. Ask your local design center today if they are doing their part for the environment by carrying Nature’s Palette Paint. Or go to www.naturespalettepaint.com to order your paint today. ■

nature’s palette the conscious side of color

Now it’s easy to be green!

Nature’s Palette Paint has been recycled from un-used or unwanted paint and gets “a new life” in your home, office or special retreat.

Nature’s Palette is available in 24 earth-friendly colors that reflect nature and create an environment that is uniquely you.

Available from The Color Whisperer www.NaturesPalettePaint.com |

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nothing but the best | MARJORIE DUNNING

Spoiler alert: Stipulate your flooring and bathroom/kitchen walls be installed using premium materials!

The long-term success of your flooring, depends on maintenance, warranties, a skilled installation and the materials used in installation.

By the time you get to the part of the purchase that covers the installation materials, it’s tempting to go with the least expensive option. After all, these materials are hardly seen and it’s easy to rationalize skimping.

Well, here’s the problem with that line of thought, you can have the most beautiful floor, but if its underpinnings fail, the whole floor fails. To avoid future-fail, ask your flooring provider and installer to use premium materials. These caveats apply to showers, tub surrounds and backsplashes too! It makes sense to match the warranties on the installation materials to the warranty on your flooring. Each kind of flooring uses different materials. Here’s a list of flooring and the premium materials used for installation

Carpet Premium carpet padding is ½", made of recycled polyurethane, stands up to high traffic areas, and holds up to the demands of a staircase; ultra-premium padding is made of wool and is a must-use for wool carpeting. Match the pad’s warranty to that of your carpet. Premium padding is anti-microbial, odor resistant and fire resistant.

Tile Premium grout and adhesives for tiles on floors, walls and showers can be warranted for 10 years or more. It makes sense to use adhesive and grout with the same expected life. Tile requires backboard that is specific for the type of use expected — wet, dry, floors, etc. Cement board and fiber cement board are good for wet areas, glass mat gypsum board is good for tub surrounds and water-resistant dry wall works well behind sinks or areas where high humidity effects dry wall. Shower pan, bench and niche systems have warranties up to 25 years.

Laminate Premium underlayment/sound membrane is recommended; use specialized membrane and accessories for basement/concrete floors; match laminate warranties.

Wood Engineered wood floors require an underlayment membrane; use specialized membrane and accessories for basement/concrete floors; match wood flooring warranties.

LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) Premium underlayment/sound membrane is recommended; use specialized membrane and accessories for basement/concrete floors; match LVT warranties.

Resilient Premium plywood underlayment; match resilient warranties. ■

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Plan ahead …

Supplemental electric radiant floor heating systems are cozy and comfortable underfoot come winter Summer weather is here and home renovation is in the air. Planning to install new or replacement flooring this season? Here’s a perk for added comfort indoors when cold weather returns — a supplemental electric radiant heating system that installs under your new finished floor.

Supplemental electric radiant heat installed under the floor is a great choice to add coziness to kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms, laundry areas, and anyplace else babies and toddlers play on the floor or family members relax.

Because the installation is hidden under the floor, you can put the heat where you want it, without concern for furniture placement and window treatments.

Plus, the generated heat is clean, silent, and dust free.

Systems are available that are engineered specifically for under a wide range of finished flooring.

For example, QuietWarmth™ Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors is suitable for under laminate, engineered wood, hardwoods, luxury vinyl flooring, cork, bamboo, and some floating tile. And QuietWarmth™ Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors is engineered for use under traditional tile, stone, or marble flooring.

Both options install quickly and easily as rollout panels and do not detectably raise the level of the floor, minimizing any need to undercut doors to match floor elevations from room to room or room to closets.

Each product uses unique conductive ink technology embedded in a flexible thin film and generates gentle highly efficient supplemental heat without any hot or cold spots, using just 12 watts per square foot. ETL Listed in the USA and Canada and maintenance free, the systems disperse gradual evenly consistent supplemental warmth from low wattage resistance heating of the radiant heat film.

QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors is just 0.016” thick and can be installed over just about any subfloor or underlayment suitable for a floating floor. For maximum enhancement of the overall floor installation, it can also be installed over QuietWalk®, a fiber acoustic underlayment for floating wood and laminate floors that is designed to dampen ambient sound in the room and inhibit sound from traveling into the room below.

QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors is integrated in a waterproof anti-fracture membrane which helps isolate cracks up to 3/8” wide.

Just 0.05" thick, it installs in place of a generic underlayment pad that otherwise might be used under a tile floor.

Both systems are available in four convenient pad sizes — 3' × 5', 3' × 10', 1.5' × 5' and 1.5' × 10' — so you can plan for placement of warmth in rooms of most any size and configuration. For more information, contact MP Global Products, www.quietwarmth.com or call 888-379-9695 ■

Easier than Kindergarten! MP Global Products QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors — low-profile warmth.

MP Global Products QuietWarmth Peel and Stick Radiant Heat for Tile Floors — cold feet will be a memory.

MP Global Products QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors.

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nothing but the best |

TruRenew™ Premium Bio-Renewable Pressure Sensitive Adhesive T

ruRenew™ Premium Bio-Renewable Adhesive Platform is a new generation of flooring adhesive class and was the first adhesive to be certified by the Cradle To Cradle Products Innovation Institute. Made from bio-renewable ingredients, Taylor TruRenew, continues Taylor’s commitment to the environment which was first demonstrated starting in the early 1990s with the development and introduction of its Envirotec® Healthguard, Meta-Tec, and MS Plus Adhesive Technologies.

Taylor’s adhesive technologies were the first environmentally friendly adhesive products to meet the indoor air quality requirements of the CRI Green Label Plus™ Program, and were the first to achieve the coveted UL Greenguard® Certification.

Taylor TruRenew is formulated as a premium water based clear acrylic copolymer adhesive with extremely low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It does not contain isocyanates, solvents, or Bisphenol A (BPA). Installation projects that use this Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified adhesive can earn up to 2 points through the USGB’s LEED® Green Building Rating Systems™.

The first product to be released under the TruRenew product line is the Pressure Sensitive Adhesive that is specifically designed for the interior releasable and permanent installation of modular carpet tiles, vinyl backed carpet and pad to substrate. It can be used “wet” or “dry” on horizontal surfaces. ■

Taylor’s adhesive technologies were the first environmentally friendly adhesive products to meet the indoor air quality requirements of the CRI Green Label Plus™ Program, and were the first to achieve the coveted UL Greenguard® Certification.

TruRenew’s Pressure Sensitive Adhesive — pour, spread, and install your flooring material.

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Truly Reducible Truly Recyclable Truly Renewable ™

Premium Bio-Renewable Adhesive

Patent #7,799,895

The flooring adhesive challenge: to reduce the dependency of non-renewable resources, enable floor coverings to be recycled, and develop renewable technology that is safe for you and the environment. Taylor accepted this challenge and formulated TruRenew Premium Bio-Renewable Adhesives™. TruRenew™ is the first wet flooring adhesive line to qualify for the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program, achieving Silver level certification. The first product of the TruRenew™ line, a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, also achieved GREENGUARD, CRI Green Label Plus, and FloorScore certification. Taylor is proud to bring you environmental and sustainable innovative science and applied technology without sacrificing Taylor’s premium standards for your floor or health.

®

by

wftaylor.com

800.397.GLUE

MADE IN THE USA

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nothing but the best |

Float It, Nail It, or Glue It! Versatile eco-friendly multi-use VersaWalk™ acoustic underlayment can do three installations with one product

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ontractors installing a variety of hard surface flooring in new homes, condos, multi-family housing, and hospitality settings can now stock the jobsite with one “universal” underlayment, VersaWalk™ that offers superior performance under nail-down or glue-down wood, floating laminate, engineered wood, and luxury vinyl tile flooring. Float it, nail it, or glue it!

Odorless and non-allergenic, VersaWalk is composed of at least 90% post-industrial/pre-consumer textile fibers, scrap material otherwise destined for landfill.

Randomly air-laid filaments create a capillary effect to cushion the floor, dampen ambient sound, and absorb impact sound. VersaWalk both suppresses noise within the room and inhibits the transfer of noise into rooms below.

VersaWalk also adds an R-Value of 0.50 to the floor system, creating a thermal break to the flooring assembly that helps keep floors warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

VersaWalk also features a very effective Moisture Management System. The attached 3 mil moisture barrier protects wood, laminate, and LVT floors from harmful moisture. Provided the source of water such as a leak is stopped, VersaWalk’s absorbent padding will wick water and disperse it throughout the pad until it eventually evaporates or escapes through the subfloor.

Available in 3' width 100 sq. ft. rolls, VersaWalk is suitable for residential and commercial use over most types of industry approved new and existing substrates including concrete, ¾" plywood and OSB and radiant heated floors operating below 85 degrees F. VersaWalk carries a Transferable Lifetime Warranty.

MP Global Products L.L.C. is an innovator and leader in the manufacture of high performing earth-friendly acoustic floor underlayment. ■ For more information on VersaWalk and other MP Global Products www.quietwalk.com, or 888-379-9695.

VersaWalk acoustic underlayment.

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Try the

German Made Vacuum Specifically Designed For Hardwood Floors For Only $49.95 *

You Get All FIVE Attachments...

Including The Turbo Carpet Nozzle (a $50 Value) Absolutely FREE

And Get A FREE $50 Turbo Carpet Nozzle!

GERMAN MADE BARE FLOOR PRO CANISTER VACUUM

$50.00 FREE GIVEAWAY Yours FREE! The FIFTY DOLLAR Turbo Carpet Nozzle that lets you clean both area rugs and wall to wall carpeting!

Make this German Hardwood Floor Cleaning Machine work all around the house!!!

• 1100 watt variable speed motor • High-Efficiency micro-filtration bag • Sealed HEPA Filtration System • Telescopic Wand • Lightweight (12 lbs.)

• 31-foot maximum reach • 360º hose rotation • Bag full indicator • Rubber wheels • 5-year motor warranty

It’s a fact – many of the best built vacuum cleaners in the world are made in Germany. But precision engineering, flawless build quality, and extreme power, have always come with a high price tag. Until now.

Made in Germany by skilled technicians – the new Bare Floor Pro by Soniclean is specifically designed to clean hard floors - protecting your investment and the beauty of your home. From antique and modern hardwood floors, to tile, natural stone and laminates… The Bare Floor Pro will do the job of cleaning beautifully. For just $299...

But you DON’T have to pay full price to test the superior engineering and quality in your own * Turbo Carpet Nozzle... a $50 Value... Yours FREE home for 60 days...

Test the Bare Floor Pro out for a FULL 60 DAYS. • Upholstery tool You’ll fall in love with the German build quality, the • Dusting tool ease of use, the suction power – and the amazing • Crevice tool dust-trapping sealed HEPA system. If for any reason • Natural bristle you’re not 100% satisfied, just send it back for a floor nozzle complete refund – we’ll cover the return shipping – no questions asked.

Why spend upwards of $1,000 on a Germanmade vacuum when you can have famous German engineering and quality for a fraction of the price.

Get your Soniclean Bare Floor Pro today, simply by calling 1-800-946-9149.

FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING !

By Phone: 1-800-946-9149 Online: www.BareFloorPro.com

The Bare Floor Pro is $299.70. This special offer allows you to test the vacuum in your own home for 60 days for only one payment of $49.95. After 60 days, the remaining balance will be due in 5 equal monthly payments. Or, make one payment of $299.70 and be done. Either way, S&H is FREE. 58

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Fabulous Floors: Protect Your Home & Investment! Treat Your Hardwood & Tile Floors Right!

Want To Protect Your Hardwood Floors?

The New German Made Bare Floor Pro by Soniclean Is The Answer

The Bare Floor Pro Worked Flawlessly When Put To The Test

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ant to know how to keep your hardwood and tile floors looking perfect? Well we have the answer – and it’s easier than you think!

Up until now, the best way to care for fine hardwood flooring was to hand sweep, followed by a damp mop and a dry towel (a task that always took too much time).

But thankfully there is a new solution... a new German Made vacuum, designed specifically for hardwood, stone and tile floors.

Manufactured by Soniclean, and called the Bare Floor Pro, this precision engineered vacuum is an expertly executed fusion of superior function and modern design.

It will safely clean and protect your floors from ground in dirt, dust, grime, allergens, and finish destroying day to day messes… and it will look good doing it.

Efficiency micro-filtration bag and a sealed HEPA filtration system trap dust and allergens… keeping them away from you and your valuable tile, hardwood, and laminate floors.

Designed to look like it was made from hardwood, (with its “wood grained art case” exterior) the Bare Floor Pro’s light weight (just over 12 pounds), and ease of use, hide the enormous suction power that lurks inside…

The specially designed “no scratch safety glide suction head” will slide effortlessly across your floors– while the 31 foot long reach will allow you to move from room to room – easily!

Built in Germany under very precise and regulated conditions - this vacuum is powered by a massive, suction inducing 1100 watt variable speed motor - guaranteed to work flawlessly for 5 full years… while a true High

So do yourself (and your floors) a favor - throw away the broom, the mop and the drying towel – and pick up a Bare Floor Pro by Soniclean, today. The build quality, ease of use, and floor cleaning power - make this vacuum

the one to own. It will keep your home looking great … all while protecting your investment!

For a limited time, the company is offering this amazing vacuum – at an exceptional price – just $49.95 to try it in your home… and at the same time they are giving away, a free turbo carpet nozzle!

The turbo carpet nozzle, along with the various attachment tools, will clean virtually any surface: carpets, hard floors, furniture, stairs, cars and more.

And since they offer a 100% money back guarantee - It’s simply a no brainer!

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nothing but the best | JOHN GREGORY

The Buyer’s Guide to Purchasing a Vacuum Cleaner The vacuum cleaner as we know it hasn’t been around for that long.

T

John Gregory

he first motorized vacuum cleaner was invented in 1901 by Herbert Cecil Booth. It was pulled by a horse and dragged a 100-foot hose. It received the Royal Seal of Approval after it was used to clean Westminster Abby for the coronation of Edward the VII. In 1907, James Murray Spangler, a janitor from Canton, Ohio, developed the first portable electric vacuum cleaner. His design used a rotating brush to loosen dirt. Unable to produce the design himself, he sold the patent in 1908 to William Henry Hoover, who redesigned Spangler’s machine with a steel casing, casters, and attachments — Hoover’s first vacuum was the 1908 Model O, which sold for $60.

The vacuum cleaner is an important tool used to protect your biggest investment — your home and furnishings! However, we probably don’t take more than a few minutes to purchase a vacuum. Like it or not, we will be vacuuming and cleaning for many years, and the better the tool, the better the result.

You can’t stop dirt from coming into your home, but you can get rid of it with the right vacuum.

If you take a poll of vacuum cleaner owners, you will find that many people have more than one; in fact, some have three or four. This happens because they don’t buy the right one to start with, or they buy one that doesn’t last. Before you buy anything, it’s important to take an inventory of what you actually need.

All vacuums are not created equal. If you buy an inexpensive ‘throw away vacuum’ it may work well in the beginning, but eventually you will have to purchase another one. Instead, choose one from a company that spends its money on research and development so you can buy one vacuum cleaner that will last. Consumer Reports magazine periodically has articles on vacuum cleaners showing the best and the newest models. You can also check with your friends, and also read reviews on both the best and the newest products online.

You’re probably wondering where the best place to purchase your vacuum is located. These days there are endless sources to purchase from, including the Internet. Research shows that if you want to get the most for your money and purchase the right machine, you should buy it from your local vacuum cleaner retailer. In general, people who purchase their vacuum from their local dealer are usually happier, and keep the vacuum longer, than those who purchase elsewhere. Don’t forget to ask if the store offers maintenance on their products.

Before you start the buying process, here are some questions to think about: Left: “Thuro Electric” vacuum cleaner offered in the 1923 Montgomery Ward catalog. The $34.95 seliing price is equivalent to almost $500 today.

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■ What type of floors do you have?

Do you have hard-surface flooring as well as carpet? If you have both, you will need a different type of vacuum ‘head’ so you don’t damage your hardsurface flooring. If you have very thick carpets, that calls for still another type of attachment. Make sure you have the attachments you need.

■ Try it before you buy it.

You wouldn’t buy a car without testing it, so why buy a vacuum without a test drive? There are vacuums with revolving brush rolls (power nozzles) that are good for deep cleaning. The vacuum store should have ‘test’ products for you.

■ Do you have pets or allergies?

If you are wondering whether the machine will really pick up your pet hair, bring the rug with you and see if it does all it says it can. Some vacuums lose suction power as soon as you start using them, because the filters become rapidly clogged.

■ Should you go ‘bag or bag-less?’

Every vacuum pumps in air and dirt and then exhausts the air. The idea is to exhaust all the air without letting the dirt out go back out with it. If you decide on one with a dirt cup, they are usually messy, and you have to decide if you want to touch or breathe the dirt you’ve just picked up. With a bag, you won’t have to touch or see the dirt. Purchasing bags will add to the expense of your machine, but may prove to be more convenient.

■D o you have concerns about indoor air quality?

Years ago, we were not concerned with the vacuum cleaner’s ability to filter. These days, however, we want to keep our indoor air sanitary, especially if someone in the house has allergies. It’s more efficient and easier to keep the air clean if you have a bagged machine that has a good filter.

■ How much should you spend?

Purchasing online probably won’t save you money, plus you won’t have an opportunity to ‘try before you buy.’ Consider your vacuum cleaner an ‘investment’ rather than just a purchase. Is it worth it to spend two hundred dollars on a machine that has to be replaced after two years, and requires repairs twice during that time? Or would you consider spending seven hundred dollars on a machine that you can keep and use for fifteen to twenty years? Consider that if you don’t purchase the right vacuum cleaner, you will be one of those with a house full of them! ■

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Designer’s Diary

FLORENCE MICHELSON

The art of interior decorating has many facets. My husband of 67 years, Stan, paid me the nicest compliment when he said I was the best “nest maker” in the world. I get all the feathers and twigs in the right places!

It is with great sadness that Fabulous Floors Magazine announces the passing of its Designer’s Diary Editor, Florence Michelson, following a long illness.

Florence brought her lifetime of design expertise to the pages of Fabulous Floors. Not only did she bring her unique point of view to our pages, Florence was a good friend and she could always find a solution to a décor problem. That solution would be delivered along with a smile and a laugh. The team at Fabulous Floors sends our condolences and love to Flo’s family. She was a vibrant, elegant and visionary woman for all seasons. We have a few of Flo’s columns on file that we’ll be sharing in this and upcoming issues.

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W

hether decorating your home by yourself or using a professional — the results should really still be the same. Personally, I always start a job, particularly a private home, apartment or closet, with the floors. Then I work my way up. We get it all done to please the eye and necessities of living.

Now we’re ready for the finishing touches. It’s like adding a flourishing scarf or a stunning tie to an outfit. It really sparks the look of the entire room up. A room should reflect warmth and comfort and please the eye in every direction.

In a living room or den I look at the coffee table as the vignette with typically three items.

Here’s how I compose it: ● It should have a tall object in one corner maybe 18 inches high or even smaller. It can be as simple as three books standing up with two beautiful bookends. Or it could be a vase or sculpture or anything that interests you. Make sure it has height. ●T he next thing is a box — the prettiest most beautiful box that you can find. It should be about 5 to 6 inches tall so that it is in sharp contrast to the main design element. ●T hen I always suggest a beautiful interesting plate, elongated maybe rectangular, that just pleases the eye when you see it.

Designer’s WALK A great source for acquiring interesting things for “Finishing Touches” is ceramics. Hand-thrown ceramics such as Roku. They come in all shapes, vases, and boxes, and are very interesting.

Another source is ethnic pieces from Africa, Peru, or New Guinea. Today these are sold in so many stores that you really won’t have to go to those countries to find it. Although… what fun would that be!

Look for a box with a lid, one of the prettiest ones you can get — it should be at least 5 to 6 inches tall but it can be rectangular, or round and if can be functional and hold a couple of remote controls if you like.

An orchid, whether it be live or artificial (they both look the same) is a perfect tall object for a coffee table. It always stays beautiful and the size is right. If it is real you will enjoy a couple of wonderful, happy blossoms throughout the whole year.

Many stores carry reconditioned coral, mounted on plexiglas or marble that are absolutely wonderful pieces for a dining room for a mantel and easily available.

I hope you have fun when you are creating your “Finishing Touches” for your home. The key is the grouping and the different heights of objects. Choose things that you love — from your travels or ones that just tickle your fancy. ■

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Designer’s WALK

SHERRY STOKES PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD MORGAN

Designing Open Spaces

W Michael Hertrich, a Pittsburgh native, is the owner and lead designer for Stuffurnishings Accessories & Design as well as owner of Michael Hertrich Art + Frame. Mr. Hertrich opened his first art gallery in 1989 and created Stffurnishings in 2010. His eye for space, balance and color have made him a highly sought interior designer in western Pennsylvania. www.stuffurnishings.com

hen Don and Susan Carlson shared their ideas for decorating their new home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Michael Hertrich, the owner of Stuff Furnishings Accessories and Design, was intrigued by the challenge. The home’s first floor features a sunny, open floor plan that prodded Hertrich to thoughtfully contemplate lighting, color, furniture and arrangement to distinguish different functional areas within the space. The tricky part of the project, however, was blending the couple’s preferences — Don’s style was contemporary while Susan’s edged towards updated classic.

The Carlson’s along with architect David Morgan agreed upon TAU Cortena porcelain tile for the dining room and living room floors, while an Engineered Sapelli Brazilian Cherry denotes the kitchen and hallway. Clean white walls give a nod towards modern tastes while augmenting the varied shades of wood used for the cabinets, furniture and floor. Comfortable textured upholstery and rugs enliven the home’s neutral color palette and encourage relaxation. Hertrich injected joyful shots of color into the mix by painting an accent wall to match the Carlson’s choice of red for their kitchen island.

Large windows and French doors framed in sleek, warm wood let in plenty of sunshine, which keeps both the space and spirits bright. Luxuriating in natural light, a striped chaise sofa and textured area rug by set off the living room. An elegant chandelier over the dining room table adds nighttime illumination and helps define the dining area. Balance and airiness permeate the home, demonstrating that gracious living isn’t achieved with walls, but through artful arrangement instead. ■

Recessed lighting and hanging fixtures combined with white walls keep the kitchen bright while still evoking warmth.

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The tricky part of the project, however, was blending the couple’s preferences…

Top left: A neutral wool and silk area rug (Loloi) lends texture and serves as a subtle counterpoint to the colorful wall (sofa — Miles Talbott; cocktail table — Phillips Collection). Left: Chinese Red punctuates the kitchen’s island and reappears on an accent wall, creating cohesion. (pendants and chandelier — Visual Comfort; seating — Designmaster; table — Yuman Mod). Below: The juxtaposition of dark and warm colored woods encourage visual flow throughout the space.

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Fabulous Floors

Salutes the Marble Institute of America For over 70 years, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world’s leading information resource and advocate for the natural stone industry.

Who belongs to the MIA and what are they?

MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors and contractors around the world. The MIA is a member of the Natural Stone Council, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council.

How do you decide which products are right for your home?

Nature never produces two pieces that look exactly alike so you can be sure that whatever you choose it will be visually interesting. Not only will several pieces look different, but a slab may even look different from end to end. Nature has its way of designing graining and coloration. These are influenced by mineral deposit earth shifts and changes in temperature over time. There is no way to duplicate this beauty. Natural stones are quarried from the ground in a large block format, which can then be cut into any size by stone fabricators to meet your needs.

How can you build your own amazing legacy?

Your choice for your home is as varied as your imagination. No matter what your dream, natural stone will allow you to bring it to reality. As you’re gazing at the amazing possibilities, look at the selection of natural stone as an extension of your personality.

When a piece is chosen by you, it has a great deal of meaning to you. Natural stone took thousands of years develop. If it could talk, it would tell its own life history and tradition and now the next stage begins in your home You’re probably asking, can I afford such beauty?

Due to changes in stone quarrying and processing technology, your ability to engage and own a piece of this beauty is much more affordable. Technology has

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made easier to cut natural stone at a lesser cost and stone quarrying and processing skills have improved.

These products never go out of style and should be considered more of an investment than a cost. With minimal care, it will continue to add beauty to your home and only look better as the years go on.

Like a painting produced by a master artist, it ages and grows more beautiful with age.. The natural patina or light sheen that develops on the surface helps prevent staining. As we age, we take on freckles and wrinkles, which only add to our personal beauty.

The natural beauty of your stone will only continue to grow in character and beauty. ■ To find an MIA member near you and to learn more about products, installation and maintenance, www.marble-institute.com/directory/. Like them on Facebook, www.facebook.com/marbleinstitute and follow on Twitter, twitter.com/MarbleInstitute.

VISION

Provide resources and opportunities to recruit, retain, and advance, women in the stone industry.

MISSION

• Expand on existing MIA educational offerings by developing topics specific to women’s needs.

• Increase peer networking opportunities by coordinating venues to connect and learn.

• Develop a system of support and mentorship with other women in the industry.

• Create opportunities for women to serve on key industry committees.

• Recognize emerging and experienced women who excel in the industry.

• Create awareness of opportunities and career paths available to women considering careers in the stone industry.

• Work with the MIA Board of Directors and other MIA committees to achieve these goals.

Visit our website to get involved.

marble-institute.com/womeninstone SPRING 2015

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making a difference |

JT RITTER

Beaulieu Flooring Donation Keeps a Business Open and Saves Jobs

W

hen salon owners Vince and Orinne Pinto started their first salon, little did they know what lay ahead for them. Their first salon was a very traditional salon, but the industry was on the cusp of a revolution. For early adapters Vince and Orinne, the future became their present. They opened up their second shop, A Cut Above, a new salon specializing in the cut and blow dry movement within the industry.

In May of 1979, they opened Headhunters, a salon way ahead of its time. Headhunters made the cut a work of art. With its intriguing jungle theme and motif, Headhunters was an enormous success right out of the starting gate. A second location opened soon afterward. For Vince and Orrine, they were living the dream. Currently in the county, there are close to 50 salons; most of those owned and operated by women Vince and Orrine mentored and trained at Headhunters.

Vince also was known for his generosity in the community. He gave many cosmetologists their first jobs right out of school. He held Cut-A-Thons with proceeds donated to such organizations as Muscular Dystrophy and Cerebral Palsy.

Since the first anniversary of 9-11, police officers, firefighters, first responders,

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“ Orrine and I are so thankful to Margo and the people at Beaulieu for their kindness and help. This floor clould not have been more perfect for this salon. It meets the demands of a high-traffic commercial establishment and it’s also breeze to clean and maintain. The beauty of the floor is a huge bonus”. and members of the military, have received a complimentary haircut at Headhunters.

Jump ahead to summer of 2014. Economic conditions presented Vince with a couple of choices; consolidate the two locations, or close for good. Vince credits his wife for the decision to consolidate and continue fighting the good fight. Vince and Orrine’s primary concern was keeping their twelve employees working. They just could not put these good people out of work; some who had been with Vince for 37 years. But, good intentions do not always work out.

Vince found a bigger location in the same plaza as his first shop. However, the location needed a lot of renovation. The largest stumbling block became the cost of a quality floor that was attractive and utilitarian as well. The cost was a big number. A number that Vince and Orrine did not know how they could afford.

Vince discussed his dilemma with long time friend Margo Locust, the publisher of Fabulous Floors Magazine.

Margo agreed to help find a flooring product that meets the durability demands and the aesthetics, as well as Vince and Orrine’s wallet. She placed a call to Beaulieu. Hearing the plight of this small business, Beaulieu, enthusiastically donated flooring that they knew would do the job beautifully, a stain-proof vinyl plank from the Picturesque Collection of Bliss by Beaulieu. This rugged but beautiful product is treated with a UV cured polyurethane that enhances scratch resistance and extends durabiity.

One thing that customers and employees alike can agree on — “the floor makes the shop.” Everything else, including the color choices; the chrome station dividers; the lighting and the work station designs are enhanced by the floor. Seeing this gorgeous new work space, employees are ecstatic and a greater sense of pride prevails. Customers rave about the new look of the salon and the most noted feature, from customers both old and new, is the new floor. And Pinto reports a big jump in business since he opened the new location. ■

Opposite page bottom: Vince Pinto with his favorite flooring. Bottom left: The salon space with new decor and Beaulieu’s stain-proof vinyl plank from the PIcturesque Collection.

Bottom right: Salon staff at work, busier than ever!

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

SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER! SUBSCRIBE NOW! 2 Issues for only $9.95  YES! I want FABULOUS FLOORS. Send me the next 2 issues Name Business Name Address

SHOPPING FOR NEW FLOORS?

City State

Zip

Email (optional — for updates & special offers) METHOD OF PAYMENT:

Card Number Expiration Date Name on Card

OR… NOW You Can SUBSCRIBE Online! www.fabulousfloorsmagazine.com Pay using PayPal or send check or money order made out to Fabulous Floors (please do not send cash) 1. For your privacy and protection, use a sealed envelope to send your check or money order.

2. MAIL to Fabulous Floors Subscriptions PO Box 2166 Dalton, GA 30722 3. Call NOW! 678.761.5002

We’ve Gone Digital Too! Now you can buy Fabulous Floors Magazine and read it on your smartphone or tablet!

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.

Readers can browse, preview and purchase magazines of their choice with a single touch. When you purchase a magazine on Magzter, you can read it on any five of your favorite smart devices. How Fabulous is that?!

AND… It’s so EASY! Once you have created a free Magzter account, you can access your purchases across all your devices—phones, tablets, laptops and desktops. We even offer back issues of our magazine.

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!

Fabulous Floors on Magzter is just $5.99 per issue, but always look for FABULOUS discounts up to 60% off!

Magzter is also available on storefronts like the AMAZON App and Huawei App Stores.

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Get The Credit You Deserve When purchasing your next floor, ask about credit promotions offered by your specialty flooring retailer. No longer is credit merely a way to spread out payments.

It’s become something far different—a money management tool for today’s family chief financial officer. More than a way to manage payments, credit represents the opportunity to buy better merchandise, especially when the timing’s right.

Flooring is an investment as much as it is fashion because it becomes part of your home’s structure.

When purchasing flooring, consider how long you plan to keep that floor and how long it will take to pay it off with credit. Wood lasts generations. You may want to change your carpet every five years or so.

Ask yourself if the floor will add substantially to the value of the home. Credit options may turn out to be a bargain if you can comfortably pay off the purchase in a year or two, plan to keep the house for a long time and plan to buy lasting, quality fashions.

Your project will likely begin with a budget. So, with flooring comprising as much as a third of one’s renovation cost, your credit plan can actually keep costs 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.

Ask about long-term special programs such as one and two-year “same as cash” offers. As a matter of course, better stores should be able to offer 60 to 90 days with no interest. At that time, your purchase either is paid off or rolls over into a revolving charge with interest starting on the purchase date. As a credit 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.

Your

Pattern Destination

#patterndestination

Visit www.carpetspluscolortile.com to find a retailer near you.

carpet

| tile | hardwood | laminate | vinyl | LVT | area rugs

Also see our new Color Destination and Performance Destination Collections now arriving in stores.

SPRING 2015

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Find Flooring

NOURISONORBIT DKEAR brdrm LIV-unc

new dimensions |

FAST

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS

TUFTEX CARPETS OF CALIFORNIA

www.asid.org

The Premier Carpet of Shaw Floors 877.224.7429 www.tuftexcarpets.com

BLOOMSBURG CARPET 212.688.7447 www.bloomsburgcarpet.com

BRITISH WOOL MARKETING BOARD

WF TAYLOR www.wftaylor.com

CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL

WORLD FLOOR COVERING ASSOCIATION (WFCA)

www.campaignforwool.org

www.wfca.org

www.britishwool.org

CARPETSPLUS COLOR TILE ECOCHOICE FLOORING 800.261.6456 www.carpetspluscolortile.com www.ecochoiceflooring.com

CROSSVILLE INC. 800.221.9093 www.crossvilleinc.com

ECODOMO LLC 301.424.7717 www.EcoDomo.com

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

IVC US www.Ivcfloors.com

KARNDEAN DESIGN FLOORING www.karndean.com

MANNINGTON MILLS 856.935.3000 www.mannington.com

MARBLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA www.marble-institute.com

MP GLOBAL PRODUCTS www.quietwarmth.com www.quietwalk.com 888.379.9695

NATURE’S PALETTE www.TheColorWhisperer.com

OSHKOSH DESIGNS oshkoshdesigns.com

OVERNITE CAPITAL 800.957.4309 www.overnitecapital.com

SONICLEAN The Bare Floor Pro 800.946.9149 www.BareFloorPro.com

SUSTAINABLE LUMBER COMPANY www.Sustainablelumberco.com

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828 INTERNATIONAL www.828rugs.com ALLWOOD 855.245.1080 www.allwoodgrp.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 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

A BUYER’S GUIDE

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 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 CREATIVE EDGE MASTER SHOP 641.472.8145 www.cec-waterjet.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 EGE SERAMIK www.egeseramik.com ELDORADO STONE www.eldoradostone.com ELIANE CERAMIC TILES www.elianeusa.com EMMA GARDNER DESIGN, LLC www.emmagardnerdesign.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 FLOOR COVERINGS INTERNATIONAL Nicole Perry — 770-992-3913 To Find a FCI Franchise near you: www.floorcoveringsinternational.com 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 HEALTHIER CHOICE http://www.healthierchoice.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.metroflorcorp.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 MOHAWK INDUSTRIES Smart Strand 800.2MOHAWK www.mohawkflooring.com/green MOMENI www.momeni.com MOTAWI TILEWORKS 734 213 0017 www.motawi.com MULLICAN 800.844.6356 www.mullicanflooring.com

FABULOUS FIND

Check out WFCA.ORG! NAFCO by Tarkett www.nafco.com NALFA www.nalfa.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 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

WE CAN HELP Overnite capital wants to be your financial partner. We advance money to commercial Customer receivables that are on payment terms.

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

WHAT CAN I USE THE MONEY FOR? Use the money for operating costs or paying your supplier so you can take the next order right away.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? Our factoring credit line ranges from $100K to $5M. Your business can have as little as $20,000 a month in receivables. We can help you if you are a startup or a seasoned company. The main criterion is receivables or purchase orders from credit worthy customers.

IS THERE A MINIMUM? We have no monthly minimums so you use our funds at your discretion.

Even if you only have one credit worthy customer to factor, we can help your cash flow.

2933 Bunker Hill Lane, Suite 210 Santa Clara, CA 95054-1152 800 957-4309 www.overnitecapital.com (Disclaimer: Overnite Capital only serves the commercial or business to business market)

Use Our Money to Make Money!

The World Floor Covering Association’s (WFCA) website offers all the resources and tools necessary to make informed purchasing decisions about flooring. Better yet, WFCA is a nonpartisan, floor covering advocacy association — they do not manufacturer or sell ANYTHING — so the website offers completely unbiased, FREE information on all types of flooring.

With help from teams of designers, trend scouts and industry experts, the award-winning WFCA.ORG provides in-depth overviews on every type of flooring available — hardwood, carpeting, area rugs, ceramic, stone, laminate, resilient, even green products. It showcases an everchanging line-up of content, including new trends, product introductions and technologies. An overview of each category provides the pros and cons, manufacturing details, things to consider before you buy, cost estimates and how to prepare for installation. In addition, it provides answers to the most common floor covering questions.

When you’re ready to buy, WFCA.org offers a searchable database of reputable WFCA retail members across the country. All you need to do is enter your zip code and you will receive a list of retail stores in your area.

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

SPRING 2015

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Live Naturally Choose Wool

| BRIDGETTE KELLY

Put the Natural Bounce Back into Spring...

Invest in Real Wool

î ‚

î ˘

Spring is the season when sheep and their natural, grown wool begin to play their most important part in the calendar of the carpet and rug industry. Why? Well, this is the season when lambs are born and then shortly afterwards as the weather warms, shearing of the parent flock starts.

Photo courtesy of Stanton.

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Photo courtesy of Masland.

Wool is a full circle fibre and in Spring nature begins that process of natural provision to the textile industry with a fibre that will provide warmth and comfort and luxury design too.

Truly renewable, wool sheared in Spring and Summer will make its way into the world of luxury carpets and rugs providing exceptional comfort that is both tremendously tactile and beautiful.

Interestingly, wool has its own ‘Spring’ — but one that is very much a benefit to the appearance of the floor and lasts not just for a few months but for many, many years! >>

Photo courtesy of Godfrey Hirst.

Photo courtesy of Brintons.

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Live Naturally Choose Wool

|

Wool has the most complex internal structure, a legacy of its time growing on the sheep where it performed as a protective coat and allowed the sheep to survive wind, rain and snow as well as warmer weather. The multiple layers within each microscopic fibre are the secret to the success of wool — these layers make it very high performance.

The built-in strength derived from its natural crimp and a tightly entwined cell structure make this a robust and durable fibre.

Wool will always resist pressure and the bounce-back helps to resist flattening and pile crushing. This of course is vital in maintaining appearance over the long-term and will prevent a carpet becoming tired and visually unappealing as synthetic/man-made carpets and rugs often do. >> Above: Photo courtesy of Axminster; below: photo courtesy Nourison.

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Below: Photo courtesy of Hibernia.

Woolly Facts  Wool for carpets and rugs is defined as ‘strong’ wool.

 Quality carpet wools are found in New Zealand and Great Britain.

 British Wool is known to be strongest and is

used in many commercial locations including many Las Vegas casinos.

 New Zealand wool is softer and has a creamy,

white color — untold luxury for the bedroom!

 The wool of both the sheep in the UK and New Zealand is often blended at spinning to create the perfect carpet yarn.

 Different blends offer different textures and shades to the product.

 Wool is a niche fibre — it provides less than two percent of the world’s fibre usage.

 Sheep are free range creatures and across the world they roam and graze freely.

 Shearing of the sheep in New Zealand and the United Kingdom does not harm them — it is done for the health and welfare of the animal.

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Live Naturally Choose Wool

|

Above: Photo courtesy of Masland; bottom left: photo courtesy of Godfrey Hirst; bottom right: photo courtesy of Brintons.

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This resistance to crushing is also very important in maintaining design. If your flooring has a lot of texture such as a loop or cut and loop or is a patterned design then you clearly want to maintain that. Wool’s natural structure ensures that key design elements are protected by this instant ‘spring-like’ restoring of its original shape which limits distortion over the coming years.

There are so many examples of wool in historical carpets and rugs — the patina of the fibre in antique rugs show how well the fibre can withstand the years. Across the world there are rugs that have not only survived but positively thrived. Legacy rugs that are proud statements of how real wool is the best investment that you can make.

Admiring a beautiful rug or complimenting the performance of the family broadloom that runs throughout is a compliment to the fibre and the animal that provides the most natural, sustainable, safe fibre in the world today.

Live Naturally...Choose Wool. ¢

Below: Photo courtesy of J Mish; bottom: Photo courtesy of Masland.

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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 632 718 + 44 (0) 2073 512 288 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/

Carter International USA

Karastan USA

(877)-227-8371 www.cartercarpets.us/

800-234-1120 www.karastan.com/

Delos Rugs USA

Langhorne Carpet Co. USA

877-988-5595 www.delosrugs.com/

215-757-5155 www.langhornecarpets.com/

Fabrica Carpets USA

Masland Carpets & Rugs USA

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

800-633-0468 www.maslandcarpets.com/

Hagaman Carpets USA

Nourison USA

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

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

Rodeo Collection

by Stark USA www.starkcarpet.com

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Savnik USA 510-568-3150 savnik.com/

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

Stark Carpet Corp USA 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 770-528-4724. www.ulstercarpets.com/

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

The new online gallery showcasing the largest collection of wool interior products

ONEWOOL is a unique virtual gallery celebrating the beauty, practicality and endless versatility of real wool

WWW.ONEWOOL.COM

#onewool #choosewool @campaignforwool

Subtle Create Rhythm, a Luxurious No Blues.

Oasis Since 1954, Florida Tile has been an innovator, marking many accomplishments, from building the first floor tile plant in the USA to introducing the first digitally printed products with our HDP – High Definition PorcelainŽ lines. Throughout our history Florida Tile has been a pioneer, but equally important, we have been a guideline for style.

Offering products that are both practical and stylish is what we are all about, and tile never looked so good. Please visit us on the web for more about this product and more at www.floridatile.com.