FANCY FLOORS Affordable materials make it easier to create drama BY DEBRA BASS
22 HOME | 2020
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aying genuine stone and specialty tiles once required elite artisans and was reserved for the wealthy. Affordable flooring meant synthetic carpeting and bland linoleum. But a barrage of innovations has made dramatic flooring designs plausible for any homeowner. “A floor brings a room to life because it’s such a large part of the palette,” says Ernest de la Torre of De La Torre Design Studio. He says floors haven’t been getting the attention they deserve because people remember how difficult and pricey they traditionally were to
customize. Times have changed. Synthetic flooring has come a long way — it now mimics the look and durability of costly natural materials, and mass production means there’s a material for any budget. Nikki Klugh of Nikki Klugh Design Group in San Diego says that flooring is more than just a backdrop. “With all those square feet, it can be a powerful statement all on its own,” she says. “Even if you’re just going with wood, do a pattern to have some interest in the room,” de la Torre recommends. Try one or more of these choices:
JIM BRADY / BRADY ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
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