{ Posts Tagged ‘Flooring’ }

hardwood flooring: the final results

If you remember, back in the summer I was working on getting my mom settled in her new condo. After my father passed away, we sold our family home and found a more manageable place for my mom to live. The whole process came with challenges, both emotional and logistical. But amidst all this, my unwavering goal was to help my mom create a space that felt comfortable and as much like home as possible as she took her first steps on this new journey of her life.

It’s amazing how much that sense of home was created through the details. Of course it’s the family that makes a house a home but in my mom’s new condo, so much of what makes it a beautiful place for her came in the form of our design choices. We tried to strike a balance between incorporating things that were reminiscent of the home she shared with my dad her whole life and adding new things that would in some ways help to guide her along a new path.
Read the rest of this entry »

hardwood floors: the installation

If you’ve been following along with my latest renovation project, you’ll know that I recently went shopping for hardwood floors for my mom’s new condo. We settled on a beautiful red oak from Lumber Liquidators. You can read the full post here.

cam 3 hardwood floors: the installationHere’s another look at the space – in all its messy glory!

Once the wood was selected, the real work began. (We were already working with a contractor, but Lumber Liquidators does offer installation for $2/square foot.) Because we were working in a condo, we had to adhere to the board’s strict rules regarding the flooring underlay. (If you live in a condo, you’ll have to find out what the accepted standards are regarding the thickness of the underlay you use to minimize noise transfer.) Since you can’t nail flooring down in a condo, make sure you find a floating floor that clicks and locks into place and doesn’t require being nailed down. There are lots of beautiful hardwood options!

Read the rest of this entry »

shopping for new hardwood floors

I don’t know if any of you have ever been in this position but the past few years have been tough ones for me and my family. My father passed away in March 2009 and it’s been a long and difficult journey of recovery and healing. Overcoming the overwhelming grief has not been easy and now, two and a half years later, we’re still struggling to understand and accept.

But life has a way of pulling you along, even when what you want most in the world is just to stand still. My mother has finally reached the point where she is ready to sell our family home and move into a smaller, more manageable space. We finally found a condo that was perfect for her – large and spacious with an incredible ravine view. The size and layout of the space were ideal but the decor – not so much. We decided to take the condo anyway, and renovate it from top to bottom to turn it into a space that she’d love for the years to come.
Read the rest of this entry »

ripping out the old floors

condo old floors ripping out the old floors
Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Today I’m having the new floors installed in my condo. I have chosen a bamboo hardwood in Solid Onyx (a deep, dark chocolate brown) from Tarkett. They’re being installed by End of the Roll Milton and the process got started today. The guys showed up before 9am and within 20 minutes, they had all the old laminate floors ripped out.

I have to admit, there’s something a little bittersweet about the process. I’m super-excited to have the new floors installed and to see what the final product looks like. But watching the old floors come out, I found myself flooded with memories of when I first bought this condo seven years ago. My father and brother-in-law worked tirelessly one weekend to rip out the awful pink carpet that was there and lay the new laminate for me. They were no experts at the process (neither had done it before) but they did it with love for me and I’ll never forget that. My entire family chipped in and dedicated their weekend to helping turn my first condo into my first home.

But the time has come for a change and it looks like that time is now! The installers are busy working away – I’ll keep you updated on their progress!

looking for new floors at tarkett

I`m getting ready to install new floors in my condo and I`ve been looking at the options at Tarkett. Tarkett offers a wide variety of flooring options: Fibrefloor, vinyl, laminate, wood and luxury tile.

I`m preparing to replace the laminate floor that`s currently in my condo with wood and while I`ve just begun looking at my options, below are the three colours/woods I`m considering … at the moment — these could change as I find more options! But for now, here are the three that have caught my eye. What`s your vote? Leave a comment and let me know! I need help deciding!

tarkett floors looking for new floors at tarkett

style for less: ikea markland flooring

ikeafloor style for less: ikea markland flooring

I’m not normally one to get excited over laminate flooring, but IKEA’s latest is surely one of the greatest new flooring options of late. It’s called Markland, and it’s the glossiest, whitest, lacquered-look flooring you’re going to find at such a stellar price point (less than $30 per square metre… Craziness!)…  I had the chance to feature a Markland floor in a photoshoot for the May issue of STYLE AT HOME, and then saw it installed — as wallcovering, no less — at IKEA’s showstopping space at the IDS a week ago, and my enthusiasm keeps growing. Definitely one to file under “cheap n’ chic”!

Markland laminate flooring

Price: $26.79 per square metre

Available at: IKEA, 866-866-4532

must have: angela adams rugs

angelarug must have: angela adams rugsWe’ve always been big fans of Angela Adams here at STYLE AT HOME. The prolific Maine-based designer is probably best known for her hand-tufted rugs, inspired by the natural beauty of the east coast. She’s just added two new designs to her portfolio, and one in particular — which Angela’s named “Betty” after her mother-in-law — is already standing out as a 2009 design classic. I’m normally not a fan of yellow, but this Honey colourway is just delicious, and the vaguely fish-scale motif is uber-trendy and makes for a wonderful transitional piece that’s super versatile. 

Angela Adams’ Betty rug in Honey

Price: From $349 US (3×5′) to $1,699 US (8×10′)

Available at: Angela Adams, 800-255-9454

designer rugs

rug company designer rugsFor some, a rug is a functional item to warm the floors, cover a stain or delineate a space. For others it`s an afterthought; a nice-to-have-but-not-necessary addition to a room. For others still, a rug is a statement; a bold declaration about style and aesthetic. It might be the special piece that an entire room is designed around or a find so beautiful it`s a guaranteed conversation starter. And for these people, there`s The Rug Company. With handmade designs from world-renowned designers like Vivienne Westwood and Diane Von Furstenberg, these fabulous rugs take rugs to a whole new level. And they`re super-exclusive, too, with stores in a handful of cities worldwide: London, New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Madrid, Moscow, Brussels, Copenhagen, Mexico, Oslo, Stockholm and Hong Kong. I can`t think of any better reason to hop on a plane to say, Barcelona, to check these beauties out.

For more information, visit: therugcompany.info

decorating with area rugs

rugs1 decorating with area rugs

I love beautiful wood floors in dark, rich tones. The older, the better. They can evoke a feeling of nostalgia and hold a history of homeowners past. But sometimes, even the most beautiful of floors need a rug to serve any number of purposes; delineating separate spaces, adding warmth underfoot or simply adding a burst of colour and personality to a conservative space. I love these contemporary patterns from Angela Adams. They`re bold but not brash and can add a touch of whimsy to a living room or bedroom. They`re 152×243 in size. Need help searching for the perfect rug? Check out styleathome.com`s area rug buying guide.

Available at: Home Depot
Price: Ranges from $349 to $599