| Five Handy Flooring Design Tips | | | | Tip #4: There are many flooring patterns |
| | | | available so don't hesitate to use them! Too |
| Here are a few handy flooring tips to really | | | | many shoppers I met would obsess over what |
| beautify a room: | | | | flooring everyone else is doing. This is your |
| | | | home, not anyone else's and you should get |
| Tip #1: If you're laying tile flooring and | | | | the floor that makes you happy. Don't be |
| want to make the room look bigger, use larger | | | | afraid of not looking like everyone else. |
| sized tiles (18 x 18 or larger) and lay them | | | | That's the whole point! if you want to |
| on a 45 degree angle (diamond pattern). What | | | | differentiate a room, then lay different |
| this does is draw your eye to the two widest | | | | flooring. |
| points of each tile, giving your flooring the | | | | |
| illusion of a larger space. And the larger | | | | Tip #5: I'm a big fan of using matching or |
| sized tiles have less grout lines to look at | | | | contrasting inserts to transform the flooring |
| so your flooring doesn't look as 'busy' | | | | into a masterpiece. But not many really can |
| across your a larger area as say a 12 x 12 | | | | create a room. You know, these deco pieces, |
| would. | | | | listellos and natural stone inserts may cost |
| | | | you a couple hundred dollars all up but they |
| Just keep in mind installing tile on a 45 | | | | give your room an unsurpassed look. Now I |
| uses more tile because there are more cuts to | | | | strongly recommend when doing these special |
| be made. | | | | flooring designs to only hire a certified |
| | | | flooring installer. |
| Tip #2: If you want a clean, contemporary | | | | |
| look, ask your installer to use the narrowest | | | | DON'T TRY and do them yourself unless you |
| grout lines possible, either a 1/8 or 3/16 | | | | really know what you're doing. I've seen it |
| and for natural stone 1/16. Larger grout | | | | too many times. |
| lines give a more rustic, earthy look. And | | | | |
| higher gloss (polished) tiles are | | | | For example, for every insert, you need to |
| contemporary whereas heavily grooved and | | | | make 4 cuts, one for each connecting tile. |
| rough give an aged, worn look. | | | | These cuts need to be pretty much right on, |
| | | | otherwise any unevenness will flash at you |
| Tip #3: To give your flooring another | | | | right away once its installed. And if you |
| illusionary trick, lighter colors give the | | | | insist on doing it yourself, just remember |
| room a more spacious feel while darker colors | | | | two very important words: wet saw and diamond |
| give it a cozier, smaller feel. | | | | blade! |
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