Carpets and Floors...

by Charlotte
(Website Editor)

Questions and answers about carpet and flooring in interior design - the flooring is often overlooked, but is actually an integral, and very important part of the design...

Read what other visitors have asked about their floors and carpets...

Ask your own question here...

Help with flooring color of wood and trim of a Craftsman home

by Andrea
(Connecticut, usa)

Hi,

We are adding on a bedroom, craftsman style and will soon be adding on a kitchen, family room, bonus room and will change the whole style of the house to craftsman.

I need to pick a floor stain and a trim stain. I am stumped. We will be using Minwax oil base, but so far as the color I can't decide.

Was the Arts and Crafts hardwood flooring mostly dark stains, and the trim as well?

Any help on this would be so appreciated....

Thanks,

Andrea

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Comment
By Charlotte
17 January 2012

Hello Andrea

Thank you for contacting me. Your improvements to your home sound great - very exciting.

I think the best stain for wood and trim would be a mid-toned one. Oak was often a popular choice for wood.

Try a warm-toned stain (orangey tones) for a warm and welcoming feeling room.

Use the same color for your flooring as well as your trim.

You could go paler or darker if you liked, but keep in mind that a dark floor could easily make your room feel dark and small.

Darker colors do tend to have a more 'old fashioned' feel about them than pale ones, though.

Will you add a rug too? This could break up a darker floor, and make it have less impact, if you would like a dark floor but are worried about it making your home feel dark or small.

I'm going to redirect you to a fantastic little website, which specialises in the Arts and Crafts or Craftsman style.

I think you will get lots of inspiration from it.

Take a look at this page on Arts and Crafts style flooring here...

And then read more about flooring in their Floors, Walls and Ceilings section, here...

They have a whole section on Craftsman Homes too.

I do hope you find the website useful.

I hope you'll come back and visit us here too :)

Good luck with your project.

Best wishes

Charlotte

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Hessian or felt-backed carpet

by jane
(newcastle)

I purchased a hessian backed carpet when it arrived with the carpet fitter its felt backed he said this was the same carpet I chose but only felt backed the price was the same how would i know if this has been swapped for a cheaper carpet my o.h. feels cheated

Comments:

Hessian, felt and foam...
by: Charlotte

Hi Jane

I can understand you feeling a little peeved at ending up with something different than the carpet you chose initially.

On investigation, it seems that the felt backing isn't a step down in quality.

Foam backing is generally seen as the cheaper option - as the foam can wear out and break down relatively quickly.

Because of this, felt is now increasingly being used as an alternative - as it is more hard wearing.

Felt is often used as an separate underlay in any case, for hessian backed carpets, so that they are soft to walk on.

Generally it is still advised to use a separate underlay with felt backed carpets too.

It does tend to be the more expensive types of carpets that are hessian backed, but again on investigation, it appears that this is more to do with customers' perceptions of what is 'expensive' or 'quality' -(as people always used to know that hessian was better than the old foam backings that were used)- than any actual difference in quality or performance between the hessian or the new felt backing, or the carpet itself.

I hope this helps.

If you are still not happy with the carpet you've been provided with, try speaking to the store manager, explaining your concerns.

Best wishes

Charlotte

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Nov 08, 2010
the information was very helpful
by: Viv

I am on the search for a carpet and was perplexed to have something new added which I had to consider i.e. felt backed carpets but I found this information excellent and re-assuring that buying felt as against hessian was not to my disadvantage.

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Nov 08, 2010
Glad to be of service!
by: Charlotte

Happy to be of service Viv - glad it helped!

Charlotte :o)

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Dark flooring in my home

by Vikki
(Anaheim Hills, CA )

I have sophisticated beach style home, mostly black and white with off white ceramic flooring with veins running through and chipped edges. In every part of house except bedrooms. It looks
very much like natural stone.

My question is how would black wood flooring look in the bedrooms?.

Comments:

Dark ideas...!
by: Charlotte

Hi Vikki

Your home sounds lovely :o)

Here are some issues you might want to think about when deciding if to use dark flooring in your bedrooms.

- It can be nice for a home to 'flow' and be decorated as a 'whole' - this means using similar, or the same flooring throughout the whole home (or all on the same floor level at least).

This is particularly relevant if your home is quite small in size, as continuation of flooring and color can help rooms to 'borrow' space from another room.

However, the physical color contrast between other flooring and the bedroom may be a wonderful mental contrast too, emphasising entering the bedroom as entering a private and personal space, different from the rest of the home.

- Dark colors absorb light - this means that dark flooring may make your bedrooms feel darker and smaller.

- Dark wood flooring may show damage such as scratches more easily.

- Dark wood flooring may show dust and pet hair more easily.

- But dark wood flooring does have a very luxurious and sophisticated look. It can look very modern and contemporary (or very traditional and period, if that is your look).

- It can be a striking and dramatic contrast to pale tones used in the rest of your room.

- It can help to 'ground' very pale decor schemes.

- You can go for a very high gloss finish for maximum impact, and to allow light to reflect more around the room.

- Black flooring can look dramatic and stunning!

I hope this helps you with your decision Vikki.

Good luck with your bedroom flooring makeover.

Charlotte

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Mar 01, 2010
Fabulous Info
by: Vikki

Thank you so much. So much to consider. I think I am gonna go for it and hire a maid! ha

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Mar 02, 2010
:o)
by: Charlotte

Thanks Vikki - my pleasure.

A maid sounds great! :o)

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