Concrete Flooring from Ann Sacks March 24, 2008

ANN SACKS® EXPANDS EXCLUSIVE FLOOR AND WALL TILE OPTIONS
THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH CONCRETE ARTISAN ANDY FLEISHMAN
PORTLAND, Ore.

(May 10 2005)

Ann Sacks, in collaboration with leading concrete artisan, Andy Fleishman, presented four completely unique floor and wall tiles at the 2005 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas.

Fleishman’s designs for Ann Sacks offer a visually striking alternative to complement the diverse Ann Sacks tile and stone collections. Fleishman, who started his career as a wood sculptor and cabinet maker in the 1970s, gravitated toward concrete as his primary medium. His designs for Ann Sacks include Diamond and Petal, two large-scale, geometric designs; and, Maximus and Tendril, two more intricate designs using floral themes.

Bamboo - Uses other than flooring March 20, 2008

Bamboo is a currently a very popular choice for flooring, but did you know it can be used for other things? One company, Bamboo Outfitters offers eco friendly items from clothing, to linens, to soap and bath products made of bamboo. Bamboo is useful in making these products because bamboo fiber is soft and strong and produces products that are durable, soft and breathable. Unlike other natural products, bamboo can be safely dyed in bright and bold colors.

Benefits of bamboo as clothing:

• It absorbs sweat quickly and evaporates quickly.
• Bamboo keeps you warmer in the winter and up to 2 degrees cooler in the summer
• Bamboo is antibacterial so it stays fresher and odor free longer.
• During the manufacturing process, no harsh chemicals are used so this product is ideal for people with allergies or sensitive skin
• Bamboo fiber is smooth and round so it does not irritate skin. It contains a naturally occurring antibacterial called bamboo-kun that resists the spread of bacteria on the skin without any adverse affects.
• Bamboo grows quickly and therefore has high water absorbency which aids in this process. This helps the fabric retain absorbency, in fact, 3-4 more than cotton. It keeps you drier because it wicks away moisture from the body, but doesn’t have the high prices that comes with sports attire with these same properties.
  
• Bamboo is antibacterial, anti fungal and anti static even after is has been washed.
• It’s better for the environment. For more information on bamboo, click here.
• No special care is required to maintain the clothing.

Not sure if bamboo fabric is for you or all that is advertised, Bamboo Outfitters will send you a sample!

Other products made from bamboo are found in the kitchen and bath. Some examples of products for the home made from bamboo are: cutting boards, soap, dish towels, bed linens, body washes, crib linens and bath towels.

Clothing for babies, kids, men and women:

Products for the home:

Do your part by choosing clothing and home accessories that are not only comfortable, better for your skin, anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti static but good for the world we live in!

Trends in Flooring - Tile February 7, 2008

TRENDS IN TILE

This may be the most exciting trend, to me! No longer is the most popular beige or a variation of beige but a celebration of color, range and texture! It’s about time!! By the way, the more color, texture and range a tile has - the more it hides DIRT. Large format tiles are

still on the forefront, but larger tiles and more shapes are coming into play. These multiple sizes allow for more unique patterns. There was one tile that was 24″ x 48″! It was so huge that it was also being used for vanity tops in addition to flooring.

This raised the question to me if home owners are less concerned with resale, taking more risks with color and falling in love with the outcome!

One exciting texture is fabric. Several companies were showing tiles with linen textures, leather textures and patterns. The look is very soft, without being boring. The listellos offered with these tiles were particularly exciting if you only want subtle pattern with a little “pop”. The floor of the Crossvile Ceramics exhibit booth showed a combination of the large floral pattern with the texture of linen. It was very feminine and calming. Another popular texture was a quartz and slate look. These tiles are very versatile and look great on the inside, outside as well as on the walls.

Listellos and accent tiles seemed to be more modern and contemporary. It was refreshing to see so many different style patterns and color combinations. I wasn’t sure if Subway shapes tiles would still be popular…Thank goodness they were. Not only were they still popular, but new sizes that are more linear were exciting! The Subway tiles are so flexible because they can be used in simple traditional settings and also extremely modern settings.

Glass tiles were still on every corner, just this year there were more styles, finishes and textures. Glass tile patterns incorporated with metal, pearl finishes and patterns within the glass give you the opportunity for endless design options.

Trends in Flooring - Hardwood and Laminate February 6, 2008

TRENDS IN HARDWOOD AND LAMINATE

Just like more color seen in tile, wonderful ranges of color were shown in hardwood. Lauzon’s new products were the most appetizing colors. Coffee and chocolate colored stains with a pearl or low luster finish were so refreshing from the sea of golden colored hardwoods.

In the new product pavilion, Harris Wood showed painted hardwoods with the edges randomly sanded to look like old worn painted boards. The beauty of it is, with this product you get the look of painted boards, but with the strength of aluminum oxide on the finish.

Similar to the painted woods are the Olde Paint line from Anderson. They did a great job of making the boards look authentically old and worn. It reminded me of cottages and old historic homes in South Carolina.

Rustic and handscraped hardwoods are even on the texture bandwagon. One company showed a product with the look of texutre, wire brushing, reclaimed and handscraped properties all in one irresistible product. Creatively, they used the flooring boards to create a door. It got so much attention they wised they were in the door business as well!

Trends in Flooring - Color February 5, 2008

Surfaces, the trade show that exhibits the most flooring you will find under one roof, has come to and end. This year’s show was spectacular! Manufacturers were there from all over the globe to show off new patterns, new technology and new product styles. It was very interesting to see the common trends between hardwood manufacturers, tile manufacturers and carpet manufacturers. Despite the condition of the housing market, everyone put their best foot forward with gorgeous new products and displays.

TRENDS IN COLOR

Color, Color, Color is the current trend! Bright colors, bold colors, rich colors and mixtures of colors in accent pillows, accessories and area rugs allow home owners to experiment with color without taking the risk of being permanently attached to it. Most everyone showed bursts of patterns: big floral patterns, geometric patterns and accents of color are HOT! In hard surfaces goods, texture, pattern and range create the perfect canvas for these accents of color. Metallics and pealescent finishes are also hot. All of the color made for a very unique and interesting show. The tie between runway fashion and home products has never been closer.

Surfaces - New Product Pavilion January 30, 2008

The new product pavilion at Surfaces featured exciting new hardwood, carpet, tile and more. Below are some examples of the new products that are taking center stage for 2008. The pictures you see here cannot do the actual products justice, so ask your flooring retailer for these products by name!

Above: Just one example of BR-111’s Exotic Hardwoods. This photo is Macciato Pecan. Others that are striking and unique are Malbec Walnut and Tiete Chestnut. Ask your flooring retailer to show you more products in BR-111’s exotic hardwood line.

Above: Handscraped painted hardwood from Harris Wood, one of the last US hardwood manufacturers. The exciting feature of this wood is the maple and walnut wood that show through the painted surfaces with a special sanding technique. It looks old, rustic and authentic. The beauty of it is that you get this authentic look with the durability of an aluminum oxide finish.

Above: Beaulieu’s Collection “It’s Hot” featuring “Spice It Up” and “Caliente”

Above: XFloor- Premium Cars Deserve Premium Flooring! This stunning garage floor is interlocking, real aluminum diamond plate and withstands 50,000 pounds of load capacity per tile.

New from Creating Your Space is a tool called Room Maker. This tool allows you to draw a room, choose your type of flooring and then calculate your flooring needs. You can save, share and print your results as well as get a general idea of your budget.

Yolo Colorhouse Paints - Created by Scientists & Artists with Nature in Mind December 4, 2007

Another Green Build Expo find: YOLO Colorhouse is a Portland, Oregon based paint company developed by 2 female artists (Virginia Young and Janie Lowe self titled Co-Founders/Head Color Nerds) that has stood for premium, environmentally responsible paint products with a user friendly color pallete since 2000. Their paint is Green Seal Certified. Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that sets standards for environmentally responsible products that is based on VOC content, (Volatile Organic Compound) the absence of chemicals, durability, performance and manufacturing processes. Green Seal Certification automatically qualifies YOLO Colorhouse for LEED certified projects.

Moving Color Tiles October 31, 2007

There are a plethora of unique ceramic tiles, glass tiles and handmolded tiles to choose from in the tile industry today, but a company called Moving Color offers tiles that will stop you in your tracks. I found their vision statement down right inspiring and on the verge of challenging!

 

“The inspiration behind our concept is similar to the beauty of nature; we believe that our personal environments should be ever changing. Moving Color is a form of living art; therefore, the potential of our products are only limited by the imagination of the designer implementing them.”

The Remodeling Show Awards: Most Innovative Product October 26, 2007

Most Innovative Product: GranitClad Natural Granite Resurfacing is a patented process that allows any countertop to be resurfaced with granite or mable without removing the existing countertop. In fact, they can also resurface showers, tubs, boats, RV’s and fireplaces. They do it by using a fiberglass and resin reinforced thin slab of granite that is 7 times stronger than traditional granite. Not only are the slabs stronger, but they are 9mm thick offering the advantage of being 70% lighter than typical 2 or 3cm slabs. This also helps with faster installations. I thought there would be a catch of limited colors, but they offer 25 standard colors and 8 special order colors. All of this and a limited lifetime warranty.

The Remodeling Show Awards: Most Interesting Product October 25, 2007

 Hands down this goes to Green Glue.  Green Glue is the simple and easy answer to sound  proofing floors, wall and ceilings in new construction or remodeling. You simply apply the product with a caulk gun between two sheets of standard drywall or plywood. There is no exact measuring (other than 2 tubes per 4×8 sheet of plywood) or specific coverage pattern - you just apply it randomly all over the board.

This product is great for home theaters, recording studios, condos, apartments, impact noise (footstep noise) and squeaky floors.

Green Glue has been tested and found to:

• Be the most thoroughly of any sound isolation material available

• Be able to be inserted into any fire rated assembly according to the International Building Code

• Not form a vapor lock

• Be environmentally friendly with almost no V.O.C.’s

• Not contribute to mold growth

 Thank goodness for the FAQ on their website. Below are a few: