What's New In The World Of Window Coverings?

A few months back we attended the Hunter Douglas Premieres Showcase that introduced us to What's New In the World Of Window Coverings and we're here to say:  "We have many exciting, innovative Shades coming your way!"

Updating A Classic
Silhouette ClearView Window Shadings

Brilliantly engineered to control the sun's rays while preserving your impressive view with the classic, refined style of the original Silhouette, 'ClearView' presents a new offering in luxury window coverings.  

The Choices:  Silhouette with ClearView to enjoy outstanding views with light control.  Or. . . Choose the original Silhouette for a softer glow and more daytime privacy.            The choice is yours.

When Two Great Shades Come Together

You Get "Sonnette"

The New Shape Of Light is Curved . . .

What did the roller shade say to the cellular shade?  "Let's get together!"  And, they did in this ingenious design "Sonnette" joins the Ette-Elite in window fashions.  Available in two opacity options of Semi-opaque and Room-darkening with four fabric collections and 48 colorways that include the top-selling Duette and Pirouette colors.  

Learn More About Sonnette Shades

Introducing DESIGNER Banded Shades

A fresh take on roller shades, DESIGNER Banded Shades feature a combination of sheer and solid fabric bands in a single shade.  Flexible functionality transitions between complete privacy, filtered light, or total view-through. Selections include three different band heights, along with three different band shapes, and an extensive fabric collection in 23 fabric styles. 
We cannot wait for the samples to arrive - Coming soon!

Soft-Touch Motorization
The Wand Does All The Work

Clearly, a must-have operation!  Soft-Touch Motorization is a battery-powered system with wand-controlled operation.  You gently pull-down to lower shades and gently push-up to raise them.
Currently available on Sonnette Window Shades only... but.... we'll hope for more applications soon!  

What Can We Help You With?

Hardwood Floors A Natural Beauty

Many years ago a wise man told me wood, hardwood, is a living, breathing thing.  Even long after the tree becomes a plank, solid or engineered, hardwood floors are ever-changing throughout their lifetime.  As a retailer of the most beautiful collections of hardwoods, I find those are words to live by.

Queue:  Acclimation

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Flooring

As we mentioned wood lives and breathes and to properly introduce hardwood flooring to your own home, you must acclimate.  Acclimation allows the moisture content of the wood to adjust to the conditions in the room by simply placing the opened boxes of planks in each area this process begins and will take a few days to a couple of weeks.

Ever-Changing Throughout Their Lifetime

Living....Breathing....Ever-Changing.... Hardwood Floors do require a little TLC.  Installing window coverings to block UV Rays and on occasion rearranging furnishings and area rugs will help your floors age evenly.  Age?  Yes, a natural process for hardwoods is aging, yellowing, fading, darkening and even lightening in certain conditions all accelerated by UV rays.

Highlighting Wood's Natural Beauty

You've done your research on the quality of all the different hardwood species, and are ready to make your selection and now you're wondering which finish and character will actually highlight the wood's natural beauty.  We're often asked:  "How will this look with my cabinets.... my furniture... my decor palette". This is a one-word answer, and that word is CONTRAST.

Photo credit: top inspiration board from our friends at RMCoco Fabrics.  Photo credit bottom hardwood selections by Artistry Hardwoods with color-through technology.

In this featured 'Inspiration Room' (above) the choices for a wood floor to accentuate the overall palette of the room, can be either the darker of the dark tones in the room which brings a subtle balance, or the lighter for a more defined contrast showcasing both the floor and furnishings.  

One of the more difficult rooms to find just the right contrast is any room with cabinetry.  

Let's talk kitchens....

Photo credit Hallmark Floors Alta Vista collection in Laguna

If you've ever browsed through Houzz, you know that white kitchen cabinets are the most popular and that they haven't lost their appeal over the years.  The choices in floor finishes are limitless and trend towards personal preference.  The key here is the painted cabinetry island and balancing all the tones while at the same contrasting to highlight all three - the white, the black and, mainly, the floor.  

The darker the cabinets the lighter the wood floors and vice-a-versa.

Natural Hickory hardwood floors have so much character in their color variation they are a natural pick for the darker wood cabinet kitchens.

Found on Pinterest from the Wood Grain Cottage

Cherry Woods, beautifully done!  The deeper coloration in the Cherry planks pick up the color in the cabinets and the contrast with white base and moldings is a stand-out.

And, with every design a little paint must have - Greige, the not so gray, not so beige color that's the new neutral for home decor.

When you have a true love for Greige, you don't just paint the Island, no...no...no... you paint the entire kitchen in your favorite color.  Now, what to do for the hardwood floor selections.  Of course, or should we say:  "HOPEFULLY", you selected your floors at the time you selected this paint color for your cabinets.  The cabinets are simply stunning and the floors must do their part not to compete, but to enhance and we've done our best with these samples from Homerwood in White Oak.  Why White Oak?  We are loving the natural, rich grains of the wood and have presented three choices of finishes, from the top we have Graphite, then Simply White, and lastly, but a lovely choice is Espresso.  We're leaving the decision to you.  Which floor do you choose to compliment the cabinets?

Inspired With Color

One of the things we love most about Hardwood Flooring is the natural beauty.  A beauty that can stand alone, but we see that's not so practical for our homes - just the floor.  We want to add layers of color and texture to emphasize that warmth and feeling of home.  When it comes to complimenting the color for hardware floors, we look to nature - the tree, and the leaf doesn't fall from the tree, and neither does the color.

Our first go-to is green - many, many shades of green

As the leaves change with the season, so does our color

Inspiration: Benjamin Moore's 2017 color of the year Shadow

Aesthetics

Homerwood's Hickory Natural

In our Showroom, the Hickory Natural gets so much attention!  The sample is pulled more times than we can count and wherever we go people want to know, "how do I decorate with this busy, but beautiful hardwood?".  We've put together a vision board for just this purpose.  Envisioning the build from the floor up and introducing the layers as we move throughout the space with paint, natural textures, and textiles with complimentary tones that showcase the hickory wood floor.  

Earlier in describing the beauty of complimenting hardwoods with color, did we say: "Just the floor?"  Ahhhh, we did, but our reference has meaning; meaning that some woods are so pretty you don't want to put anything on them!  Enter the patterns, a truly stand alone floor.

Chevron

For the Love of Patterns

 Notably suited for entryways and hallways, and whole house takeovers!

The mix of board sizes creates interest in this stunner

Our grand finale!  Herringbone in mixed stains for a truly remarkable floor or wall application.

With over eight vendor choices in our Showroom, we are familiar with each unique quality they represent.  From the species of the wood, the hardness factors & how they perform to the way they are manufactured, our philosophy remains that providing a quality installation will ensure the natural beauty of your own hardwood floors.
We did go a bit long in this Blog, and there's a lot more to cover!  Do you have any questions/comments?  Please post them in our comments section, or better yet, stop by and say Hi!  We're happy to be of service.

Ringing in 2017 With A Few Favorite Things

Happy New Year!!

As we look forward to 2017, we look back over our year by turning to our most popular posts on Facebook.  Discovering that the photos our customers sent to us are by far the biggest draw.  It's no surprise that happy customers our are Favorite Things!
Click here for our photo gallery

With each new project we are inspired to do more, and more.  Ringing in 2017 we ask ourselves:
"What are your favorite things"?

When we asked Marie what product she is most excited about . . .

"I can picture CoreTec's new Vinyl Plank Designer Series in my own home!  It looks great, is incredibly durable, waterproof, and can be installed over existing hard surface floors.  CoreTec is currently working on a flush-mount stair nosing - Yes, it's the little things that excite me" _____Marie

Looking at these photos can you guess what Diane looks forward to working with?

If you guessed the color purple, well, your mainly right, but if your guess is Benjamin Moore's 2017 Color of the Year, "Shadow" - you got it!  Over the years we've come to know Diane's love for the color purple, so her pick for 2017 shouldn't surprise us.  "Surrounding yourself in your favorite color and giving that color just the right color combination, will compliment beautifully.  No need to over-indulge (insert laugh) just focus on the overall look with textures and patterns and repeat a bit throughout your home."

We all agree on these new picks. . .

The colors of the poms are the introduction to Distinctive Carpets & Rugs new product line offering various styles of carpeting and area rugs in any color you want and in any width up to 21-feet wide!  Larger widths equal less waste and seamless style.  

MOTORIZED SHUTTERS  Wait!  What??  That's the response we get when we ask our customers do you want your shutters motorized?  We've been installing shutters for years and in the upper, or hard-to-reach windows, traditionally we tilt the louvers during installation and will offer an extension pole for adjustment. Not anymore with radio-frequency motorization by Norman Shutters you can operate the louvers from 65 feet away, set to a timer for auto-tilt to operate one room or multiple rooms all with a remote control!  

With grey being the new beige we've noticed an uptick in requests for Carrara Marble... in the kitchen!  Noted for it's natural beauty and a true baker's delight for rolling out dough, it is one of the Marbles that is not recommended for the kitchen.  Then, there's Quartz!!  Quality natural quartz surfaces combine the charm of natural stone with supreme material strength offering an alternative to the much sought after Carrara Marble.

Why look back when moving forward?

Looking back gives us the opportunity to improve our services, and more importantly, to provide only those products that live up to our standard of quality, and to our customers' standards as well.  We've developed one program that embraces just this and is also a great pick for starting out the New Year when time is of the essence.  Newer to our category of services is our Project Coordination, we work closely with you and your renovation team to establish budget, time-lines for scheduling,  and introduce you to any sources that may be needed to complete your project.  Walking with you every step of the way!

A Happy New Year, A Happy New Day
We're thankful for you in every way

Fashionably Early Holiday Savings Event

Company Coming?

You'll arrive Fashionably Early with these great savings on flooring, window & wall coverings to spruce up your home for the holidays.  Scroll down to see all our offerings.

Countdown to CrunchTime

I know, I know, I know!  Thinking of the holidays in September is just something we don't want to think of... But (and, there's always a "but")

Did you know that fabric treatments: Draperies, Valances, Custom Bedding, Decorative Pillows, Throws & Reupholstery can all take six-to-eight weeks to complete?  It's an industry standard that got us to thinking we need to be Fashionably Early!

Our Summer Shutter Sale was and is so popular that we're including the savings all September long.  Just $19.95 per square foot includes installation.  
You'll want to plan on a six-to-eight week delivery time.  Click here to learn more

Artistry Hardwoods

Newest to our collection of Hardwood Flooring is Artistry.   We are featuring the Norwood & Loft Collections with an installed sales price starting at $10.99 per square foot.  Artistry Hardwood Floors stand the test of time with through-body-color technology.  Speaking of time, you'll want to allow three-to-four weeks for your project.

What Pairs Well With Hardwood Floors?

Whether complimenting your Artistry Hardwood Floors with custom area rugs or installing wall-to-wall carpeting, you'll love the quality and design stylings of Tuftex Carpets and, you'll also love our Fashionably Early Savings of $1.00 per yard.
From order to install please allow about two weeks.

Yes, It's Vinyl

This newer design of Vinyl if going room-to-room-to-room!  Originally designed for commercial applications, homeowners are loving the qualities of Vinyl Planking.  
Update and enjoy with 5% off our collections of CoreTec Vinyl Plank.  You'll want to allow about 3-weeks from order to install.

Season of Style

In an attempt to keep with our Fashionably Early theme, you may have noticed we kept an eye on the schedule - from six-to-eight weeks out fabric treatments to quicker turn-around times with carpeting.  If you are looking for something more along the lines of the quicker, but want to make a stunning impact, look to the windows!  
Rebate savings on selected styles of Hunter Douglas window coverings begin mid-September and carry through the middle of December.  No worries, you've got plenty of time!

“You’re Fashionably Early
Your Guests are Fashionably Late
Relax & Enjoy
You’ve got this covered with Knight’s”

Knight's Carpets & Interiors "Fashionably Early Savings Event" pricing effective September 1 through September 30, 2016.  Call 237-1400 for free estimates

Meet The Experts Open House April 30th

This year's Meet the Experts Open House marks our
25-year anniversary!

As you can imagine, we're very excited for this year's event and thank you for checking in here.  
Our "Experts" are coming together in our showroom with the newest product lines that you love the most. . .  Vinyl Planking. . . Window Coverings. . . Carpeting. . . Tile. . . Hardwood Floors
What makes our event a stand-out?  Our MEET THE EXPERTS event is a personalized home show where you meet one-on-one with Factory Reps, Installers and Industry Pros to learn more about the product's quality and application for your home.

April 16th - This just in!  You'll want to scroll down to see all the offerings for our Raffle Drawing.

MEET OUR "EXPERT"
TOM GARNER, TUFTEX CARPETS OF CALIFORNIA
Enter the event raffle to win
a beautiful area rug
(it's the rug on the far right)

Tom Garner began his career in flooring in 1977 as a carpet installer in Lansing, Michigan.  In 1983 he relocated to Southern California where he installed carpet at first, but then quickly moved into retail carpet sales.  After eleven years of retail sales and management, Tom switched to working for a carpet mill and began his 22-year career with Tuftex. 
We're so happy that Tom will be our "Expert" for all your carpeting needs!
Click here to see more on Tuftex Carpets

Meet our "Expert" Toni Huggins of Hunter Douglas
See the magic of PowerView Motorization
One raffle prize winner will walk away with the magic
of the PowerView Hub!

Toni Huggins has been a player on the Hunter Douglas Sales team for a little over ten years and her energy is contagious!  She absolutely enjoys working alongside her dealer partners (namely Knight's) and loves her 'dream territory'.  Her expertise in Hunter Douglas Window Fashions is a definite Must Have for our event.  Toni is very excited to meet with you, share design ideas, and talk about "putting a motor on it" with the new PowerView app.
Click here to see more on Hunter Douglas Window Fashions

when it comes to tile...
see what emser tile has in store
for your floor and more
 

We had so much at last year's event, we're coming back to do it again!  Of course, we're bringing along pizza stones for the raffle and great savings on the above featured products.  Very excited to be a part of Knight's 25-year anniversary celebration!
Click here to see more on Emser Tile

Meet our expert
ryan burns of CORETEC VINYL
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CORE

We've fallen in love with vinyl all over again, and you will too.  Our Expert Ryan Burns will walk us through the amazing properties of vinyl planking. The Core in COREtec is what makes this a truly unique floor with cork constructed in the underlayment.  Did we say "cork"?  Yes, we did and Ryan will be bringing along some local corkage for our raffle drawing.
Click here for more on COREtec Vinyl Planking
 

MEET OUR EXPERT SCOTT ASHMAN
design your home to fit your lifestyle
with hardwood or Laminate flooring

Are you wondering which wood will work for your home or office?  Scott Ashman's expertise in wood and laminate flooring is just the Expert advice we need to answer this question and more.  
Hardwood or Laminate?  Custom Finishes?  Pattern layout?  Hardiness?  We came up with a few questions for Scott, now the question is:  What’s yours???  
We have three outstanding product lines being featured for our event:  Mission Collection Hardwoods,  
All American Laminates and Homerwood Hardwoods.  

  

Did someone say prizes?

What would a party be without goody bags?  Along with our Experts we've all been very busy bringing together some fabulous prizes for our raffle drawing and filling up the goody bags for all attendees.  
This year's event is coming together with a ba-bang for our 25-year anniversary.  Can't wait to see everyone.  

“Had fun! Some great ideas in decorating.
You guys went above and beyond!
Knight’s has been our go-to for years and we love this show every year.”

coming soon: exclusive saving offers & sneak peeks from our "experts"  Don't miss an update scroll to bottom of page & subscribe to our blog

Knight's, 25 Years and Still Smiling

I got together with the staff at Knight's to pose a couple of questions to Sheryl Knight on her 25 years as owner of Knight's Carpets and Interiors. A celebration of sorts and we had a lot fun reminiscing about our years working with Gordon and Sheryl, and hope you all will enjoy
"The Interview".

Close up and Personal with Sheryl Knight

How did you get started?

In 1978 we started our store "Knight's Floor and Window Coverings in Aptos, California.  That store originally belonged to Gordon's brother and we knew it would be a good fit for us.  So, that is, officially, where we started out.

Wow, that's 38 years ago.  What brought you and Gordon to Paso Robles?

Gordon was raised in Santa Maria and always wanted to get back to the Central Coast, so, we moved and started new in Paso Robles.  Fun to think back on those days with our daughters Carrissa and Eileen being involved in so many new things - 4H clubs, Cheerleading, Drama, new schools and really just making it all work in a town we grew to love so much.

Your 25 year anniversary is in celebration of your business on the Central Coast.  Where was that first location?

We opened our first showroom in January 1991 on Riverside Avenue and we still work with a lot of our original clients.

Thinking back on your years in business I am just now realizing that you've endured three recessions, all of which have hit the construction industry pretty hard.  What do you think has kept you successful in these industry down-turns?

Everyone struggles with the same challenges in business.  Cutting back, and knowing when to make those cut backs on all expenditures is a good rule of thumb.  The strengths I see are having a loyal clientele, the support of community and a good banker.

Do you have a most memorable project?

I would have to say the rebuilding of Flamson Middle School.  It was the largest job we had ever done.  We installed VCT Tiles, Commercial Sheet Vinyl and Commercial Carpeting throughout the new building.  
Another favorite was the Santa Lucia Bank on 13th and Spring Streets in Paso.  Our installers expertise and craftmanship really shined on this job where we inset carpet and did carpet carving as well.  

Those are great projects!   Looking back at the all changes within the flooring industry, what do you see as the most significant change or trend?

That's an easy one:  Carpet to Hard-surface-flooring.  Just a few years ago we started noticing that our Hardwood sales are surpassing the carpet sales.  I think this is due to increasing the home's value for resale.... possibly, and that Hardwoods are just easier to live with.

Outside of work, What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

That we've raised cattle and horses on our property in Paso.

Moving forward in the new location, what do you see the future holds for Knight's?

Over the years, we have helped our clients with many different sources to complete their projects.  I see this as a great value and we will be managing more customer projects - arranging movers, painters, and all of the sources needed to complete an entire project.  A whole house coordination and I'm very excited about offering this service.

Final Words???

(she giggles) When can I retire?  

How about a longstanding goal of mine?  My goal is to make our customer service the best we can be.  We have a really good team and everyone works together to do whatever it takes to make our customers happy.

We know this to be true.

Hi everyone! This is Troy.  You may have noticed my author title at the top of this blog.  Yes, I hijacked Sheryl's blog page to share with you all a little inside info about Sheryl and Gordon's beginnings.  It is no surprise to me that our team at Knight's keeps growing.  Creating confidence in others, caring about their work within our community, and the reflection of the quality that it brings, are just natural occurrences that I've discovered working with the Knights.  And, there's more. . .
Sheryl and Gordon have been happily married since 1976 - just another milestone for 2016!
They have two daughters, Carrisa and Eileen who are both working in education, and three grandkids that they spend a lot of time with.  You may have even seen the kiddos in the showroom.  Carrisa's husband, Marco Montenegro, has given us the gift of his beautiful work in photography, enhancing our portfolio with images that we could never get on our own.  
Click here for portfolio.

All-in-all, we're one, big, happy family!

A Close Up - Knight's Relocation Celebration

Exciting things were uncovered at our Relocation Celebration. . .
Happy faces, new friends, the spirit of our community and testing out products' claims.  We're so thankful for all who were able to attend the events, and for those who want a virtual experience of the fun we had, here it is:  

We kicked off our Celebration of events with a traditional Ribbon Cutting hosted by
the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce. We love being a part of our community and our new location was well received with a great turnout. So much fun seeing friends and making new friends too.
Thank you to the Chamber for all your efforts!

We put our products to the test!  Having fun with our manufacturer's claims we decided to give it a spin with our own products and created interactive events for our guests to put these claims to the test.  The challenge for us?  We did not prep or test beforehand; we just let it fly! The results are in....

Immediately following the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Toni Huggins was on hand to demonstrate Hunter Douglas' latest innovation of their PowerView Motorization. We took the cue "Designed to Simplify Your Life", and wondered how simple will this presentation be? If you've ever traveled through our neck of the woods, cellphone reception can be lacking at times. This was forefront in our minds as Toni began her presentation - Yes, there's an app for that, but will it work!
Voila! The PowerView demonstration was a success. Our display shades seemed to have a mind of their own - raising, lowering, vanes tilting and an Ahhhhhhh falling over the crowd. Success! Our attendees ideas for implementing PowerView Motorization into their own homes - priceless.
My favorite: Who wouldn't want to wake to shades being raised in their bedroom and the welcoming sunlight instead of that dreaded buzzing of the alarm!
Learn more about PowerView here

Day Two - Paper Party

One of the events we were very excited about, and still are, was our Paper Party. Presented by Ellen Kneely of York Wallcoverings featuring the SureStrip wallpaper. York's tempting tagline:
"Easy to Install. Easy to Remove." had us at hello! If you've ever tried installing, or more importantly removing wallpaper, only to end up swearing to the decorating Gods you will never cover your walls in paper again - you're in good company.
Scene set let's party! A couple of days before the event we prepped a dry wall board and papered one end with the SureStrip papers as recommended using only hot water. We wanted to be sure it was totally dry, set, and fixed. We didn't stop there, we brought in professional wallpaper installer, Tony Valentino, for an expert opinion on York's amazing claims. Tony's take on the Paper? "The paper came off very easy and the quality of the paper is great and looks like it would be very durable...."
With this recommendation, I can't wait to get to papering my walls again!

And, then there was crazy. . .

There is a means to the end of our Relocation Celebration and this event, well, here it is! Mohawk Carpeting has promoted it's SmartStrand carpeting over the years with challenges that give clean freaks everywhere a shiver. From Mohawk's first Rhino Challenge to today's Tough Mudder series it is the ultimate of the messiest messes and at Knight's we felt there was no better way to put SmartStrand carpets to the test than with our own little twist of challenges: Pumpkin Carving on Carpets.
So, how did we prepare for the challenge? To be fair and although it was highly recommended, we did not test the carpeting before the challenge. Once again, we let the chips, or pumpkins in this case, fall where they may. Our test consultants worthy of this challenge - kids!

The challenger:  Steam Away Carpet Cleaners

Is it Team Steam Away vs. Mohawk SmartStrand Carpets? Pumpkins vs. Steam Away?
Or, boy oh boy you sure made a big mess!
For us it's Pumpkins vs ALL!! The gauntlet is thrown, the challenge is on: Will Mohawk's SmartStrand Forever Clean carpeting "the toughest, easiest to clean carpet on the planet" stand-up to our pumpkin challenge? Team Steam Away, is not so sure..... pumpkins, carpets and kids, oh my....

Close-up we can see Team Steam Away was a bit skeptical. What a mess!
Give it up for Mohawk SmartStrand Forever Clean Carpets - Winner and still champion.
We're happy, Team Steam Away is happy and the pumpkin carver's parents are very happy too. Notice the leftover stain in the last photo? We left it for comparison - a keepsake of sorts.
After the daring day, we spoke with our carpet cleaning pro : "I was skeptical about it cleaning up, but it did. I used a hot water extraction method and i would recommend this carpet...."
There was talk from our parents about cleaning up wine stains, hmmmmmmmmmm, looks like another challenge may be in the works - maybe our annual Meet The Experts will be a great setting for wine on carpets. To see and sample the-easiest-to-clean carpet on the planet stop by Knight’s showroom or call and we’ll bring the samples to you. (805) 237-1400.

Celebrating our new location with everyone was so much fun, and our journey continues.  
It doesn't seem all that long ago that we started off in Paso Robles, and here we are coming up on the 25 year mark in this beautiful place we call home.  
We're still celebrating our new location with Storewide Savings to continue through the end of the year.    
Stop by and Say Hi!

Great Rooms in The Well-Lived Home

Revisiting our rooms in the Well-Lived Home,  today we tackle the Great Room with great emphasis on the word "tackle".   Consider this:  A Great Room is a space within the home which combines the specific functions of several of the more traditional room spaces - the family room, the living room, the study or den, the dining room and more notably, the kitchen into a singular unified space.   We enter the modern home with enthusiasm where the mix of family living is shared, varied, eclectic, transitional and most deserving of a design strategy that brings a comfort of efficiency within the space.
So, you ask . . .
"What is a great design strategy for the Great Room?"  
As the Great Room is a compilation of all rooms, so is our answer and we've called in some help from our local decorators and designers. . .

                                        Photo credit Emser Tile

Interior Decorator Diane Curley's approach is to start with the floors.  "For open floor plans it's best to go with what I like to call bulletproof floors and the first thing that comes to mind is Tile Planking.  My design strategy is floors that flow while at the same time designating each space as its own by turning the planks, and adding interest with floor patterns".
Diane Curley is an Interior Decor Professional with Knight's Carpets and Interiors

                                                               Room photo courtesy of Sherwin Williams

". . . because great rooms tend to be more contemporary in style, I love using the dark warmer gray tones". . .  What makes a gray warmer?  "Subtle brown undertones add a depth of richness and expand the space.  As long as there is plenty of natural light flowing into the room, the deeper tones will work.  I'm currently working on a project where I've incorporated paintable wall sconces.  The Metro Wall Sconce by Justice Design Group is from Lumines Light.  They blend into the wall beautifully creating a soft glow."
Click here to visit Eliana's website
 

"For my busy family our kitchen is the Living Room, kids working on homework at the island while we're getting dinner ready, and finally getting the little ones to their beds gives us some time to relax and enjoy with the lights dimmed.  Key lighting systems are essential for open floor plans combining function with decorative fixtures, incorporating practical uses with dimmers, sensors and wireless integration  is our strategy for well designed lighting in the great room".
Chelsea Silva is an Interior Decorator/Lighting Specialist with Wesco Electric Inc.
Click here to visit Wesco Electric's website

                                Custom Furnishings and Fabrics credit Robert Allen                     Area Rug by Jaunty

"I have to say the thing I love most about working in Great Rooms is the mix of fabric patterns that the space calls for.  Starting with the smallest detail in the barstools at the island and moving and mixing throughout with a base fabric pattern that carries into each area for the upholstery of the dining chairs to the draperies, and decor pillows. If the space allows, create seating with back-to-back sofas that integrate the living/family room with the kitchen and define the seating areas with area rugs".
Marie Goldsmith is an Interior Decorator with Knight's Carpets and Interiors

To learn more about Hunter Douglas window coverings click here

Lynn Donovan, Interior Designer Donovan and Donovan Construction, reminds us what Great Room living is all about . . .  
"What I love about Great Rooms is the welcoming feeling for family and friends to spend good times together cooking, sharing meals and playing games. . ." 
"One important aspect is to address the window coverings.  Since the television and other media are usually in that room it is imperative to address the amount of light and glare coming into the room.  With new technology and innovation it is possible to provide just the right amount of illumination".
To contact Lynn at Donovan & Donovan Construction give her a call at 239-0848

                                                     Room photo credit Silestone

One of the core elements that are consistent in our great room concept, and my contribution to this blog post, are the countertops and I'm happy to report that we do carry a quality selection of countertops.
Gordon and I are so very thankful for the time and the feedback we received from all of the designers and decorators who participated in making our Great Room GREAT.  It's truly enlightening to see all of the different design perspectives through the eyes of our local professionals.  
We've included the contact info for all our participating designers along with links for product information.  If you need more info on any of the products we've featured or a design strategy give us a call, we're happy to be of service.
Thanks so much for joining us in the Great Room.  Stay with us as we go room-by-room in our Well-Lived Home there's a link below to subscribe via e-mail.

"I work on the assumption that a house is successful if it is pleasant to live in"
- Alexandra Garidel Thoron
 

The Well-Lived Home Entryways

In my decorating travels over the years there are so many things I've learned from our clients. The ins and the outs of providing practical solutions for family living, all the while maintaining a well-appointed design.  An interesting challenge that can and will become one for us in "The Well-Lived Home".

-----> We've updated this blog to feature more bullet-proof floors. 

Scroll down for 2018 selections  <-----

The Entryway is the first impression...
 

CoretecPlus Premium Vinyl Plank in Mission Oak

For those who are fortunate enough to have a mud-room and entry from the garage, the landing area for the clutter of a busy day is easy to hide.  For the rest of us the landing area must become a feature in the design.   The console table is an intricate piece to this theory and becomes the catch-all for keys, homework, shoes and more so choose well.  Keeping the top of the console decorated will distract from the mess hidden within and detour family members from cluttering the top.  Give them a flat surface within arm's reach and it'll easily be filled with the findings of the day.

It's all about the drawers... Working closely with clients we've discovered dressers and sideboards make wonderful entryway tables.  

The big and the small of it.  
Living large, if you have the space we say go for it! As shown here in this entry hall a very family-oriented space with enough drawers for hiding you'll have to assign a row for each member of the household, pets too.
When working with smaller spaces that don't offer an entryway, create one by placing the console table close to the door and incorporating into the living area.  Designate the flow with an area rug.  This small space is very charming and will easily adapt to any design theme.  
The consoles are picked and have been placed, but what about the floors?

Our Favorite Entryway Floors for our Well-Lived Home are worry-free selections that can a take a beating and hold their beauty.

When you want to carry real wood floors throughout your home a stunning compliment for the entryway is to create an area rug with tile.  Capture the tones of your decor and protect your wood flooring from the in and out traffic through the entryway.  Do you have an open floor plan with a view to the kitchen?  Replicating the tile from the kitchen to the entry gives beautiful balance to your open spaces.

Armstrong's Rustics Premium Laminate Flooring

You love the look of wood floors without the worry of higher traffic areas.  The choice is laminate flooring, but which one?  Your first consideration in making the right selection is the floor's rating.  Is the floor rated for commercial use?  This is a great guideline to go by.  Commercially-rated floors are optimum in performance for your home's entryway.  Our pick is Armstrong's Rustics Premium Laminate offering a 50-year residential warranty and a 10-year commercial warranty.  

DalTile Collections

A cohesive spirit is happiest when the outdoor flooring carries through to the interior.  Curb-appeal to our first impression entryway design is accomplished with tile.

We interrupt this Blog to update our post with the latest in bullet-proof floors!

Vinyl Planking

Here we are in 2018 and our Vinyl Planking is not what it use to be. The innovation of Vinyl Plank is ever-changing, ever-evolving and now is 100% waterproof! Offered in several wood-look styles that actually look more like a wood floor than vinyl. Easy-care, and worry-free this waterproof vinyl plank floor has taken over our sales of all our wood-look products combined.

Photo Courtesy: Hallmark Floors - Courtier Premium Vinyl Plank

For our carpet lovers let us lay on the hospitality.  Hospitality in this case refers to the type of carpet.  Milled in a collection of inspiring colors and details just for public places and if it works in the hotel lobby it certainly will work for our entryway design.  We're featuring:
Masland's Contract Carpeting. Combine with selections of Mohawk's SmartStrand Forever Clean carpets and we're covering the adjoining rooms too with worry-free softness underfoot. 

We've come full circle and have decided it's time to present some area rug offerings.  Presentation is everything after all and we do love our Jaunty Area Rug collections.  
Thank you for joining us in our "Well Lived Home".  We'll be following up with a sequel soon.  The floors we've featured are of products that we showcase and if you'd like to see the sampling in your own home, please give us a call. We also provide interior design services to assist you in all phases of your entryway project.
  

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