Bang for Your Buck

So, what is trending? As we've mentioned in the last few newsletters, more natural looks, more wood tones, more green spaces inside your home, all are trending. More light, and more bold colors. Cabinets in kitchens and in bathrooms that look more like pieces of furniture. Classic marble and marble looking tiles are popular and enduring. Clean and fresh looks. Looks that are beautiful but also super-durable and user friendly. Looks that work for families, real people with real children and real dogs.

Many of the clients in our showroom are remodeling their bathroom or kitchen.   As the economy improves, we expect to see more and more of this, as well as homeowners replacing carpet, or adding new hard surface floors. Here are some pointers for you to consider as you embark on these long-awaited improvement projects:

~~Be sure when you are making changes to your home that you are not OVER-upgrading. You don't want to invest $75,000 in a kitchen for a $300,000 home, unless you are a gourmet cook and plan to stay in your home forever. That is money you will not recoup.

~~On the other hand, DO price your upgrade appropriately. Don't skimp on the Master Bath remodel for a $650,000 home. Cheap materials and make-do work look shoddy and turn off potential buyers.

~~Be careful when choosing the new look of your space to know what is trending, but not trendy. Trending means a slow measured movement towards a general look or feel. Trendy means something more specific, more impulsive, of greater degree, and usually shorter lived.

Trending is the increased use of wood-look tile, or natural fibers, or more color (like Turquoise, Warm Rich Yellows, Blush/Dusty, Rose, Fiery Red, or Lime.)

Trendy is (forgive us Joanna) shiplap.

And what is trending more specifically? Wood look tiles are very popular and get better looking all the time. They are so realistic, and so incredibly durable. Porcelain is the toughest, easiest to take care of surface that we sell--but also one of the most expensive. If you are looking for a long term smart purchase that will stand up to kids, dogs, water, and dirt, tile is what you should be looking for. We offer several brands: Interceramic, Daltile, Mohawk, and Happy Floors. Come in and let us show you these gorgeous floors!

~~ Smart everything.  From doorbell cameras to window treatments, lighting to locks. Your home can be controlled from anywhere by your phone or your intelligent personal assistant.  Smart appliances are another trend--refrigerators that make your grocery list, coffee makers that have your morning cup of joe ready and waiting, and a dishwasher that knows when it is time to run.

~~Sinks are becoming more and more important in a fabulous kitchen. The choices are staggering! Ceramic, copper, concrete, granite, and good old stainless steel. Squares, rectangles, and circles. Troughs, farmhouse, or divided. Any color of the rainbow! With air buttons for disposals, toe kick switches for water, and any number of other cool tricks.

~~Today's color trends are botanical---a subtler color palette defined by nature. Forest green, celadon, young birch bark, hyacinth violets and sky blues. Bring the outside in with these color selections.

~~Curves are back! Look for softer, more organic curves versus the popular sharp-edge designs in all types of furniture from armchairs to coffee tables to rugs.  Ruffles and ruching are trending in bedding, accessories, and furniture.  

~~Open dining rooms are in.   If you are remodeling, how can you open up your dining room?  A large case opening or perhaps removing entirely a non-load-bearing wall?  A dining room that is not boxed in will create a sense of flow throughout the space and brings socializing back to the dinner table.

Need Help?

If you need assistance navigating through what's new and what products will work best for you, be sure to attend our next in-store event:  Tuesday, March 13, from 4 til 7 pm.  Meet with the industry experts, see exciting product demonstrations (yes that floor really is waterproof) and win a great prize just for stopping by, maybe even a 50" Smart TV!  Heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, and beer will be served to make this a special evening out.  We look forward to seeing you there!

How Much Does It Cost?

Maybe you have a bonus from work or an income tax refund heading your way.  Instead of spending this unexpected money on bills, you can upgrade your home with new hardwood floors.  A client in Marietta just had Somerset prefinished oak hardwood floors in the popular 3 ¼" width installed in her Family Room for a little less than $2500.  This price included taking up and disposing of the old carpet, pad, and tack strip, moving all of the furniture, and installing new stained quarter round.  Most realtors agree that a home with hardwood floors sells faster and for more money than a similar home with carpet and sheet vinyl.

I Was FLOORED By Enhance

Sandra in Marietta writes "I'm very happy with Enhance Floors. I just can't rave about them enough. They were fantastic to work with, and they had a very nice selection of materials. Their workmanship was really, really nice. They laid my carpeting and did the tile in my bathroom. I would definitely recommend them, 100 percent. They were wonderful. A+."

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