bamboo flooring – The Interiors Addict

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Whether you’re renovating, building or just looking for pure inspiration for a new decorating project, the new Inspiring Choices Magazine 2017 has more than 100 pages of the latest in carpet, timber, luxury vinyl, laminate, bamboo, tiles and rugs. Choices Flooring produce this free magazine, which also features interior design and decorating articles, to help you navigate the many choices out there and the practical and style considerations.

(Genero Design Platinum – Luxury Vinyl Plank, Aged Walnut) Just like the activities they host, these spaces have a lot to juggle; technology, writing, materials, style and practicality. Yet, they do so seamlessly.

You can choose to read it online or have the hard copy sent to your home free of charge!

From greeting to completing a room, whether your style’s modern, coastal, or something in-between, you’ll find it in Inspiring Choices 2017. A really great feature this year is that a variety of rooms will be shown with two different flooring options, allowing you compare like with like and really see the effect of different choices. Helpfully, the magazine is broken down into 10 sections: greet, eat, create, sleep, meet, soak, study, escape, grow and complete. They reflect different rooms and guide on the best flooring for each room.

(Temuka Coronet – Wool Twist, colour Nelson) As a sanctuary from the rest of the home, the true beauty of these spaces come down to feeling.

Let’s face it, the right flooring can really make or break a home, which is why it is so often the first thing we want to change when buying a home, especially an older one. Using the same flooring choice, for example, throughout an an entire apartment can give the feeling of more space. Replacing daggy old carpets with fresh ones in the latest colours, can make the world of difference.

There are so many considerations though, depending on your lifestyle and home, that it can become overwhelming! I, for example, would never ever in a million years have carpet in my dining room when I have a toddler who constantly drops food from his high chair (sometimes deliberately, sometimes not!). While I love the look and practicality of laminate flooring, I do like tiles in the kitchen as a more hardwearing, practical choice. And when it comes to bedrooms, which get less traffic and hopefully no shoes, there’s nothing better than a soft carpet to sink your tootsies into when you get out of bed in the morning!

(Plantino Engineered Oak – Timber 1 Strip (190mm), Species: Veneto) From feeding little ones to hosting dinner parties, these spaces set the scene upon which many memories with loved ones are created.

Bamboo flooring is definitely an option I don’t know as much about and I’d find it really helpful to see it in the context of some styled rooms. It’s all very well seeing planks in store, but you can’t beat seeing a whole room of something. Choices Flooring’s in-store digital technology can also help you get a better idea of how the options will work in your home.

(Eclipse White Matt, Yura Lead & Eclipse Zenith Sardinia Grigio, Tiles) In order to escape an increasingly busy world, these tranquil retreats perfectly balance luxury with the practicality required for everyday living.

If you’re renovating to sell, you may have totally different considerations, based more on price (and your final profit) and your target market.

(Plantino Laminate Deluxe – Laminate 1 Strip, Manhattan Loft) Often considered the heart of the home, these spaces perfectly balance style and practicality.

So what do you have to lose? Order your free copy of the magazine today and browse the options at your leisure for your next decorating project.

–Choices Flooring is Australia’s leading flooring retailer boasting over 140 stores across the country. They understand that purchasing flooring is a big decision based on lifestyle, budget, and individual style and their in-store and online experience is second to none. Their flooring range is ‘on trend’ with the latest designs and colours in carpet, timber, laminate, bamboo, luxury vinyl, tiles and rugs. They even offer digital technology in-store to help customers find the floor they’ve been searching for.

5 eco-friendly flooring solutions for your home

By Mark Hutchison

Style and sustainability: they can work together, right? Of course! With so many products available, it can be difficult to know which type of flooring will best suit the needs of your home, but it’s easier than ever to find an eco-friendly solution.

1. Reclaimed hardwood

Have you considered installing a floor with a story? Perhaps it was from a school, church or farmstead? Reclaimed hardwood floors come from a variety of buildings and locations across Australia and each board has its own history! Reclaimed hardwood flooring is suitable for most areas of your home and can be purchased in a wide range of styles, colours and varieties. Purchasing a darker coloured wood will add warmth to your home, while a lighter colour will brighten up your room. Depending on the textured finish, your floor could look smooth, wire-brushed, distressed or hand-scrapped, but why not keep its rustic beauty?

If you find hardwood floors are too cold or too hard on your feet, adding a floor rug can add warmth, softness and colour to your room, all the while protecting the wood underneath.

2. Bamboo

Homeowners who invest in bamboo flooring do so for its unique and eco-conscious properties. Bamboo is durable and looks great in modern or traditional spaces. The texture adds a very organic, natural and elegant feel. Bamboo flooring comes in a wide range of different shades and grains. Regardless of your existing furnishings, you will be sure to find a shade of bamboo that will match. Colours range from mellow light hues to warmer reds and browns. Complete the look with a high gloss, matte or semi-gloss finish.

Due to the speed of growth (approximately 60cm per day), bamboo is a highly sustainable flooring choice. Although it can take between 3-to-5 years to reach maturity, in comparison, trees can take up to 20 years.

3. Cork

Cork flooring is the ultimate in eco-chic. Made from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, this product is highly renewable. Cork can be made to mimic hardwood floors or made to look just like tiles. Think of cork as traditional and vintage to luxurious textures and shades, classic patterns and elegant finishes, artistic and modern. The options are endless.

Although cork is relatively new to the flooring market, this is a worthwhile option to consider.

4. Concrete

Concrete isn’t typically an eco-friendly product, however it has made the list for several reasons.

Pre-existing concrete

Concrete that already exists in your home has no additional environmental impact and it’s ready to go! Concrete floor slabs can be hidden under flooring materials such as carpet, hardwood or tiles. But why waste resources and money to add another layer of flooring when you can simply leave the concrete exposed? Decorative techniques such as colouring, staining, stamping, stencilling and polishing allow you to create floors that mimic more traditional materials.

Green Concrete

Green concrete uses industrial waste by-products. These products are sourced from power plants, steel mills and other manufacturing facilities and are commonly used as partial cement replacements. To make your floor look more decorative, why not consider materials such as recycled crushed glass or plastic, marble chips, metal shavings and seashells for a truly unique look?

5. Natural stone

Natural stone isn’t renewable like cork, however it can be considered eco-friendly due to its durability. Carpet will last anywhere up to 10 years, wooden floors approximately 50 years, while natural stone will last a lifetime. It will even withstand fire! Stone comes in an array of colours and textures including granite, limestone, marble and slate. No two stones are alike, which adds to its unique, elegant and timeless appeal.

Natural stone is strong and hardwearing which makes it perfect for areas that attract high foot traffic and is also beneficial for anyone who suffers from airborne allergies, as dust and allergens are unable to build up on its surface.

–Mark Hutchison is managing director of Bamboozle, Perth’s leading bamboo flooring provider.