Replacement Carpet

obsessively watching Designed-To-Sell

you know that's my cousin's show, don't you?? Man - if those cameras were on her current apartment, she'd probably get fired!

I *love* having hardwood floors in this house and the last (older homes, they came that way). Sometimes I wish the bedrooms had carpeting but that is easily solved by area rugs. Once you have an eye out for area rugs, they aren't too hard to find, IMO.

On stairs, you put in wood flooring treads. I think that is what they are called. We did that after Ned pulled most of the carpet off the stairs on one of his busier days.

[Stella]

I got my area rugs from West Elm and Ikea. Simple as pie and not too expensive either. Also, I have hard wood floors and bright green walls in the living room, a sort of vanilla color in the bedroom. I think wood just makes it look more modern and it's easier to clean too, especially with the dogs.

[SuzySunshine]

Ok, I just can't wrap my mind around hardwood floors in this house so I'm going to go home and take some photos and post them. Maybe then you'll have a different idea or you'll tell me you still think its a good idea.

[SuzySunshine]

Ok, so for those of you in the know - one more question.

IF we do laminate we won't do it in the kitchen b/c we have the new tile floor but what about matching the woods. Does the floor color have to match our kitchen cabinets which are a medium oak color?

ETA: Another question - those of you that have hard word floors are your end tables wood finish or colors?

[DCJenn]

None of the woods in my house match any other other woods in my house except that two rooms have trim the same color as one of the four different wood colors.

My cabinets are medium to light birch and my floor colors are a dark yellow/orange pine. Of course the leopard print island kind of throws off any attempt to match anything. But seriously, it looks fine.

[Flynn]

Look under my blog on this site for Feb 1st. For some pictures....
we did white window and door trim, chocolate distressed -- eased edge wide plank floors, and our kitchen is two shades off winter white without being ivory.

The bar on our island is chocolate wood, and our kitchen table is one shade lighter than the floor.

If you have wood trim I would choose a shade in the same family but they don't have to match for the floors. Same thing goes for wood shade kitchen cabinets.

Post pictures! I would love to see them!
Mixing woods is a great way to show your style.

[PrincessFiona]

We have oak laminate floors in our walkout basement...they aren't a perfect match to the woodwork...but i've never seen anyone's house with a perfect match. I....LOVE our laminate wood floors.

Kelly, our upstairs flooring is real wood...2 inch thick planks...I think real wood looks good, but is much less forgiving than laminate.

Laminate wood floors look great and wear terrificly. Carpet holds onto dander, dirt, etc..and they all eventually show wear and tear.

Laminates look great for years and are so easy to clean.

kris

[SuzySunshine]

So a dog can't damage laminate even if we let her nails get a little long?

We don't have end tables. How's that for a solution?

The wood in our house doesn't match. This is partly due to moving to a new house with the furniture of the last house. IMO, the wood doesn't have to match. The kitchen has cork floors and fir cabinets -- it is not the same color but looks good together.

ITA with Kris about the dog fir, dirt, etc. Even with a Dyson, I don't believe you can get it all out of carpet. With a wood or laminate or cork floor, when it is clean it is really CLEAN.

[PrincessFiona]

So a dog can't damage laminate even if we let her nails get a little long?

NOPE! Laminate bonus!!!! No scratches...super durable... Hardwood floors? scratch, scratch...

[Flynn]

So a dog can't damage laminate even if we let her nails get a little long?

That's my understanding of a faux wood foor.

Look under the Pergo brand. They are just one brand but their site should tell you all the selling points.

[PrincessFiona]

Here's a picture that I took of our laminate wood floor when I was trying to prove to y'all how messy my little downstairs had gotten.

Ummm...it's reallly messy.

But...there are my floors that have survived 2 years of Molly and her big claws, kids, kids and more kids (which includes my littlest riding his tricycle all over it last summer....etc).


kris

[SuzySunshine]

Kris, I see your stairs are carpeted - is there carpet at the top of those stairs or is it just the stairs?

[PrincessFiona]

The stairs are carpeted. They lead to the upstairs which is solid oak wooden floors.

Wood
carpet stairs
laminate