How to choose flooring that feels right in your home

Think back to a room that you loved and felt comfortable in. Picture it in your mind, and remember all the things you loved about it. Chances are that when you start remembering, you can vividly picture the walls, the pictures on it, the furniture - how about the flooring? Surprisingly enough, the flooring in a room is often one of the first things people recall when they remember a room. I can vividly recall stepping into a quaint old house when we were house-hunting a few years back and feeling immediately as if I'd come home. It wasn't until later, analyzing my reaction, that I realized the reason: the flooring in the kitchen was the exact same pattern and color linoleum that had been on my grandmother's kitchen floor almost thirty years ago. When you're redecorating, the flooring choices you make can set the tone and the mood for the entire room. Imagine your Mission style living room against a solid black floor of stone quarry tile. The solid color and contrast of wood and stone is dramatic, highlighting the functional simplicity and beauty of the design. The feeling of the room is serene and cool - a polished perfection of form and function. Now imagine that same furniture set against wood flooring in soft, warm maple. Rather than contrast, you now have blending that softens the definitive lines of classic Mission furniture styling. Add a woven rag rug to accent the colors of the upholstery and pick up the tint of the wall and the same furniture and accessories take on an upscale country feeling - open airy space and casual comfort. Dramatic flooring styles have their place as well. Imagine a pieced parquet wood floor in your front entry hall, or a buffed expanse of terracotta tile flooring inset with stone parquetry around the borders. Replace that flooring in your mind's eye with a thick, Oriental runner over bare wood and see how it changes the look and feel of the room. When you choose flooring for a room that you're decorating, keep in mind the following things: 1. Function Choose a floor that suits the function of the room. White carpeting is probably impractical for your kitchen, but perfect for your bedroom. Natural wood, while beautiful and warm, is generally not the best choice for a bathroom. 2. Mood Different flooring materials set very definite moods and tones. Natural materials tend to soften the ambience in a room. Stone quarry tiles with a rough finish set a rustic mood. Solid linoleum, with its soft feel underfoot and bright colors can warm a kitchen or set a dramatic style with a single solid color. The flooring choice you make can dramatically enhance every other aspect of your decorating scheme. 3. Maintenance and Care While you're considering, don't forget to take into account the amount of maintenance and care that a floor will require. A busy lifestyle may not have time in it for the kind of maintenance that some floors require. Can you imagine spending hours every week waxing your floor? Low maintenance options include pre-sealed wood floors, stone tiles and acrylic flooring tiles. With literally thousands of combinations of materials, colors and styles of flooring available, you're sure to find something that's just perfect for your home. A little research and judicious use of visualization will help you choose a flooring option that you'll love for years.