If you’ve picked up an interior design magazine in the past year, you may recall the brand name Annie Sloan. Named after the owner and inventor, one of the world’s most respected paint and colour experts, Annie Sloan brings decades of knowledge – and plenty of style – to her hugely popular line of decorative paint, also known as Chalk Paint. It can be used on all types of furniture including solid oak floorboards. You’re able to give your floorboards a classic shabby chic finish with her selection of chalk paints, and the great thing is no other aftercare is required. Simple apply the paint, leave it to dry and the job is done. There are plenty of colours to choose between and it’s a nice way to spruce up your old oak floorboards. Many shabby chic shops sell old furniture coated in chalk paint, and it really does give classic furniture a completely different look.

If you have a traditional property with a good set of solid oak floorboards, you may want to take advantage of them. Rather than placing tiles, carpets, rugs or laminate flooring over the top, make the oak floorboards a feature in their own right. If they look old and worn they’re going to hold plenty of character and there are many staining products that can bring the best out of them. A water based wood staining spray will be safe to use for most finishes and there are plenty of different tones to choose between depending on the colour of your floorboards. Danish oil, hardwax oil and Finney’s Extra Tough Floor Varnish will all give your floorboards good colour whilst filling in scratches and marks, and these are very cheap to buy. Another option is Durapolish Clear Glaze, but this takes a longer time to dry, yet the great thing is that it’s suitable for oily woods.

I’ve just moved into a new house and one thing I’m enjoying the most is how soft the carpet is! Coming from a shared apartment with vinyl flooring, it’s nice to have my feet on something soft again and I’ll be doing all I can to maintain my carpet, including:

Detailed cleaning

I like to use a bit of elbow grease when I’m cleaning my carpet. I use a ton of household items such as baking powder and salt, which has worked a treat for a number wine and ketchup stains.

Regular, but not too regular hoovering

I’ll hoover a couple of times a week max. Vacuum to regularly and your carpet will start to wear, vacuum to infrequently and your carpet will be filthy, and rough to touch.

The best trends and fashions always come back around. This is certainly happening with carpets this season – vintage prints, patterns and bright colours have made a comeback, and are once again proving popular with numerous consumers. That’s not to say that you have to adorn your home with the brash, swirly carpets of the 70s – this is a more refined, modern take on vintage styles. Here is a brief guide to making 2015’s carpet trends work for you.

You can use vintage carpets to accessorise a smaller area of your home. Buy a vintage second-hand rug as a focal point for a room, or use a larger area of carpet to create a bigger rug. This style will work especially well with hardwood flooring, especially if they’ve got a natural finish.

Patterns have certainly made a comeback, but smaller and more subtle than before. In fact, you may want to make use of texture more so than actual patterns. Textured loop carpets and ribbed carpets are stylish, durable and help to hide hoover marks. If you do want to try out some patterns, you could choose subtle geometric designs like diamonds or squares. Stripes are also popular – you could use these in smaller areas and coordinate other areas of the room to match, such as in a hallway or on the stairs.

In terms of colours, pastels are highly fashionable. Pinks and blues are particularly prominent. You could choose an all-over pastel shade, or select pastel shades for your patterned carpets or rugs to create a high fashion look.

Choosing oak wood flooring adds character, warmth and elegance to your home. Most people will think of carpeting as the first thing when considering their flooring options. However, they barely think about how easily stained carpets become, showing signs of wear and tear while yet aging quickly. Opting for hardwood flooring allows for luster and easy maintenance over many years to come.

Whether installed in the whole home or just in a single room, oak flooring is able to provide a warm and appealing appearance which improves the overall value of the home. In fact, it proves to be a versatile flooring choice since it blends easily with almost all decors. Here are some benefits:

Durability

The durability of an oak floor is unmatched. It is harder than redwood, providing unmatched shock absorption through the dense fibers. It also has the ability to resist any wear and tear. Oak is popularly known to repel fungi and insects naturally. This helps in keeping your home protected from any unwanted pests. Most oak hardwood floors are naturally resistant to moisture, especially the white oak floors, making it the most suitable choice for bathrooms and kitchens.

Oak has been used for centuries in the building industry. Extreme credibility has been established on wood flooring due to its durability. Actually, it is very possible to purchase 200-year old oak that hasn’t lost its appeal at all.

Ease of installation

Oak flooring works preferably well for nailing, machining, gluing and screwing. Its installation will thus require very few special accommodations which will in turn lower the installation prices incurred. Its natural absorption rate favors easy coloring enabling you to tailor the floor as per your specific aesthetic desires and needs. (more…)