Transform Your Home Almost Instantly

The fastest way to change the mood or character of a room is to add an area rug. Area rugs are products that beautify your home, are easy to care for, stand the test of time and can meet your specific comfort, performance and budget requirements.

Why choose an area rug for your home?

• With a proper pad, they can go over any flooring type, including wall-to-wall carpet.
• You can change them each season or as your style changes.
• They offer softness, warmth and sound absorption.
• The cost spectrum is as wide and varied as the type of rug you choose.
• “Machine-made” rugs can mimic handmade rugs at reduced costs.
• Color is more affordable than ever.
• They can be a design centerpiece and also help define a space for life’s activities.

Keep your area rugs looking great for many years to come with regular upkeep. Vacuum or sweep your rug as you would wall-to-wall carpeting. Depending on traffic patterns in the room, rotate your rug 180 degrees every few months or every year. All parts of the rug should be exposed to an equal amount of traffic so that the pile wears evenly. Have your rug washed by a professional every two to five years depending on the traffic on the rug.

Photo: Shaw Floors

Holiday Spills Happen: Be Prepared

All of us look forward to entertaining our friends and family during the holidays. Delicious food and good times! But sometimes accidents happen. How do you get those messy stains out of your carpet? In this brief video, Johnny Loggins of Clene Start offers some easy tips on how to clean spills from your carpet.

Paint: It’s All About Self-Expression

What colors will be popping up in our homes next year? According to paint companies and interior design pros, 2023 is expected to be all about self-expression.

While you will find thousands of paint chips at your local paint or hardware store, there are only seven colors in the paint spectrum. They are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. All the other colors in the world are technically just combinations of these core colors.

How many colors are there in the world? The most accurate answer that science can give us currently is 10 million.

Drum roll, please! Here are the winning 2023 Colors of the Year.

Glidden Paint by PPG picked Vining Ivy as its 2023 Color of the Year. The paint color, which blends blue and green, works well with both contemporary and classic styles.

Dutch Boy chose Rustic Greige. This color of the year is a blend of gray and beige with subtle red undertones that pairs well with today’s trending earth-tone paint colors. Rustic Greige grounds three color custom palettes⁠—Plush, Wistful and Botanic⁠—that showcase the neutral’s versatility.

Valspar selected 12 livable paint colors, including soft neutrals, sweet pastels and soothing shades of blue and green. The collection launched alongside Valspar’s “Color-Verse,” a virtual home that allows consumers to try out the 2023 Colors of the Year.

Redend Point, a mid-tone neutral that walks the line between blush and beige, is the Sherwin-Williams selection.

Blank Canvas, Behr’s pick, is a creamy shade of white that goes with practically everything. Behr said it thinks Blank Canvas will inspire feelings of tranquility and renewal while offering “limitless design and décor possibilities.”

Are you planning to use any of these colors in your design projects next year? Which colors do you like?

Photo: Glidden Paint by PPG

Long Live Hardwood Floors!

Hardwood is one of the most popular and fastest growing floor covering choices. The natural characteristics of wood add depth and a visual appearance that many other types of floors try to duplicate. Hardwood types, options and applications are more diverse than ever.

According to the 2022 Remodeling Impact Report of the National Association of Realtors, adding new wood flooring to your home helps you recover 118% of your investment. Refinishing your existing hardwoods recoups 147% of the cost. Rich, inviting hardwood floors also can add value to your home at resale time.

Manufacturers now have the ability to produce better quality finishes and superior construction techniques. Wood floors can now be installed throughout your home and over a wide variety of sub-floors.

Hardwood floors only require a little more maintenance than sweeping on a regular basis to remove dirt. Cleaners are only needed when cleaning spills, removing scuff marks or during major cleanings like spring cleaning.

Here are some additional maintenance tips:

Place walk-off mats at every door.

Use the correct floor cleaner. Don’t assume that any household cleaner should be safe for your hardwood floors.

Apply cleaners with a terry-cloth head mop.

Less is more. Use only a small amount of cleaner.

Only use wax on floors with a wax finish.

Wipe up spills immediately. Try using a credit card to remove stubborn items like chewing gum or candle wax.

Photo: Shaw Floors

Installing New Stone Floors

Learn all you can before buying stone for your home. Knowledge about stone specifics, characteristics, traits and subtle differences can be invaluable. Choosing the best stone for your home is really about knowing the right combination of characteristics, aesthetics, performance and budget to best meet the needs of your lifestyle.

• No two pieces are ever the same.
• The natural characteristics are color, veining and markings, hardness and porosity.
• A floor begins with giant pieces of stone that are mined from the earth.
• They are transported to factories where they are cut into thin slabs.
• Each slab is different, displaying the effects of the physical course of its ancient history.
• Each tile cut from the same slab might look completely different from the next.
• Veining and crystallization may be abundant in one, yet non-existent in another.
• Variations are to be expected and enjoyed.
• The samples you view in the showroom can have completely different veining patterns or color variations compared to the stone we will install in your home.
• It is not possible for you to hand-select each tile of your natural stone. If you are concerned about the final appearance, work with a project consultant to preview a dye lot sample of the actual tile to be installed, prior to final installation.
• Irregular markings, lines, veins and crystallization are not cracks or imperfections.
• If you select a combination of natural stone products, of the same color and type of stone, they will not match.
• No natural stone tile will have a perfectly smooth surface.
• Once installed, it will not be a perfectly smooth surface from tile to tile.
• Consider what types of activities will be taking place where the stone is installed. Do not install a soft, porous type of stone in a high traffic area.
• In addition to the total project cost, you should also know the cost of annual cleanings to maintain the beauty and life of your new stone floor. Also, consult the manufacturer’s warranty and care guide for directions on how frequently the stone should be cleaned and the cost to clean it.

Choosing An Area Rug For Your Home

You don’t need to be a magician to make an instant change in your home. An area rug can transform a room in the time it takes to unroll it. During our Sail Into Summer Sale, which runs through June 26, you can save 10% on a new area rug from our showroom.

Rugs are available in every color, pattern and pile imaginable. Do you want something eye-catching or a little more subtle? An area rug can either stand out or blend in, so think about what effect you want to create when considering color.

It’s also important to think about what kind of pile you want: low, medium or high. Low-pile rugs have shorter fibers and loops (think flatweaves), making them best for high-traffic areas such as the kitchen. These rugs are generally sturdier than high-pile rugs and are easier to vacuum and keep clean.

High-pile rugs have taller, looser fibers (think shag or Moroccan rugs), making them ideal for the bedroom or living room. Rugs with a longer pile are softer and more luxurious underfoot and can help make a room seem cozier and more inviting.

As a general rule, a room that gets a lot of foot traffic will benefit from a low-pile rug, while a thicker rug will last longer in a room that doesn’t get a lot of traffic.

Ask one of our project consultants about fibers with stain and odor resistance built right into the fibers. This protection never wears off and protects your rugs as long as they’re in place. And they’re so much easier to clean, both regularly and by commercial cleaners.

Another consideration is maintenance time. Most rugs need to be vacuumed and rotated regularly. Flat-weave rugs are easy to vacuum, but you can also take them outside and beat them out the old-fashioned way. High-pile rugs are more difficult to clean, and some must be either sent out or professionally cleaned in the home.

Always put a pad underneath an area rug. Rug pads prevent slipping, add cushion and stop the rug from rippling. Be sure to use a rug pad that is compatible with the rug material and the flooring below.

If you own a rug that feels too small for your space but you want to make it work, add a larger, complementary rug underneath your existing rug to help fill the empty space. You also can add an area rug on top of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Don’t expose an area rug to direct sunlight if you can avoid it, and definitely do not let stains set.

Photo: Shaw Floors

Care and Maintenance of Luxury Vinyl Tile

Luxury vinyl tile comes in a variety of styles, shapes and colors. The different types of styles include:

• Planks
• Tiles
• Wood looks
• Decorative borders
• Geometrics
• Tile and stone looks
• Grout option or no grout option
• Overall patterns

An advantage to Luxury Vinyl Flooring is the ability to install modular patterns. Different tiles can be combined, different planks can be combined as well as tiles and planks can be combined.

Floors should never be flooded with water or be allowed to have standing water. This can loosen the adhesive.

Care should be taken with heavy furniture and appliances. Furniture protectors should be used that are at least two inches in diameter. The hard and small buttons sometimes found on the bottom of chairs and other pieces of furniture should be removed. High-heeled shoes also apply here.

Protect the floors from dirt and grit that can be tracked in by using walk-off mats at every entrance. Don’t use rubber-backed mats. Certain rubber compounds can permanently stain vinyl.

Never use vinegar, acetone or lacquer thinner to clean these floors.

For extreme staining like nail polish, paint, dye and permanent markers, try applying fingernail polish remover that contains acetone (but is not pure acetone) with a soft cloth and gently rub.

Spills should be removed immediately.

Sweep, dust mop or vacuum the floor on a regular basis.

Stubborn rubber heel marks can be removed with a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits.

When the floor gets build up, consult the manufacturer’s recommended cleaner system to see if a stripper is available.

Measuring and Installing Window Coverings

    Window covering products must be measured precisely for a successful installation. This often seems easier than it actually is. Each window covering product has its own installation method and if they are installed incorrectly, they will not operate properly.

    Different window covering products require different measurements for an accurate installation. Small measuring errors can result in the window covering not operating properly; unwanted light shining through on the sides, top or bottom; or the covering not fitting the window casing at all.

    Since no two window openings will be exactly the same size, you should measure every window. Only specialty or odd-shaped windows require making a template in the measurement process.

    Different window covering products require different measurements for an accurate installation. Window sheers can be installed with an inside or outside mount depending on the window molding and sill construction. The depth of the window casing determines whether or not a window covering can be installed with an inside mount. Mounting bracket sizes vary so this must be checked accurately.

     An outside mounted window covering should be considered if you would like the window covering to completely clear the window when open, allowing for more light or a better view. This product is often desirable on patio doors.

    For an inside mount the installer will first check to make sure the inside top of the window casing is level. If necessary, the installer will level the headrail using shims.

    An inside mounted window covering houses the window covering inside the window casing.  An outside mounted window covering fits around or outside the window casing.

    With an inside/outside mount the mounting bracket and headrail are installed inside the window casing, but they are not fully recessed. Thus, a portion of the headrail will not be completely flush with the face of the window.

Photo: Hunter Douglas

Stain Removal Tips

Oops, sorry! We all know accidents can happen. Especially as we invite more guests into our homes over the holidays. If you notice a stain on your flooring, act quickly! Delaying may cause the spill to become a permanent stain.

Here are a few helpful maintenance tips.

• Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or white paper towels. Gently scrape up semi-solids with a rounded spoon. Break up solids and vacuum.

• Pretest any spot removal solution (for color transfer to the cloth or damage to the carpet) in an inconspicuous area. If a change occurs, select another solution.

• Apply a small amount of the solution to a white cloth, and work it in gently (do not rub), working from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent spreading. Allow it to remain on the spill a few minutes. Be patient. Blot.

• Continue to use the first agent as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. Be patient. Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Or, you may need to move to the next solution.

• When the spill is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry cloth until all moisture is removed.

• A dry, absorbent, cleaning compound may be used as a substitute to minimize drying time.

• Residue Precautions: Many spot removal solutions leave residues in the carpet that may attract soil. Thoroughly rinse the area several times with lukewarm tap water. A mist-type sprayer is recommended to prevent overwetting. Blot with paper towels and pat dry after each rinse. Several rinses are often necessary to thoroughly remove residues. Never use any of the solutions in concentrations stronger than those recommended.

For a comprehensive stain guide, go to https://www.modafloorsandinteriors.com/stainguide.

What’s Your Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays each year. It’s the time when we gather with friends and family to celebrate all the good things in our lives, including food. This year, are you preparing all the food yourself, catering the meal or asking guests to bring a favorite side dish?

According to Grill Cook Bake and The Daily Meal, it turns out that where you live often determines which side dishes you prefer. Based on Google research, the top side dish for Georgia — along with most of the East Coast — was macaroni and cheese. In all, 10 states prefer mac ‘n’ cheese, which equaled the number of states that picked mashed potatoes. Midwesterners love their green bean casserole, and no New England table is complete without Parker House rolls.

Which side dishes get top marks nationally?

1-Mashed potatoes and gravy

2-Thanksgiving stuffing made with bread and herbs

3-Macaroni and cheese

4-Rolls

5-Cranberry sauce

After saying farewell to your guests, you may notice a few stains on your carpet. Here is a link to a brief video MODA Floors & Interiors and Johnny Loggins of Clene Start prepared on how to get several types of spills out of your carpet.

Now, equally important, what are you having for dessert?