“How-to” Be Sure Of Your Kitchen Or Bath Floor (NAPSA)—You know you want a new look for your kitchen or bath, but a trip to a flooring provider can leave your mind spinning with choices of materials, colors, textures, patterns and combinations. Research shows that homeowners find kitchen and bath remodeling decisions difficult and even the most design-savvy shoppers can suffer a plunge in confidence when it comes to picking floors. The following “how-to’s” will help in your search for the right flooring and make your homedecorating experiencea little easier. Choosing Colors and Designs —Someof today’s best sellers are rustic and natural ceramic tiles for the bath and exotic and handscraped hardwoodsfor the kitchen. For your bathroom, the task of matching floor and wall tiles is madeeasier with the latest combination tiles. You'll want to look at these hot trends, “but keep in mind that ultimately, it’s most important to choose whatis personally appealing to you,” says Bob Weseman, vice president of Hard Surfaces at Mohawk Industries, Inc., who notes that homeowners are looking for unique solutions to fit their personal style. Bringing it Home—“The hardest thing for the customer is visualizing what the kitchen or bathroom will look like with the new floor,” says Weseman. He advises consumers take home samples to see just how well the floor will coordinate with the wall color, fixtures and other existing elements of the room. Don’t forget to consider lighting. Both color and texture will vary markedly depending on the room’s light sources, windowsandtimeof day. Consider the Practical— Durability and maintenance are important, especially if you have children or pets. Vinyl and ceramic are no longer the only solutions for high traffic areas, however. Engineered hardwood, for example, can provide a strong, durable option for the kitchen. The Right Floor at the Right Price—“The biggest cost of new flooring is installation. So, don’t try to reduce costs by choosing lower-cost styles that aren’t your favorites. It’s far better to get what you like, that speaks to you and fits your vision of your room than try to coordinate looks with lower-cost flooring,” says Weseman. These simple guidelines can give you a greater comfort level before, during and after your purchase decision. As the world’s leading total flooring provider, Mohawk Flooring can meet your flooring needs, from ceramic to vinyl, hardwood to laminate. For more information on flooring for your kitchen or bath, visit www.mohawkflooring.com or call 1-800-2-MOHAWK.
