The Flooring Guide

Flooring’s utilitarian nature doesn’t devalue its power to transform a room

Text: Allison Cook

March 2009

Go With The Grain

The natural look and feel of wood makes any room warm and inviting

Bruce Flooring's Park Avenue collection commands sophisticated and opulent style with all the look and feel of solid, exotic hardwoods, and the Wenge finish boasts chocolate-brown tones with near-black veins. Available at ABC Floors in Fort Smith, Flooring America by CarpetSmart in Springdale, Little Rock Flooring and C&F Flooring in Little Rock, Whitley Floor Covering in Benton, Law's Flooring in Jonesboro and other retailers statewide. Photo: Courtesy Bruce Flooring	New from Mid-America Hardwoods, Canyon Road is five-inch wide, random length solid flooring, which is offered pre-finished or unfinished. It's hand-contoured and offers custom texture. Available online at mid-americahardwoods.com. Photo: Courtesy Mid-America Hardwoods
Teregren fine bamboo flooring is durable and renewable, making it a wonderful choice for any room in your home. Shown in vertical grain Carmelized finish from the Signature Naturals collection. Available at Arnold's Flooring, C&F Carpet and Abbey Carpet of Little Rock, Lumber One in Stuttgart, Law's in Jonesboro, National Home Centers locations statewide, Ozark Floor Covering in Fayetteville and other locations statewide. Photo: Courtesy Teregren	Cork flooring is an eco-friendly and beautiful choice for any room. This Scirocco finish from the New Dimensions collection from Natural Cork is crafted in tiles that can be installed point to point, as shown, or in a staggered brick-work pattern. Available at Flooring America by CarpetSmart in Springdale. Courtesy Flooring America by CarpetSmart
Perfect for high-traffic areas, Mannington's Ball Teak planks, shown here in Butter Rum, will look beautiful for years, no matter what kind of abuse your family dishes out. Available at Little Rock Flooring. Photo: Courtesy Little Rock Flooring	The flooring in Leah McDaniel's El Dorado home features beautiful hardwood flooring from Storey's Flooring in El Dorado. Interior designer Andrea Brooks worked with the homeowners to create a comfortable kitchen with rustic touches. Photo: Nancy Nolan

Solid As Stone

Sleek and beautiful, stone is an elegant floor covering for a variety of rooms

AKDO's Empire Mosaic tiles bordered with Honey Onyx and Ephesus Dune limestone create a regal look, sure to heighten the style of your bathroom retreat. Available at Inside Effects in Little Rock. Photo: Courtesy AKDO	The specialists at Divinecrete in Benton can create stained and scored concrete designs to suit any style, and they enjoy working with each customer to achieve the perfect look. Photo: Courtesy Divinecrete
Interior designer Meredith Hamilton of MLH Designs worked with the professionals at All Natural Stone in Little Rock to create a neutral-hued tile flooring to complement the bold wall tiles of the bathroom. Photo: Nancy Nolan	Travertine flooring is one of the most popular stone surfaces, and it's available in a wide variety of remarkable shades and colors. Acme Brick and Tile in North Little Rock offers this Chiseled Versalli pattern in Noce for a beautiful and timeless design. Photo: Courtesy Acme Brick
Interior designer Andrea Cornwell of iSpace in Fayetteville is excited about the latest offering from Ann Sacks. Han Bai Yu & Qing Shi—Chinese white marble and black marble—are hand carved to create the intricate designs, and then finished by using the traditional jade-carving technique. Patterns incorporate traditional Chinese motifs alongside design elements of West European Art Deco, and the low relief patterns are suitable for flooring. Photo: Courtesy Ann Sacks	As part of Mohawk's green initiative, their ceramic tile does not product one drop of wastewater, and this factors into your home's eco-friendly attributes. The Primabella Espresso palette offers soft creams, grays and browns and a variety of accent pieces. Photo: Courtesy Mohawk Flooring

The Softer Side

Rugs complete any flooring and add a depth of color and texture

Made of 100-percent wool, the Agra runner from Masland's Soumak collection will only get better with age. The traditional pattern and neutral color scheme are versatile enough for any hall or entryway. The line is available at authorized dealers statewide. Photo: Courtesy Masland Rugs

The Anatolia pattern from Couristan's latest power-loomed designs hints at its traditional roots with the detail and color palette perfect for any home. Shown in Royal Plume/Navy-Port Wine. Available at C&F Flooring and Inside Effects in Little Rock and National Home Centers statewide. Photo: Courtesy Couristan

The extravagantly embellished fabrics, decorations and gold jewelry created during India's glorious Mughai Empire inspired Stephanie Odegard's latest collection. From the hand-knotted Mughai Collection, the Navaratna design is based on traditional necklaces, pendants and rings. Shown in Pavala Red, and all Odegard carpets bear the RugMark label, your best assurance that no child labor was used in the making of any rug. Available at SR Hughes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo: Courtesy John Bigelow Taylor

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