by Arimar | Dec 20, 2016 | Blogs, Floor Art Collection
How to Follow Design Trends While Keeping It Timeless
Can décor be on trend and timeless? Yes. The two can seamlessly come together. The trick, designers say, is to find a balance between current design trends with classic styles for a look that is both of-the-moment and everlasting. Take note of the following tips to find a way to blend now and forever your clients will appreciate.
Focus on Foundation
As you are laying the groundwork in a space – bath or bedroom, kitchen or living room – the key is to keep the major elements timeless. Flooring, cabinetry, lighting, are all major investments that you want to last throughout the years. Other décor, accents and accessories can all be updated over time. For example, sofas can be reupholstered and new hardware can be added to cabinets.
Take the following two homes. The two have distinct looks: modern and country-chic. Yet, both rooms have the same dark hardwood flooring, Smoked Oak Rustic European White Oak.
Smoked Brushed Rustic European White Oak
Incorporate Color
An easy way to try something new is to try painting. You don’t have to repaint the entire home or office suite, even an accent wall can dramatically spice up a space. For example, in the kitchen, a bright yellow accent wall near a breakfast nook can brighten the room. In the bathroom, cool blue hues can create a soothing, spa-like retreat. In the bedroom, neutral shades of greys can cast a harmonious, relaxed ambiance.
Add Details
Accents, artwork, window coverings and other decorative pieces can truly transform the look of a home or office. Table lamps, hand towels, planters, pillows, throws or table settings are all a good place to start. If a client wants to try something bold, you may want to suggest these small pieces to incorporate new design trends. This will also make it easy and more cost-effective to swap out or mix and match accessories in the future.
Smoked Brushed Rustic European White Oak
by Arimar | Nov 22, 2016 | Blogs, Floor Art Collection
How to Design a Room with Dark Wood Floors
With the warmth and versatility of a brown palette, it remains one of the most often used color schemes in homes and offices. Dark hardwoods can complement any room of a home. When working with dark hardwood, there are a variety of ways to complement or contrast the overall design of the room.
Arimar’s Livorno Smoked Oak Rustic European Oak hardwood floor creates a balance between modern and traditional, making one of the most often-requested hardwood flooring selections.
Using different shades of brown in your space can make a luxurious statement. In a space with dark floors, you can pull light into a room with lighters cabinet choices, white painted walls or patterned area rugs and accessories that provide rich contrast.
Walls
Walls can complement or contrast with a hardwood floor. Light-colored walls contrast with dark floors, creating two focal points. Whereas dark walls blend in better with dark floors, creating a more neutral look. Pairing brown with pure white, such as in the pictured kitchen above, makes for a striking statement.
Windows
Windows and natural lights are other ways you can enhance the overall color scheme of a room with dark hardwood floors. In an ample room with large windows, drapes, curtains and shades can be used to create a dramatic contrast. For a room with smaller windows, allowing natural light to come into a room also showcases the beauty of the wood’s natural grains.
Furniture and cabinetry
Furniture and cabinetry also affects the visual appearance of a dark hardwood. To brighten a room, consider opting for light-colored or white pieces, such as in the pictured kitchen. If you are going for a more traditional, neutral look, you may want to think about using wood pieces that blend in with the natural wood coloring.
Accessories
Accessories and small pieces are interesting and creative ways to complement the overall design of a room and enhance the hardwood flooring. Brown and creams are natural complements to dark hardwood; pastels also work well. Artwork and rugs work to the same effect. Metallic, such as the gold-trimmed lighting fixture pictured, can add a wonderful, unexpected pop in a space.
by Arimar | Nov 14, 2016 | Blogs, Floor Art Collection
The Timeless Beauty of Wide Plank Wood Flooring
Beautiful and timeless, wide planks and long lengths hardwood floors have become a trend in Florida and across the country. It offers a unique look, warmth, elegance and durability to residential and commercial spaces alike. Plank width is one of the most important design elements of any wood floor, and over the last several years, wide planks have evolved into a must have for interior décor.
When it comes to flooring, wide plank simply means boards are wider than about 3”. On average, wood flooring strips range from 2.25” to 3.5” in width. At Arimar, we specialize in wide plank hardwood. Arimar’s collection of wide plank flooring range about 5 ¾ “to 10.”
One of the reasons why wide planks have risen in popularity is the aesthetic appeal they lend. A wider plank shows of the beauty of the wood’s natural grain, patterns and color variations. This is especially true if you choose a floor with a standout grain like the Rossell 9 ½ x 96” European White Oak such as in the beach house in Sarasota living room pictured below. It is a way to bring nature inside your house.
Rossell Rustic European White Oak
The wide planks create a rustic feel that is very popular in current décor. Whether you are designing a den, bedroom or commercial space, wide hardwood planks add an element of rustic charm to the space and create a warm and inviting atmosphere as you can see.
Because of their versatility, wider planks work well in all spaces, large, small, residential or commercial. If you are working with a small space, more seams can make the space look even smaller. By using wider planks, this can reduce the number of seams, making the room look ample and airy. Wider planks also mean fewer seams between planks, which helps to create a smoother surface.
Wider planks aren’t just suitable for rustic interiors and small, casual spaces, they are also perfect for the modern interiors and look striking in the most luxurious of homes. The same wood flooring in the above photos is also pictured below.
St Tropez Rustic European White Oak
Contact Arimar to talk about your project and we will be happy to direct you to a specialist that will help you discover the perfect floor for you.
by Arimar | Oct 26, 2016 | Blogs, Floor Art Collection, Iberian Collection
Three Grey Hardwood Floors for a Fall Refresh
Grey hardwood floors provide an endless array of opportunities when it comes to design. Depending on the species of wood, intensity of the stain and variation of the coloring, you can make them look rustic, traditional or modern. You can select from a broad spectrum of dark, charcoal shades to near-white with flecks of grey. You can also select weathered wood or a polished, finished wood in your desired grey to make the floor the focal point of the room or blend in with the overall design of the space. With such a vast variety of combination and flexibility, it’s easy to see why grey is the new go-to color for interior décor.
To achieve the desired effect, one has to select the right shade of grey. How do you know which shade will work best for your residential or commercial flooring project? In general, dark grey floors visually reduce the space while light grey and medium grey floors create the appearance of a more ample, airy room. Darker grey shades make the ideal backdrop for intense bold color accents, such as red. While lighter grey hues complement well with yellow, pinks and natural hues.
To provide you with some inspiration, here are three ways we’ve worked with designers to make grey hardwood floors work for any room, including kitchens, living rooms, family rooms and bedrooms.
Kitchen
The grey hardwood flooring in this white kitchen creates the perfect combination for a sleek, modern look that is at once classic and contemporary.
Avila European White Oak
Bedroom
In this master bedroom, the grey hardwood flooring when paired with minimalist décor and bright brown accents create a dramatic yet warm environment.
Nice Rustic European White Oak
Family Room
Neutral colors like beige work well with light grey hardwood floors to make a family den with an open floor plan feel even more spacious and inviting.
Valencia European Rustic White Oak – Iberian Collection
