Luxury vinyl tile is the most realistic imitation of stone or ceramic. It comes in a very wide variety of colors and textures, making it perfect for customization- it’s a new favorite among interior designers and architects alike and is becoming an increasingly popular option for commercial flooring as well as residential flooring. Besides the fact that luxury vinyl tile is stunning and elegant in style, it also has added benefits:

• It’s realistic in look and touch. LVT is known for how realistic and warm it feels underfoot. For added realism, you can even install with grouting.

• It works well in all areas and climates. Whereas some flooring options do not work well in humidity and moisture (like hardwood and laminate), luxury vinyl tile will hold up in any climate condition and is super durable.

• It’s low maintenance and waterproof. You don’t have to worry about stains and spills with LVT. To clean, all you need to do is sweep and mop with a nonabrasive floor cleaner. It’s also scratch resistant.

You may associate vinyl flooring with low costs, but luxury vinyl tile is a little pricier than regular vinyl due to its elegant look and durability. While it’s more expensive than vinyl flooring of the past, the realistic look and the elegance it adds to any interior is well worth the price difference. The longevity you will get out of it will pay off in the long run compared to “peel and stick” vinyl tiles.

Lane Sales offers luxury vinyl tile in an array of exquisite designs. Get in touch with us and we can find the perfect flooring for your space.

Wool carpeting is a luxurious and beautiful product that has many attractive traits in both business and residential applications. It is sought out by discerning designers for its many unique properties. Let’s help you decide if wool will meet your flooring needs.

Wool is the soft, curly or wavy hair grown on sheep. Its fibers are woven into magnificent fabrics and yarns to create sweaters, blankets, rugs, and carpets. This natural fiber has many distinguishing characteristics making it ideal for carpeting. Wool’s natural fiber is excellent at absorbing dyes and so you can find wool carpeting in just about any color imaginable.

Durability and Easy Maintenance

The structure of the wool fiber is shaped much like scales or roofing shingles. This allows for dirt to be caught at the surface and easily vacuumed away (source). Wools natural fiber contains a special membrane that that covers its core making it largely fire and water resistant. The fibers are not combustible and will not ignite with a flame. In addition to that, it even resists staining because moisture can’t repel deep into the carpet.

Wool fibers have up to 40% more elasticity than its synthetic carpet competitors. This means that wool will bounce back over and over again retaining its life under the most brutal of traffic conditions.

Environmentally Friendly

Wool is a renewable and natural resource. Because wool is the hair of sheep, it is easy to grow and there is never a shortage. It is also biodegradable, meaning that it will not clog up the Earth’s already overstuffed landfills.

Much of today’s wool is sourced in New Zealand. New Zealand has stringent environmental standards. They do not allow pesticides on their sheep farms making the animals and the land much more healthy.

Superior Acoustic Performance

Acoustics are the everyday sounds we create in our environment. Traffic, phone’s ringing, pencils sharpening and printers printing all contribute to noise pollution in your space. Overtime, studies have shown that this pollution can have a detrimental effect on one’s health (source). Wool is an optimal commercial carpeting choice, especially for noisy environments. Its fibers naturally absorb sounds and dampen impact noise in a room. This creates a more comfortable space for living or working.

As you can see, wool carpeting has many benefits over synthetic and should be a serious contender for any flooring application. Its health and environmental perks make wool a superior choice.

Are you in the market for new floors but don’t know where to start? The process of picking the right flooring for your needs can be overwhelming. You want to embrace the latest trends without spending a fortune yet you want quality that will last for years to come. Here is what’s been trending in 2016.

Luxury Vinyl

This is not your grandma’s vinyl kitchen. Technology has created an abundance of Luxury Vinyl Tile, wood, and even marble looking choices that are sure to impress you. Vinyl is durable and easy to clean making it an ideal choice for families and other high-traffic locations. At only $4.00 to $5.00 per square foot (source), Luxury Vinyl is quickly becoming a favorite option.

Large Tile

Gone are the days of tiny tiles and tons of grout lines to keep clean. The trends this year include large-format tiles in square and rectangle sizes all the way up to 40” x 120” (source). These come in a variety of styles mimicking the looks of wood to marble. People like the large open feel that the tiles provide while being easier to maintain than their smaller predecessors.

Eco-friendly

It is no secret that the world is on the “Green” bandwagon and it applies to flooring as well. People are looking for floors that look great, are affordable, and are earth-friendly to boot. According to Green America, the EPA estimates that indoor pollution levels are two to five times higher than they are outside and experts believe the reason for that is flooring (source). There are many beautiful eco-friendly choices to consider:

• Hardwood from sustainably managed forests.
• Cork is hypoallergenic, fire-resistant and grows back every three years.
• Bamboo makes for a very hard floor making it durable for high-traffic areas.

Imperfections/Reclaimed

Consumers have decided that ugly is the new beautiful. People relish in the uniqueness of flaws and are clamoring for reclaimed materials to make a statement. You can even have wood floors made out of old wine barrels, wine stains and barrel markings included. These are excellent conversation pieces and lend themselves well to many different decor themes. Reclaimed wood is also a more affordable option and lets the consumer get creative with their project.

The next time you are shopping for new floors, keep these trends in mind. Whichever you choose, you will have a beautiful showpiece to be proud of.

There is an enormous amount of variety when it comes to choosing the right flooring for your business. It’s easy for manufacturers to create just about any design or color out of a wide range of materials. Let’s explore your options.

Vinyl

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is today’s designers go-to choice in beautiful yet durable design. LVT is relatively affordable, easy to maintain, and comes in any design imaginable. This is not the same vinyl flooring of the 1950’s, either. Today’s Luxury Vinyl Tiles are gorgeous. State of the art manufacturing processes creates vinyl planks that mimic the look of real wood, ceramic, and even stone (source). LVT is scratch and stain resistant and meets all commercial safety needs including water and fire resistance.

Concrete

Concrete is durable, long-lasting, and versatile. With some creativity, it can take on almost any look. Concrete is easily painted or stained to match your decor. Designers get fancy and can even stamp the concrete with natural wood patterns. Companies are choosing to go with polished concrete as it is environmentally friendly and highly customizable (source). With concrete’s ability to take on color and a beautiful sheen, it can be a unique yet logical choice for your high-traffic area.

Hardwood

Hardwood isn’t just for residential floors. Man has used wood floors for centuries because it is beautiful and durable. With proper maintenance and care hardwood can be just as long-lasting as any artificial surface. Scuffs and dents are easily buffed out and it only takes a weekly dry-mop or sweeping to keep them clean. With no grout lines or carpet fibers to get in the way, hardwood does not trap allergens either, keeping the air quality of your space in good shape.

Carpet

Businesses have long relied on carpet to enhance their spaces and it is still a popular choice today. Designers prefer carpet tiles over rolls of broadloom and it makes up about 50-60% of all sales (source). Carpet tiles come in a variety of colors and textures and they are easy to install. Tiles make for a smart choice because if a spot is to become damaged, a single tile is easier to replace than a whole room-full of broadloom carpeting. Technology has helped to create carpet out of many recycled products making this an environmentally sound choice.

Next time you are planning a project with a high-traffic zone, keep these materials in mind in order to create a beautiful and functional space.

The home has long been referred to as a “sanctuary.” New design trends are playing up the safety and calming factor in seamless design and muted color schemes.  Moving a bit away from the mid-century look that has dominated in recent years, the looks we’re talking about today are striking in an understated and elegant way.

Colors

No salmon pink or avocado green to be found here. The colors du jour are faint and breathy, think alabaster rose pink and powder blue. For the ambitious who are not afraid of wallpaper, British company Graham&Brown offer gorgeous creams guaranteed to blend in.

Flooring

The trends in flooring are all over the map – in a good way! Try your hand at some looks beyond streamlined hardwood. Large tile looks reign supreme. Contrary to traditional flooring advice, large tile can actually make a room look bigger. Playing around with texture in carpets (think various wool, nylon or synthetic carpets) can nicely complement the style of a room. The texture of wool carpets can give a room a cozy feel. Colors for flooring go along with the popular wall colors, muted and understated. If you have children or subject your flooring to heavy activity, you may want to consider a streamlined gray that won’t show as much wear and tear.

Furniture

Taking a step away from the clear-cut corners of the mid-century look, the latest design trends feature supple shapes like rounded tables and objects that add texture like tufted pillows. Reclaimed wood for a table or a curved marble piece could be just the thing. The overstuffed room is out. “Knick knacks” stress a space and recent trends go for the opposite of this. Truly embrace the trends and look for pieces that are multi-use, such as sofas that have storage space built in.

Other Touches

Metallic accents are still appearing far and wide in design trends. Using copper or gold tones give the minimalist look of the day an elegance that can finish a room nicely. The best way to use the metallic accent is as touches on furniture – think faucets or draw pulls.

Interior Design offers a nice round up and example of some of the latest design trends. The greatest part about these trends is that they don’t require a lot of work. A slap of paint, a new carpet and you’re there!

When choosing design elements or structural items for your business, there is more to consider besides simply how it will look. Whether you are engaged in a remodel of your business space or moving to a new location, flooring is an important consideration to make.

Evaluating Your Space

In order to determine what type of flooring is best for your business, the first step is to think about what your business needs are. Almost every decision made about a business space should serve to further the business’ image, or, to make work easier. The same is true of the flooring. You will want to think about things like space climate, will you keep your business well heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer? Will there be potential for lots of rain and water to trek into the space? The amount of foot traffic will play a role in the flooring you choose.

Hardwood

Many businesses go for hardwood floors because of their classic look. It is important to keep in mind that hardwood floors are affected by humidity and moisture so if the space retains moisture, hardwoods may not be for you. Also hardwoods can scratch easily and retain spills. For a hardwood look, modern laminate can be a great option because of its resistance.

Carpet

There are several types of carpet that can serve your business well. Carpet naturally lessens the noise in a room. Carpet is also easier to clean.

One type of carpet that’s great for businesses is wool. Wool carpet has an attractive texture and is flame resistant. It is also durable and resilient, thanks to centuries of sheep who have refined their coats in various climates.

Nylon is another type of carpet that can work. Nylon can be used for outdoor carpeting so you know it’s durable. It also is great for heavy traffic. Customizable colors make it easy to adjust to your business’ image. An evaluation of business flooring is available at Architecture Art Designs.

Vinyl

Vinyl is another option that is durable and very low-maintenance. No expensive hardwood refinishing or carpet cleaning necessary. Vinyl lasts a long time and can be customized in several different ways (like luxury vinyl tile). 

Once you consider what’s best for your business and budget, you can weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each flooring option.   

Area rugs are a great way to complete the design of a room. When choosing an area rug and determining placement in the room, it is best to start with considering the current elements of the room.

Area rugs can blend with the current flooring. Or, to add some flair, the rug could be a different pattern or color family.

Placing Area Rugs

The type of room influences the placement of a rug. Many interior designers start with common design placement standards when looking at fitting a rug to a room. InsideOut offers some great tips from an interior stylist on rug positioning.

Dining Room

In a dining room, the area rug should be centered around the table and should be large enough to extend 24 inches from the table. This makes pulling out chairs comfortable.

Living Room

For the living room, if your furniture is set up against the walls standard design rules will have your rug sitting under the front legs of the furniture. In a floating living room layout where the furniture is set in the middle of the room, the area rug should fit under the entire piece of furniture – all four legs. These design rules are in place to ensure that the room looks unified. In practice you may wish to play around with these standards. Leaving bare floor in various places in the living room could provide some artistic value or highlight contrast between the rug and the floor.

Bedroom

Bedroom rug placement can be a little tricky depending upon what type of rug you want in the space. If you are looking to place a large area rug, preferably it should be placed under the bed and extend out several inches. Runner rugs can also be used to add style to a bedroom by gracing the sides of the bed or the foot of the bed.

Beyond The “Rules”

For other rooms in the home, the placement of the furniture or the size of the room may dictate the type of placement. A large bathroom is a great place to try a circular rug. A child’s bedroom may need a large “free area” of rug showing for play – this is also a great way to protect the floor underneath!

The placement of area rugs should be a consideration of the type and function of the room.   

Creating flooring is not as simple as it seems. Here are the things that go into creating beautiful custom commercial flooring.

Outstanding Attention To Detail

At Lane, we are committed to providing our clients the perfect custom commercial flooring. This commitment requires listening to the customer and offering helpful suggestions and thoughts without the uncomfortableness that is created from high-pressure sales.

Experience With Large Jobs

When one thinks of commercial flooring, they can mean a 1,000 square foot or 20,000 square foot order. Lane can handle any size commercial order which means you can rest easy that you will get your flooring on time.

Environmental Awareness

Lane offers Greenguard certified flooring which means your flooring has a low chemical emission rating that is suitable for those that want a Green certified business. We can answer all your questions about sustainable wood products and help you make the right choice for your business.

Choices Galore

There are a lot of choices for commercial flooring. Hardwood may seem like a choice that is not approachable for a business, but the truth of the matter is that hardwood that has been properly treated and made of quality materials can be very sturdy in a commercial setting. If you want the look but not the upkeep required of hardwood there are synthetic and tile alternatives that look exactly like wood. In fact, a lot of people cannot tell the difference without a very close look or feel.

Carpet

Carpet is very durable and can be made in any pattern. Custom patterns require more lead time. Made to order area rugs and synthetic fiber carpets are long lasting and will be made to fit the exact size of your room. A stand out rug can add class and sophistication to any business. Or perhaps you want a more festive atmosphere? At Lane, we can do it all and help you make sure that you do not forget anything at all.

Samples Available

Lane wants you to be happy with your custom flooring. We can provide samples to you at no cost upon request. This gives you the chance to make side by side comparisons at your convenience. Simply let us know what you are interested in and then we can discuss with you what custom options you desire to meet the needs of your business.