Home trends this fall are all about building something spectacular from a natural, neutral base. Lighter floors and neutral furnishings create a clean palette to showcase the season’s trends. Start by incorporating lots of color with pillows, rugs, and fabrics. This fall’s favorite colors range from jewel tones like ochre, magenta, and emerald, to earthy tones like rust, robin’s egg blue, and evergreen. Navy and peacock blue are showing up everywhere, and even plaids and buffalo checks are back. While we’re mostly done with “Millennial Pink,” blush tones aren’t going anywhere. Although blush is mostly thought of as a soft neutral, it packs quite a punch on pillows, walls, and accent furniture pieces. Add additional color to your walls by choosing a colorful, graphic-art piece that really pops.

​While choosing colors for your fall décor, don’t forget about textures. Velvet is coming in hot right now, whether it’s on a pillow, throw, or an entire sofa. Faux fur and boucle fabrics will also add warmth and depth to your space. Another way to add texture is with natural wood accessories, anything from basekts to chandeliers. Items of visual interest that invoke nature like dried branches and flowers, a sisal rug, wood accent wall, or reclaimed wood table add a sense of calm and coziness.

​With fall often comes a multitude of family gatherings, so we can’t overlook the “heart of the home.” This fall kitchens are giving themselves over to the dark side. Light gray and white cabinets are shedding their layers for rich blacks and greens. If dark cabinets everywhere are too much for you, install dark uppers and lighter lowers or an island made of natural or reclaimed wood. White marble, granite, or quartz countertops help brighten the space along with metallic fixtures in gold, rose gold, or brass. The kitchen is also a great place to showcase wood accents like butcher block cutting boards, wooden utensils and bowls. Throw in a few plants too. When all these elements combine, you’ve got a sophisticated, pulled together look that is still warm, comfortable, and inviting. 

As for bathrooms, matte black fixtures paired with gray cabinets, wooden vanities, and/or vessel sinks with marble countertops are big this season. Add some splash with statement art and decorative tile. As the weather gets colder, you no longer have to venture outside your home for the spa treatment. Many people are opting for large soaking tubs, spa shower systems, and even saunas in their homes. Afraid of getting cold feet? Radiant heating (like the Ditra-Heat System) in the bathroom is the ultimate luxurty and alternative to cold tile floors!

Whether you're installing a backsplash, shower, accent wall, or even refacing a fireplace, mosaic tile is the secret to adding that punch of pizzazz and personal style to your tile design. Don't limit yourself to just subway tile and travertine. Mosaics come in glass, metal, stone, porcelain, ceramic, and are available in all shapes and sizes from squares and circles to hexagons and arabesques. There's something to suit any decor theme from rustic to modern. Today we're featuring a gallery of mosaics to get your creative juices flowing. These are just a few of the marvelous mosaics available from MSI Surfaces.

​Trends come and go, but hardwood remains. Whether you prefer a traditional, authentic design scheme or crave the contemporary, hardwood offers something for everyone. Let’s take a look at what’s trending in wood for 2019, featuring wood products from Mohawk.

Gray and gray variations remain strong, ranging from light stones to shadowy blacks. Greige is big, combining browns and beiges with touches of gray for the best of both worlds. Many like to pair grays with a traditional farmhouse design, but they also work well when paired with clean, contemporary décor.
 
Deep, rich browns continue in popularity year after year. The deep red and black streaked Brazilian cherry along with dark walnuts, oaks, and hickories remain a crowd favorite for a traditional design plan. Darker, uniform stains and ebonized wood that is almost black look best with more modern designs to create a vibe that exudes opulence.
 
If dark isn’t for you, lighten up with blondes, whites, honeys, and sands for a soothing and calm environment. Lighter woods create a clean palette to suit any décor, from traditional to beachy or contemporary. Light woods are also ideal for opening up small spaces.
 
We’re also seeing a lot of high variation and contrast in wood that mixes coordinating shades into one color to create a truly unique and authentic look. While it blends well with a rustic décor, it can also be paired with more contemporary furnishings for a rustic-modern or industrial look.
 
Texture continues to titillate those shopping for hardwood with handscraped, distressed, and wire brushed features dominating the pack. Along with texture comes the desire for natural finishes like satin, matte, and oiled rather than glossy.
 
In addition to these features, here’s what else we expect from the world of wood in 2019:

• Longer planks
• Thicker construction
• Random widths
• Angled designs and patterns

 
You can find all these trends and more in our showroom. When you’re ready to pick out your new hardwood, come by or call us at 256.231.5600 to get your project started! You can also visit us online at shopfloorstogo.com

Hard surface flooring is more popular than ever. Whether it’s hardwood, tile, vinyl, or waterproof, people want it in their homes. Although carpet is often kicked to the curb, many still crave some softness and warmth underfoot. That’s where rugs come in. The possibilities when it comes to rug style, material, function, and design are endless. It’s really all about personal preference. A rug can simply be a neutral backdrop (such as a piece of custom-bound carpet) for your space, or it can be a statement piece like an ornate area rug. Let’s look at some things to consider when searching for the right rug.

Size
​Think about whether you want your rug to go under your furniture, or if you simply want it centered in your space. Make sure to measure your space before you begin shopping. There’s nothing worse than finding your perfect rug that doesn’t fit when you get it home! Read more on choosing the right size rug.

​Pets
​Even the best-trained house pets have accidents and track in dirt. If you’ve got fur-babies, consider investing in a “pet-proof” rug or a good pet vacuum and rug cleaning supplies. Click here for more on treating all types of stains, including pet urine.

Care
Make sure you know how to properly care for your rug to extend its beauty and durability. Cotton, jute, wool, polyester, sisal—these are just a few rug fiber types, and each requires different maintenance. Always check for manufacturer instructions. For a basic guide on rug care, click here. 

Function
Where in your home will this rug reside? A living room rug is going to function somewhat differently than a kitchen rug. Are you going for warmth and comfort, style and color, or both? For high-traffic areas, it’s also best to invest in a non-slip pad to go underneath your rug. Pads or mats with memory foam are excellent for comfort under kitchen rugs when standing for longer periods of time at the stove or sink. For bathrooms, mudrooms, and laundry rooms, make sure you choose a rug designed for high traffic, easy care, and that dries easily.

​Finally, if you need a little more help, check out these rug layout guides for every room, and browse these statement rugs from Mohawk.